Beginning with the tumultuous events leading to Georgia’s secession from the Union, “I Will Give Them One More Shot” follows the 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel James N. Ramsey, as it travels from its formation at Macon, Georgia, to Pensacola, Richmond, Western (now West) Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Ramsey’s regiment meets with initial success in a minor skirmish in the Allegheny Mountains at Laurel Hill, but then is involved in a disastrous retreat and rear guard fights at Kalers Ford and Corricks Ford, during which six companies are cut off from the army and become lost in the rugged Alleghenies, starving to the point of contemplating cannibalism. Serving under General Robert E. Lee at Cheat Mountain, the regiment finds itself involved in a friendly fire incident, then later fights well in the Confederate victory at Greenbriar River. Subsequently sent to the Shenandoah Valley to serve under General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, the 1st endures horrible conditions in the winter ice and snow as the regiment marches to Bath, Hancock, and Romney. Left in fetid and isolated winter quarters in Romney, the army to which the Georgians belong comes near to mutiny. The last two chapters review what happened to the soldiers and officers of the 1st after they mustered out in March 1862, concluding with the fate of prominent characters and sites. Appendices list the commands under which the 1st Georgia served during major events in its year of service, casualties in the unit, and a roster of the 1,331 men who served with the regiment.
From the book jacket back cover:
“This is a fascinating story of the first year of the war as told by the participants. Well before Manassas, Ramsey’s Georgians were already experiencing the intense fighting and suffering that would characterize the Confederate war effort. Martin’s meticulously researched and well-written account is a refreshing addition to Civil War literature.”
— Dr. Gordon L. Jones, Senior Military Historian and Curator, Atlanta History Center
“George W. Martin has created a well researched and captivating history of the first Georgia regiment formed for service in the Confederate army. Although in existence for only one year, the 1st Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment experienced its fair share of fighting and hardships. Martin has skillfully woven personal stories through letters and other accounts to allow the reader to follow the soldiers almost every step of the way, from the Florida Gulf Coast to the rugged mountains of western (now West) Virginia. The inclusion of detailed maps and a comprehensive roster further enhances this excellent regimental history.”
— James W. Parrish, author of Wiregrass to Appomattox: The Untold Story of the 50th Georgia Infantry Regiment
“Here at last is the untold story of Ramsey’s First Georgia Volunteers, men who fought with Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in 1861-62. It is a tale of remarkable heroism, suffering and sacrifice. George Martin has artfully stalked archives and battlefields to craft a worthy tribute to this short-lived regiment–one of the most intriguing that ever wore the gray.”
— W. Hunter Lesser, author of Rebels at the Gate: Lee and McClellan on the Front Lines of a Nation Divided.
George Winston Martin 