The Georgia 38th Infantry Regiment was organized near Decatur, Georgia, during the summer of 1861. It contained thirteen companies and 1,200 men. First called Wright's Legion after its Colonel, Augustus R. Wright, it served at Skidaway Island and Savannah. Wright resigned February 14, 1862 to serve in the Confederate House of Representatives. In May, 1862, when the 38th was ordered to Virginia, two companies were detached and one transferred. The remaining ten were from the counties of De Kalb, Milton, Emmanuel, Oglethorpe, Hart, Jefferson, Elbert, and Dawson. The 38th was assigned to Lawton's, John B. Gordon's, and C. A. Evans' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It fought in many conflicts from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, then moved with Early to the Shenandoah Valley and was active around Appomattox. The unit lost 54 killed and 118 wounded at Gaines' Mill, sixty-two percent of the 123 at Sharpsburg. In the fight at Fredericksburg there were 10 killed and 91 wounded, and of the 341 at Gettysburg, more than thirty-five percent were disabled. It surrendered with 112, of which 73 were armed. Company A - Murphey Guards (DeKalb County) Company B - Milton Guards (Milton County) Company C - Ben Hill Guards (Emanuel and Bullock Counties) Company D - McCullough Rifles (DeKalb County) Company E - Tom Cobb Infantry (Oglethorpe County) Company F - Thornton Volunteers (Hart County) Company G - Battey Guards (Jefferson County) Company H - Goshen Guards (Elbert County) Company I - Irwin Invincibles (Henry County, Alabama); transferred to 60th Georgia in May 1862 Company K - Bartow Avengers (DeKalb Country) Company L - Joe Thompson Artillery (Fulton County) (detached in May 1862 at Savannah, GA) Company M - Chastatee Artillery (Forsyth County)(detached in May 1862 at Savannah, GA) Company N - Dawson Farmers (Dawson Country)