Blog reader ANONYMOUS wrote to us drawing our attention to this drum:
The 3rd Regiment was organized in April 1861 with companies from Burke, Clarke, Greene, Houston, Morgan, Newton, Putnam, Richmond, and Wilkinson counties. The 3rd served early in the war at Norfolk, Va., where it assisted in converting the Union ship Merrimac into the Confederate ironclad Virginia. A part of the regiment served in the famous battle against the Union ironclad Monitor on March 9, 1862.
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This drum entered Confederate service with Seaborn Barnwell of the Dawson Grays from Greene County, the unit which became Company C of the 3rd Regiment. The drum beat all the calls from the regiment’s formation at Portsmouth, Va., April 26, 1861 to its surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865. When the regiment stacked its guns, the drum was hung on the pile of rifles. Pvt. Minor Hobbs of Company C took the drum and brought it back to Greene County, Georgia. Capt. W. A. Wright, son of Gen. Ambrose Wright, preserved the drum until a survivor’s committee of the 3rd Georgia presented it to the State Capitol. Source: 3rd Regiment Georgia Volunteers.
The drum is now located in the Georgia Capitol Museum, Hall of Valor.
Actually, when Minor Hobbs brought it back to Georgia, eventually, he turned it over the 3rd GA veterans association who gave it to George Nelson Dexter for safe keeping, who kept it from 1888 until his death in 1905 (as per the Madisonian newspaper 11-24-1905) & then a Capt. Walter A. Wiley, sent it to Captain (at that time Comptroller General William A. Wright) to keep until it was later presented to the Capitol where it now resides. I am a researcher of Mr. Dexter & received copies of these newspapers from the library in Madison, Georgia.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI am the curator of education at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, NC. I am planning a maritime craft activity for 2015 where we will make Civil War drums and looking for advice on what type of insignia or emblem I can copy that children can replicate on their drums. Our area participated in the Civil War as the first Union-won battle and first joint military venture and amphibias assault. The 3rd Georgia Regiment was present as well as the 9th NY, Hawkin’s Zoaves. Any tips would be appreciated. It is difficult to see the images on the old drums online.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Mary Ellen
maryellen.riddle@ncdcr.gov