On March 11, 1862, Wesley, Henry, and Edwin (the 3d and 10th Infantries), under Colonel W. S. Dilsworth, were ordered by General Trapier to proceed to the docks in Fernandina, FL near Jacksonville) to destroy supplies which might have been of value to the federal troops. In a chance meeting at the Fernandina docks, Edwin met his father, Alexander Tobias Smith, who was enroute to Florida to join the rest of his family. It was the last time that Edwin saw his father, for soon after arrival in Lake Co, FL. (then Sumter Co), Alexander contracted pneumonia and died. Wes and Henry were on duty at Lee's surrender at Appomattox, VA. They were mustered out on 5 Apr 1865.

Henry Thomas Smith Served in Company 'F' of the Tenth Florida Infantry (Regiment). In his application for pension he states that he had lived in Florida for 46 years which figures that he came to Florida about 1861 which is incorrect as he is found living with his parents in the 1860 census of Florida at Massey Grove in Sumter County (Lane Park most likely). He was wounded in 1862, near Apalachicola, FL.; The wound was over his right hip. He was later at Appomattox, VA when Lee surrendered.

 "Dr. Kaigler was one of the pioneers of Quitman County, Georgia and a forceful factor in its development.  He was a practicing physician for almost half a century.  After graduating from the Medical School of Pennsylvania, he began his practice in this section before it was formed as Quitman County.  During the 1850's when we were in conflict with the North, he stepped forward and served in the Confederate Army with the five of his brothers, one of whom (David Saylor Kaigler) also belonged to the medical profession."

(One account has Dr. Kaigler enlisted as a private in Co. I 4th Regiment, Georgia Infantry April 29, 1861 at Oglethorpe, Georgia and was discharged December 26, 1861 at Camp Jackson on a "Surgeon's Certificate".  This account undoubtedly confuses Dr. Kaigler with another Henry M. Kaigler, Jr., a third cousin.  A more likely account has Dr. Henry M. Kaigler commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant, 777 District Georgia Militia of 91st Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 13th Division on February 14, 1862.  Unfortunately, I have found no evidence of this Regiment.) 

"Dr. Kaigler was born in Lexington County, South Carolina, on October 11, 1829.  In 1837, his parents (David and Anna Barbara Crapps Kaigler) moved to Terrell County, Georgia and there lived on a 3,000 acre plantation which they bought.  They reared seven sons and five daughters. Dr. Kaigler's father, Major David Kaigler, distinguished himself in the War of 1812 and was recognized as one of Terrell County's most prominent citizens.  When his country held its Centennial Celebration in April 1956, Mrs. David Kaigler (Anna Barbara Craps), his wife was selected as the heroine of that county in the War Between the States.

In 1855, Dr. Kaigler married his beloved Rebecca Frances Rice, who was born and reared in Quitman County and whose family is predominantly identified with its early history.  He and his bride settled in a home along the banks of the Chattahoochee River in the northwest section of Quitman County and there fourteen children were born to this union. 

Among their descendents who remained in this County to participate in its growth and development were two sons Henry Middleton Kaigler, Jr. and (George) Oscar Kaigler."Dr. Kaigler was not only a skilled physician and thus interested in the well-being of his fellow man but he had inherited from his father a fondness for the political life and served in the Georgia Legislature as a Representative from Quitman County. 

It was while attending a Legislative session that he was stricken with a fatal illness and died on May 15, 1898, his wife having preceded him in death only three months before.  They were living in Georgetown at the time of their deaths in the house now used as the Methodist Parsonage.  The local cemetery holds the remains of this couple who contributed so much to the early history of this county.

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COMPANY E, 13th REGIMENT
GEORGIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
EVAN'S BRIGADE
GORDONS DIVISION
ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA
C. S. A.
RANDOLPH & TERRELL
COUNTIES, GEORGIA
"RANDOLPH VOLUNTEERS"0

Sergeant July 8, 1861. Elected Jr. 2d Lieutenant May 9, 1862; 2d Lieutenant Dec. 2, 1862; 1st Lieutenant Apr. 4, 1864; Captain Oct 3, 1864. Commanded Division Sharpshooters. Surrendered, Appomattox, Va. Apr. 9, 1865 (Buried at Dawson, Ga.)

The Georgia Enterprise

The Last Lining Up of General Gordon’s Hitherto Victorious Legion.

ONLY FIVE SURVIVORS KNOWN OF

As Follows: Capt. Kaigler, R. M. Robinson, Polk Wiggins, S. W. Cochran and J. T. Austin.

On Sunday morning, April 9, 1865, General Gordon formed his hitherto victorious legion for the last charge. The preceding night had been chilly and cold and we had been on the move until nearly midnight, when we halted on the courthouse square, built fires and remained until day. We then

reformed, marched out of Appomattox in a southwesterly direction, passing Carter’s, Starke’s and Poague’s battalions of artillery, which were then in position and firing, the former to the right, the latter to the left at the long lines of Sheridan’s columns which had come up the night previous and had thrown themselves across our only avenue of escape. General Gordon was commanding 2^nd Stonewall Jackson’s corps, then the advance of the Confederate army.

General C. A. Evans was commanding General Gordon’s old division, Colonel Lowe, of the 31st Georgia Regiment, was commanding General Evans old brigade, which numbered 890 men, all told. The brigade was composed of the following commands:

13th, 26th, 31st, 60th, 61st, Georgia Regiments, the 12th Georgia battalion and a sharpshooter’s battalion numbering 26 men and 3 officers- Captain William Kaigler commanding and Lieutenants Hogan and Gwynn- 29 men in all.

Gwynn, since the war was elected sheriff of Pike County and was killed by the Delks. Our thin lines ere now advancing rapidly and the continued roar of Carter’s, Starke’s and Poague’s guns, seemed to indicate that we were driving the long lines of blue infantry, which could be plainly seen in the gray mist of the early morning, and it seemed that fortune was going to favor us and we would surely drive all opposition from our front and escape, but our hopes of success were short lived, for suddenly there appeared a line of blue infantry moving down on right with fixed bayonets and flags gaily flying in the breeze.

General C. A. Evans came riding down his thin line eyeing the federals as they advanced until he  reached Kaigler’s battalion of sharp-shooter’s and ordered them to “deploy and charge”. The very idea of this battalion charging such an army corps and them flushed with victory, none but Generals Gordon and Evans would have thought of and I am equally sure that none but men who followed Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Joe Johnson would have complied with such an order. Presently the roar of musketry told that Kaigler had engaged the enemy, as that good soldier knew how. Under the fire of Carter’s, Starke’s and Poague’s guns the federal line seemed to halt. Kaigler was now returning to our line, bringing with him 71 federal soldiers who had surrendered.

Just as our commanding officers were getting ready to surrender one of the saddest things that I have to mention is that the gallant Lieutenant Hogan was lost and he has never been heard of since.

After Captain Kaigler and his battalion returned with the prisoners we formed a new line south of the courthouse and General G. A. Custer, commanding the United States cavalry rode over to our line with a flag of truce and asked to see some general officer. He was directed to General Gordon, and soon we received orders to uncap our guns and march out and stack arms.  The 1^st Virginia Artillery that we were supporting, and who fired the first gun in the civil war, were ordered to cease firing- they now had fired the last.

We remained at Appomattox Courthouse from the 9th until the morning of the 12th of April. All the terms of the surrender, now being agreed upon, Gibbons division of the 5th corps of the United States army, was drawn up on the North side of the road leading into the village to receive our surrender.

General Chamberlin, commanding the 1st brigade, as we came opposite to them, ordered his men to present arms, this being the highest compliment from the victor to his defeated foe. We now halted, fronted, stacked arms, furled our banner forever which we had carried to victory from Cold Harbor to Appomattox.

On the 18th we received our paroles and then came that long, tedious, homeward march, to find this once happy land nothing but a wilderness, left desolate by the torch of Sherman on his march to the sea.  The men who made the last charge at Appomattox were only a fair sample of the Confederate army, and were not afraid to charge though out numbered a thousand to one. Or the survivors of this gallant band of heroes I know of only five. Captain Kaigler, the brave commander now resides at Dawson, Terrell Co., Ga. The other tour claim DeKalb as their native county, viz: Sergeant R. M. Robinson, Polk Wiggins, S. W. Cochran and J. T. Austin. Let us cherish the memory of our heroes and hope that their last days, may be as calm and serene as the former ones were stormy. -New Era.

 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.org/ga/newton/newspapers/

nw1807thecharg.txt

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