The Other

Colquitt
The Life and Death of
Colonel Peyton H. Colquitt
By Howard D. Lawrence

the other colquitt

The Life and Death of
Colonel Peyton H. Colquitt
Some research projects start with a direct gia. Their father was the highly regarded Judge
purpose, and some start obscurely by happy Walter T. Colquitt, a U.S. Representative and
accident, never completely revealing the story leading states rights advocate of his day that voted
until one is totally engrossed by the subject. So
it was one day while perusing an obscure book
of poetry on Google called The Lovers Revenge
by J. Thigpen. The title brought hopes of Poe
and Longfellow, flowery Victorian sonnets that
would be an easy diversion from the realities
of 21st century news. But after a few pages of
poorly written maudlin prose I started to lose interest until I came upon a little gem titled The
Death of Colonel Peyton Colquitt. A snippet
reads as follows.

Thus nobly, in his manhood prime.

In freedoms holy cause sublime.
The gallant Colquitt fell.

The Christian warrior loved and mourned.

His spirit has to HIM returned.

Who doeth all things well
Typical 19th Century histrionics I thought.
But being intrigued by the Civil War connection,
I needed to know more about this man who died
so long ago. Who was Peyton Colquitt?
Peyton Holt Colquitt came from one of the
leading families of Georgia. All of us who have
studied the Army of Northern Virginia know
the name Colquitt. His older brother Alfred CDV taken of Colonel Colquitt sometime in
was a general under Lee and had a brilliant post 1862 by the Charleston studio of Quinby & Co.
war career as a senator and governor of Geor- Courtesy www.FindAGrave
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for secession at the 1850 Nashville Convention.

Peyton was the third child of Judge Colquitt
and his wife Nancy. Growing up in Columbus,
Peyton was schooled as most of the southern
aristocracy before the war. Ancient languages like Latin and Greek, engineering and the
classics were the common curriculum and at
these Peyton excelled. Among the family Peyton
was considered The most notable and talented
of the boys and a great future lay ahead. When
it was Peytons turn at higher education, the U.S.
Military Academy was chosen. His older brother
had graduated from West Point and served in the
Mexican War but unlike Alfred, Peyton dropped

Dinglewood was the scene of the marriage of Julia

and Captain Peyton Colquitt. After the ceremony
Julia donned her riding habit as her going-away
costume, and rode to Virginia with her husband.
After Peytons death, Julia traveled to Europe
where she was courted by Emperor Napoleons
nephew, but refused his hand in marriage and
returned to Dinglewood. She later became the wife
of Lee Jordan of Macon, who was said to be the
wealthiest man in Georgia at the time. Courtesy
HABS, Library of Congress.

out before finishing. Family influence and a good

name go a long way in antebellum Georgia and
he was chosen Secretary of the State Senate in
1856 and was elected State Senator the next
year. Columbus was becoming a vibrant thriving city and Peyton became the editor of one of
the states most influential papers The Columbus
Constitution. This meteoric rise did not go unnoticed. One of the most brilliant men in the
Commonwealth...A splendid physical specimen
of a man were just some of the accolades associated with Peyton.
The South before the war had no real aristocracy, but never the less a class system did exist
and Peyton was like a prince among men. An
acceptable romance was expected, and Peyton
fell in love with the Sweetheart of Columbus
Julia Hurt. Her father was one of the richest men
in the city and they were married in October of
the first year of the war.
Militia units were rushing to fight for the
new Confederacy in April of 1861. Peyton was
Captain of the Columbus City Light Guard and
his company were immediately sent to Virginia
when the hostilities started. Captain Colquitt
and his men would not have to wait long for
action. While listening to a very poor sermon
at Tanners Crossroads, Norfolk Virginia the
Guard, now Company A, 2nd Battalion, Georgia Infantry were called to battle in one of the
first engagements of the war. A currier rode up
bringing an order...to detail one company to
march in 10 minutes to Sewells Point where
they would prevent a landing by the enemy so
wrote Albert Moses Luria a Jewish soldier from
Columbus. The gunboat USS Monticello was
shelling the battery at Sewells Point and the
company bravely manned the cannon throwing shells back at the enemy. Throughout the
engagement, our men displayed great coolness
and bravery. This was the first engagement that
took place in Va. the victory was won by the
City Light Guards of Columbus GA assisted
by 30 Virginians and his men were envied and

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Wearing the frock coat

that exists today. Carte
de Visite taken by George
S. Cook, Charleston.
Courtesy D. Patterson.

Colonel Colquitts beautiful frock

coat was donated to the Columbus
Museum in 1993 by brother and
sister John and Estelle Hinde. Julia
Hurt Colquitt died childless on New
Years Eve 1891 and left Dinglewood
to a cousin who subsequently left it
to the Hindes aunt. They inherited
Dinglewood from their aunt in 1947
and found the coat while cleaning
out the attic. Courtesy Columbus
Museum, Columbus Georgia.
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This sword and scabbard was also found at

Dinglewood. It was probably the one
carried at Chickamauga by Colonel Colquitt
when he was mortally wounded. Courtesy
Columbus Museum, Columbus Georgia.
lauded throughout the South as heroes. At one
point in the battle, Peyton, not having a flag of
his new nation the Confederacy, defiantly raised
the state flag of Georgia.
In the spring of 1862 a new regiment was
being formed with men from Georgias Upson, Schley, Harris, Muscogee, Chattahoochee,
Webster, Marion, and Talbot counties, the
colonelcy was given to Peyton. The new 46th
Infantry Regiment served briefly in Georgia,
then went to South Carolina where it was involved in the battles at Secessionville, Gaston
and Framptons Plantation. In May 1863, assigned to General Gists Brigade, it moved to
Mississippi. At the siege of Jackson, Colquitt
encouraged his troops saying Stand firm men,
remember we are Georgians. In August 1863,
the regiment and brigade joined Braxton Braggs
ill fated Army of Tennessee in their home state
of Georgia. On Sunday morning at Chickamauga after an all-nights March from Ringgold,
Gists Brigade, under temporary command of
Colonel Colquitt was called for by D. H. Hill. A
dangerous gap had developed between Cleburne
and Breckinridges men and Peytons troops
were needed immediately, there was no time to
waste. They quickly marched forward without a
skirmish line until confronted by the log breastworks of the enemy and met with a destructive
fire that shattered their ranks. For nearly half
an hour the brigade stood its ground. Colonel
Colquitt, hat off, was riding up and down the

line encouraging his men when a canister shot

hit him in the breast hurling him from his horse.
He was carried to some shade, and there the
chaplain of his regiment, Rev. Thomas Stanley
attended him (and recounted). When I found
the colonel he thought his wound was mortal,
and though he had not recovered from the shock
he seemed calm and collected. I talked with him
very freely on the subject of religion. He constantly expressed a spirit of resignation to the
Providence of God, and that he had no apprehensions whatever in regard to the future; that
he had tried to do his duty, and felt in the last
hour that he was accepted of his Savior. In this
hour his faith never wavered he said he was going
to the land of light and peace, where he should

One of four similar monuments at Chickamauga commemorating fallen brigade commanders,

this cast pyramid of cannonballs marks the spot
of Colonel Colquitts mortal wounding. In the
1890s after being used as a training camp for the
U.S. Army, the battlefield at Chickamauga was
dedicated as the first military park by the NPS.
Courtesy D. Patterson
meet his many loved ones who had gone before;
and again: Tell my dear wife I go to meet our
angel child, and to come to us. At one time he
said: The Providence of God is inscrutable, but
I submit in hope. He died without a struggle. It
is comfortable to know that all his wants were

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supplied during his sufferings. He experienced

no pain, and was conscious to the last moment.
As soon as he was wounded General Forrest sent
his surgeon to him; the poor people, who had
been benefit of all their worldly substance, went
to see him from miles around.
So ended the career and life of a rising star
without peer, Peyton Holt Colquitt. His name
is without spot or blemish. He lived a pure and
stainless life.
Sources
The Georgia Weekly Telegraph. April 5,1870
Christ in Camp, or Religion in Lees Army.
John William Jones. 1887
The Jewish Confederates. Robert Rosen. 2000
Letter of Albert Moses Luria to his Cousin.
Southern Historical collection, UNC
Columbus Enquirer. Sept. 29th, 1863
The editor wishes to thank Daniel L.
Patterson, Scott Valentine, Denise Vero and
Rebecca Bush for assistance in this article.

Peytons grave lies in Linwood Cemetery next to

his wife Julia Hurt Colquitt Jordan. His monument was imported from Italy in 1870 and is
made of the finest Tuscan Marble. Courtesy
Evening Blues.

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