The Story of George Baxter-
- Joined Confederate Army on 31 July 1863 in
Decatur, Ga. Served with the D Company,
38th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, Evan's Brigade, Gordon's Division and Wright's
Division of the Army of Northern Virginia. Unit was known as McCullough Rifles. The unit
was in the Gettysburg Campaign when George enlisted and he picked it up in the Bristoe
Campaign in Northern Virginia. The first major battle for George was the Wilderness
Campaign, north of Richmond, which lasted from May 4 to June 12, 1864. Some of the
more prominent battles were fought at Spotsylvania Court House during May and Cold
Harbor in June of 1864.
During a campaign into the Shenandoah Valley,
George became ill and was hospitalized
in Sept. 1864. Upon returning to duty, his
group was involved in some of the final battles
for the South during the "Siege of Richmond
and Petersburg."
On Mar. 25, 1865, George was admitted to the
hospital in Farmville, VA with a wound to
the left hip suffered at the battle at Ft.
Steadman, Va. He spent the rest of the war at the
hospital, serving as a nurse on Ward 7 after
recovering from his injury.
He was paroled by T.L. Baker, Lt. Col., 36th
Mass Vols., Provost Marshall at Farmville
by order of Brig. Gen. Masey, provost Marshal,
Army of the Potomac. This was just 2 days
after Lee's surrender at Appamatox Court House.
George moved to Arkansas in the 1870's and
lived in Yell County. He died on 22 Nov. 1900
and is buried in the Hale Cemetery in Yell
Co.
In 1884, George and his two sons were living
in Yell Co., Ark. and on May 4 of that year,
George, a widower, married Frances G. Warren,
a widow from Magazine Township.
George and his new wife farmed until 1898
in Chickalah Village of Magazine Township.
George died Nov. 22, 1900 and was buried in
the Hale Cemetery. One month to the day
later, his wife died and is buried by his
side.
Tommy & Elaine Baxter Fairfield, Texas
