A Brief History of the Twenty-First Georgia Infantry
21st Infantry Regiment, assembled at Richmond , Virginia , from June to August of 1861. Its soldiers hailed from Campbell (now present day Douglas and Fulton), Floyd, Fulton, Polk, Gordon, Troup, Dale, Stewart, and Chattooga counties in Georgia . The 21st served with Jackson during the Valley campaign and became part of the famous “Foot Cavalry” taking part in such actions as Cross Keys where they surprised the 8th New York Infantry and decimated their command with a “point-blank” volley of buck and ball. The 21st traveled 646 miles in 48 days of marching and helped “Stonewall” Jackson win five significant victories with a force of about 17,000 against a combined force of 60,000 and securing the Shenandoah Valley for sometime. In May, 1862, Company E was transferred to the cavalry. The regiment operated with nine companies from that time until the latter part of 1864 when another Company E was assigned. During the war it served under the command of Generals Trimble, Hoke, Doles, and Cook. The 21st participated in Jackson 's Valley Campaign and fought in many conflicts of the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Mine Run. Later it was engaged at Roanoke Island, Drewry's Bluff, and Cold Harbor, then moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley (again) and was active around Appomattox. It had 4 killed and 23 wounded at Cross Keys and 20 killed, 80 wounded, and 11 missing at Gaines' Mill and Malvern Hill. The unit lost seventy-six percent of the 242 engaged at Second Manassas where when they ran out of ammunition they threw rocks at the federal forces. They lost about ten percent of the 287 at Gettysburg . Only 7 officers and 50 men surrendered in April, 1865. Its commanders were Colonels Thomas W. Hooper and John T. Mercer, Lieutenant Colonels Thomas C. Glover and J.J. Morrison, and Major Michael Lynch.
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