http://user.winbeam.com/~jagriffin/62nd.htm
62nd Georgia Regiment of Volunteers
(Infantry Mounted/Partisan Rangers/Cavalry)
Confederate States of America (CSA)
A Regimental History
Information gathered by John Griffin
(updated 21 January 2006)
Before it was the 62nd Regiment, this unit was formed as the 15th Georgia Cavalry Battalion-Partisan Rangers, organized with six companies on 18 June 1862. Major Joel R. Griffin was the commander, later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. This battalion was assigned to the Cavalry Command, Department of North Carolina (June-July 1862).
Next in the evolution of the regiment came the designation of 62nd Georgia Regiment organized to serve as the 62nd Georgia Cavalry Regiment-Partisan Rangers also known as the 62nd Mounted Infantry and as the 62nd Georgia Cavalry Regiment. The later is the most frequently found references. Some references to this unit can be attributed to the 2nd Georgia Partisan Ranger Regiment. With the various designations and changes in title, this regiment can be very difficult to follow through the war. I will try to identify the various components and actions of this group of men. A majority of men appear to be recruited from Georgia were from Dougherty, Liberty, and Baker Counties. In December 1863, it reported 408 effective men.
This regiment was organized with seven Georgia companies and three North Carolina companies via the increase of the 15th Cavalry Battalion Partisan Rangers to a full regiment on 1 August 1862. Later this regiment would be broken up with the seven Georgia companies going to form the 8th Georgia Cavalry Regiment and the three North Carolina companies becoming part of the 16th North Carolina Cavalry Battalion. These changes were authorized by Special Order #161 issued by the Adjutant and Inspector General's Office on 11 July 1864. Based on looking at the official records it does not appear that the orders were completed until the end of October (about October 25) 1864. The 8th Cavalry also merged with the 20th Battalion Georgia Cavalry for the last months of the war.
The 62nd listed organization with the following field officers: Colonel Joel R. Griffin, Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Towns, Major John T. Kennedy, Commissary T. Meara, Adjutant B. B. Bowers. The Company Captains were: (A) John P. Davis, (B) James W. Nichols, (C) William L. A. Ellis, (D) William H. Faucett, (E), W. A. Thompson, (F) S. B. Jones, (G) Pat Gray, (H) Thomas A. Jones, (I) John A. Richardson, (K) E. W. Westbrook, (L) Theodore T. Barham.
The following are some of the officers who succeeded those first named some showing increased rank between the original formation in 1862 and then surrender (as the 8th Regiment) in 1865.: Lieutenant Colonel John T. Kennedy, Major William L. A. Ellis, Commissary W. R. Baldwin, Adjutant W. A. Holson; Captains (B) B. B. Bower, (D) R. Duvall, (H) A. P. Newhart, (K) S. L. Turner.
The Regiment locations can be verified through official records at two camps. One is Camp Hedrick near Wilmington in New Hanover Co, NC 23 July 1862 (Co E) and the other is Camp D.H. Hill near Garysburg in Northampton Co, NC 22 September to 2 November 1862. (CSR 254/15) Companies of this unit were in and out of this camp at different times.