The 42nd Infantry Regiment was assembled at Camp McDonald, Georgia, in March, 1862, with men from Gwinnett, De Kalb, Newton, Walton, Fulton, and Calhoun counties. The regiment moved to Tennessee, then Mississippi where it was attached to General Barton’s Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. It fought at Chickasaw Bayou and Champion’s Hill, and on July 4, 1863, was captured at Vicksburg. Exchanged and brigaded under General Stovall, the 42nd continued the fight in various battles from Missionary Ridge to Bentonville. In December, 1863, it contained 444 men and 394 arms, and in November, 1864, there were 345 present for duty. The regiment surrendered with the Army of Tennessee with 5 officers and 126 men. Its field officers were Colonel Robert J. Henderson, Lieutenant Colonels W.H. Hulsey and Robert F. Maddox, and Major Lovick P. Thomas.
The magazine Civil War Times Illustrated published a special edition of their magazine in 1964 dedicated to the Campaign for Atlanta. At the time, the magazine was at the height of its power and historical influence. Edited by William C. Davis, this issue had articles by Dr. Bell Wiley, Wilbur Kurtz, and Franklin Garrett.
The cover illustration was drawn by Frederic Ray, the art director of the magazine. According to Ray, “It depicts the fighting around the Troup Hurt House during the Battle of Atlanta on the afternoon of July 22, 1864. The Confederate troops in the foreground are members of the 42nd Georgia, a part of the force that overran De Gress’s Illinois Battery.” Note the canteen of the soldier loading his rifle. Company D was the Fowler Guards from DeKalb County.
The illustration is inaccurate in that Stovall’s Brigade made their dramatic charge on the other side of the Troup Hurt House near the railroad cut. Still, it is a great magazine cover and a worthy tribute to our Boys!
Cliff Roberts
