5th Georgia Cavalry

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The 5th Georgia Cavalry was a cavalry regiment in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

The regiment was formed on 20 January 1863 from combining the 1st Battalion, Georgia Cavalry (made up of men from Liberty and McIntosh counties) and the 2nd Battalion (Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham and Screven counties). However, they were not officially mustered in the service until 17 May 1863 and were afterwards sent to South Carolina and parts of Georgia to defend against Union incursions into those two states.

At the end of August 1863, the entire regiment was sent to South Carolina to be under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard. They fought at Johns Island, Charleston, Green Pond and many other battles within the area during that time. The 5th Cavalry remained in South Carolina until orders sent them back to Savannah on May 13, 1864; along the way, those orders changed and the 5th Georgia Cavalry rode to join General Joseph Wheeler and the Army of Tennessee.

Once they were a part of Wheeler’s forces, the troops traveled to Atlanta where they participated in the battle for that city and in the greater Campaign for Atlanta, losing many men but always maintaining their discipline and honor. They saw combat in several major actions, including Kennesaw Mountain, Buckhead, Big Shanty, Chattahoochee River, and Decatur. Their last documented skirmish was the Battle of Morrisville Station on April 13-14, 1865.