FIFTY-SEVENTH GEORGIA INFANTRY
The Fifty-Seventh Ga Inf was organized during the spring of 1862. The regiment was mustered into Confederate service by detachments between May and June, 1862, at Savannah,Ga.
Like almost all Civil War units the 57th Ga Inf was often known by an alternate designation derived from the name of its commanding officer. Un-official names of this type used by or for the regiment are shown below:
William Barkuloo's Inf
Cincinnatus S. Guyton's Inf
John W. Shinholser's Inf
L.C. Bryan's Inf
James M. Smith's Inf
Lucius Q. Tucker's Inf
Henry K. Byington's Inf
C.H. Richardson's Inf
John F. Vinson's Inf
James P. Jordan's Inf
John R. Bonner's Inf
George W. Bishop's Inf
J.N. Shinholser's Inf
Soon after being mustered into Confederate service the 57th Ga Inf was ordered to Chattanooga,Tennessee. There it served in the Department of East Tennessee. Early in 1863 the unit was sent to Mississippi where it served at Vicksburg, serving in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana and in the Army of Vicksburg. After being paroled following the fall of Vicksburg, the regiment joined the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In the spring of 1864 the regiment joined the Army of Tennessee, serving in that Army for the duration of the War. The list below shows the specific higher command assignments of the regiment.
31 Oct 1862 - 3rd Bde, 1st Div, Army of Kentucky(Department of East Tenn)
20 Nov 1862 - 3rd Bde, 1st Div, Department of East Tenn.
31 Jan 1863 - 3rd(Taylor's) Bde, Stevenson's Div, 2nd Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
1 Apr 1863 - 3rd Bde, Stevenson's Div, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana.
4 Jul 1863 - 2nd Bde, Stevenson's Div, Army of Vicksburg.
29 Aug 1863 - (Parole Camp, Demopolis, Alabama) Cumming's Bde, Stevenson's Div, Army of Vicksburg.
20 Oct 1863 - Colston's Bde, District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
31 Jan 1864 - Unbrigaded, District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
15 Apr 1864 - Prison Guards, Andersonville Prison Camp, District of Georgia, Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
31 May 1864 - Mercer's Bde, Walker's Div, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tenn.
31 Jul 1864 - Mercer's Bde, Cleburne's Div, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tenn.
10 Dec 1864 - Smith's Bde, Cleburne's Div, Cheatham's Corps, Army of Tenn.
9 Apr 1865 - Smith's Bde, Brown's Div, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tenn.
The 57th Ga Inf participated in a number of various type engagements during its career. These are identified below. Numbers after the events locate them on the maps following this history.
Operations on the Mississippi Central R.R. from Bolivar, Tenn.(1) to Coffeeville,Miss.(2) (Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign) Dec 1862 - 10 Jan 1863
Battle, Champion's Hill, Baker's Creek, Edward's Depot(Midway Hill), Miss.(3) 16 May 1863
Engagement, Big Black River Bde,Miss(4) 17 May 1863
Siege, Vicksburg, Miss (5) 18 May - 4 Jul 1863
Assault, Vicksburg, Miss(5) 19 May 1863
Assault,Vicksburg,Miss(5) 22 May 1863
Surrender, Vicksburg,Miss(5) 4 Jul 1863
Atlanta Campaign 10 May - 8 Sep 1864
Battle, Resaca,Ga (6) 14 May - 15 May 1864
Combats near Cassville,Ga (7) 18 May - 19 May 1864
Operations on the line of Pumpkin Vine Creek(8) and Battles about Dallas(9), New Hope Church(10), and Allatoona Hills(11),Ga 25 May - 5 Jun 1864
Operations about Marietta(12) and against Kenesaw Mountain (13),Ga 10 Jun - 2 Jul 1864
Combats about Pine Hill,Ga (14) 11 Jun - 14 Jun 1864
Combats about Lost Mountain,Ga (15) 15 Jun - 17 Jun 1864
Assault, Kenesaw Mountain,Ga (13) 27 Jun 1864
Operations on the line of the Chattahoochee River,Ga (16) 5 Jul - 17 Jul 1864
Battle, Peach Tree Creek, Ga (17) 19 Jul - 20 Jul 1864
Battle, Atlanta,Ga (18) 22 Jul 1864
Siege, Atlanta,Ga (19) 23 Jul - 25 Aug 1864
Battle, Jonesborough,Ga (20) 31 Aug - 1 Sep 1864
Engagement, Lovejoy Station,Ga (21) 2 Sep - 5 Sep 1864
Hood's Operations in Northern Ga and Northern Alabama 29 Sep - 3 Nov 1864
Engagement, Spring Hill,Tenn (22) 29 Nov 1864
Battle, Franklin,Tenn (23) 30 Nov 1864
Battle, Nashville,Tenn (24) 15 Dec - 16 Dec 1864
Campaign of the Carolinas 30 Jan - 26 Apr 1865
Battle, Bentonville,NC (25) 19 Mar - 21 Mar 1865
Surrender, Bennett's House(Durham Station),NC (26) 26 Apr 1865
Nothing has been found in either official or unofficial sources to show how many members of the 57th Ga Inf were still with the unit when it finally laid down its arms in late April 1865. It is probable, however, that only about 100 officers and enlisted men were still with the unit at that late date.