HISTORICAL NOTES:
This battalion served as local defense north of a line commencing on the north side of the railroad at West Point, thence to Atlanta and finally to Elberton. The battalion was originally known as Stark's Battalion Cavalry, Supporting Forces of Georgia. Its designation was changed to the 1st Battalion Georgia Cavalry, Reserves in January 1864 and went into active service on 12 April 1864.
This was a reserve unit to the Georgia 1st Cavalry Battalion, mostly made up of older men and young boys. It saw similar service, but was not merged into the Georgia 5th Cavalry Regiment when it was formed, but was a distinct unit during the March to the Sea and the Carolinas Campaign. The National Archives Index shows 674 names on the roster where the Georgia 1st Cavalry Battalion shows 758.
These men were primarily older men and young boys who were “honorably” a part of the 1st Battalion in peace time, but unfit for service when the war came.
When the 1864 State Militia census was performed, many of these names appear.
… In 1861 actual hosti1ities began, & early in the summer all volunteer companies seeing the necessity for active preparation, the Troops went into an encampment at Hester's Bluff, near Sunbury in the month of August [1861] for the purpose of drilling, & doing picket duty on the coast.
The reserve units were called out in advance of Sherman’s invasion in 1864 and they are named often in the battles around Atlanta, Stoneman’s Raid, Griswoldville, Waynesboro, Savannah, and the Carolina’s Campaign. Many of these records are quite spotty and the particular units are not identified, but it is clear that they served arduous duty for that last year and a half of the war and they surrendered with Johnston in North Carolina in April, 1865.
FIELD OFFICERS:
Lieutenent Colonel J. H. Blount originally a Captain in Stark's Battalion, but it is not clear which company he commanded.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Military District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida (September 1861 - January 1863)
SERVICE:
Picket duty on the Georgia coast.
The Atlanta Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign
ROSTERS:
The Compiled Service Records of the members of this regiment may be found in microfilm roll
series M266. The complete series contains 607 rolls of film. The compiled service records are
indexed on M226. These film are available from the
Georgia Archives.
Roll # CSR-6 Surnames A-L
Roll # CSR-7 Surnames M-Z
Sifikas states that this battalion consisted of four companies. The men were from the counties of Effingham, Screven, Liberty, Bulloch, Lamar, and McIntosh.
Company A - B. A. Wise - Bibb County
Company C - George L. F. Birdsong, James W. F. Hightower - Some of the men in this company servered previously in Co G, 12th Regiment Georgia Infantry, State Guards.
Co. E. - N. C. Osborne - Fulton and Hart Counties.
HISTORICAL NOTES: