General:
The Third Georgia Regiment served stateside during the Spanish American War, but following the war, the unit served in Cuba as part of the occupation force.
Unit History:
The 3rd Georgia Volunteer Infantry was organized after President William McKinley's second call for troops. On June 17, 1898, Colonel John S. Chandler was appointed as the unit's commander. The colonel's experience was that of commander of the Fifth Regiment of Georgia Infantry since 1893, and also as state judge advocate. The second in command was Lt. Col. R. L. Berner of Forsyth, GA. Forsyth had been a state senator, a member of the state House of Representatives and a candidate for governor. Berner's military experience was limited to his servce as a 2nd lieutenant in the Quitman Guards of the Second Regiment of Georgia Volunteers.
The companies were raised from the following locations:
Company A - Atlanta and Elberton (Capt. W. W. Davies)Company B - Griffin, Spalding, Butts, and Upson Counties (Capt Aaron Burr)
Company C - Newnan, Coweta, Meriwether, Carroll, Ferrell and Paulding Counties (Capt. J. E. Powell).
Company D - Rome, Floyd, Polk, Walker Irwin and Dade Counties (Capt. Henry J. Stewart)
Company E - Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb Counties (Capt. Amos Baker)
Company F - Marietta, Atlanta and Cobb, Pualding, Bartow, Pickens, Milton and Cherokee Counties (Capt. S. V. Sanford)
Company G - Albany, Brunswick, and Dougherty, Lee, Glynn, McIntosh and Wayne Counties (Capt. J. I. Gilbert)
Company H - Americus, Columbus and Sumter, Muscogee, Troup and Harris Counties (Capt. Charles E. Van Riper)
Company I - Augusta, Milledgeville, and Richmond, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Hancock and Warren Counties (Capt. J. H. Stevens)
Company K - Savannah and Chatham, Newton, Habersham,and Rabun Counties (Capt. Henry Kolshorm)
Company L - Forsyth and Monroe, Upson, Dooly, Pulaski, Thomas and Brooks Counties (Capt. W. E. Sanders)
Company M - Macon, and Murray, Bibb, Whitfield, Gilmor, Houston and Crawford Counties (Capt. Robert Hodges)
The unit was presented with a regimental flag by the state legislature
and a stand of colors by the ladies of Atlanta.
The unit actually served solely in the U.S. during the Spanish American War, however, in January of 1899, the unit was sent to Cuba as part of the occupying force. Here it remained until the first week of April, then it returned home. The 3rd Georgia was mustered out on April 22, 1899.
During its term of service, the unit lost 12 men to disease.
Wright, General Marcus J., Wright's Official History of the Spanish American War. (Washington: War Records Office 1900) 593-595..
Photo courtesy of J.E. (Edd) Dorminey
