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The Muster Roll of this regiment may be available at the 42nd Georgia Web Site.
Enoch E. McCollum
Captain, Company G “Walton Blues” 42nd Georgia Volunteer Infantry
Enoch McCollum was born August 30, 1831 in Habersham County, Georgia to William “Billy” McCollum and his second wife, Esther Edwards. His father served in Captain Benjamin Goss’s Company of Austin’s South Carolina Regiment in the War of 1812. His grandfather, Daniel McCollum, was a militiaman during the Revolution in Captain David Caldwell’s company of Colonel Francis Locke’s Regiment in Rowan County, North Carolina. William was not eligible for a pension because he served 8 days less than the 60 days required by law. Daniel collected a Revolutionary War pension from 1832 until his death in Habersham County in 1850.
Enoch married Kalista H. Breedlove in Walton County on October 24, 1854. She was the daughter of Robert Foster Breedlove and Sarah Wayne. By the time of the 1860 census Enoch was working as a mechanic and had two children: Missouri Josephine (born September 16, 1855) and Green W (born July 2, 1858). They had a third child, Martha J “Mattie” on December 7, 1860.
When the Civil War came, Enoch enlisted on March 4, 1862 and was elected Captain of Company G. His compiled service record shows that he went on indefinite sick leave on April 10, 1862. He apparently returned to his command, but died of measles at Bean Station, Tennessee on July 7, 1862.
His brother-in-law, Cicero George Breedlove, brought Enoch’s body back to Walton County, where he was buried in the Breedlove Family Cemetery on a 954-acre farm near the town of Gratis.
Enoch was a Master Mason, affiliated with Mountain Lodge 232. On July 12, 1862 his lodge issued a Tribute of Respect for their departed brother, buried him with Masonic honors and ordered that the lodge be draped in mourning for a period of 30 days. On August 10, 1862 the Grand Lodge of the State of Georgia issued a diploma to Enoch’s widow and orphans certifying that “...the bearers hereof are the widow & orphans of our deceased Brother, so long as their walk and deportment is within compass, do commend them to the Friendship, Protection, and Kindness of all the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons wheresoever dispersed.”
Kalista died August 4, 1864 at the age of 31 and was buried next to Enoch. Her children were taken in by their grandmother, Sarah. After Sarah’s death the children were under the guardianship of John Adams of Walton County. Missouri Josephine married James Marion Lott on November 6, 1876 in Alpharetta, Georgia. She died March 29, 1928 in Hahira, Georgia. Green W McCollum did not marry. He died in Gainesville, Texas on October 17, 1893. Mattie married William J.T. Webb in Alpharetta, Georgia on December 22, 1883. She died September 29, 1923 in Alpharetta, Georgia.
REMINISCENCES OF FORTY SECOND GEORGIA.
Confederate Veteran January 1904
Col. L. P. Thomas writes in Gwinnett (Ga., Journal: "Mr. Editor: By request o f one of the fair Daughters of the Confederacy of your grand old county, I contribute a short article for the 'Woman's Edition' of your journal for the worthy purpose of aiding the Winnie Davis Memorial.
After my return from the gold fields of California, in 1856, I married one of Gwinnett's purest and brightest daughters, and commenced a mercantile business under the style of Wilson & Thomas. I was enjoying prosperity in this business when the tocsin of war was sounded. I organized Company A from the noble, gallant young men of Gwinnett County, which became a part of the grand old Forty Second Georgia Regiment. It was first commanded by Col. R. J. Henderson, with R. F. Maddox lieutenant colonel, W. H. Hulsey major. After fighting over Kentucky and through Tennessee, it was at Vicksburg in the memorable forty seven days' siege, with the hardships of the ditches, on half rations and part of the time eating mule meat to keep son] and body together, all this time under a galling fire from the gunboats on the river and the small arms from the enemy occupying the intrenchments surrounding this doomed city.
After returning to our native Georgia, we fought Over ail the bloody fields from Missionary Ridge to Atlanta, and then again made an onward march to Nashville, fighting Over the never to be forgotten plains of Franklin, which was one of the hardest fought battles of the war. We had been in many skirmishes, besides having fought the following hard and bloody battles, viz.: Tazewell, Cumberland Gap, Chickasaw Bayou, Baker's Creek, Vicksburg, Missionary Ridge, Rocky Face, Resaca, New Hope, Pumpkin Vine, Kennesaw, Atlanta (July 20, l864) , Atlanta (July 22, 1864,), Atlanta (July 28, 1864) , Jonesboro, Franklin (November 30, 1864) , Nashville (December if, . 17, 1864, . Edisto River, Bindker's Bridge, Orangeburg, Winston, and then Bentonville, this being twenty two in all and the last battle of the war. A few of this noble old regiment yet remain.
BENTONVILLE.
In this last battle of the war all of this grand regiment coffered themselves in glory. We had taken our position in a pine forest near the main road leading to Smithfield Station, at which point the Federals charged our line repeatedly, their colors proudly waving immediately in our front. Their colors would rise and fall in a few feet of our battle line. It was here I saw Moses Martin, of Company A, fall. He lay there among other wounded ones, and encouraged our boys to move on. Soon after this charge was made, and we were resting on our arms, some of the Confederate officers came rapidly down our line and complimented us for the fight we had made. Soon after this our entire army was again moved toward Smithfield Station, at which point the reorganization of the army under Gen. J. E. Johnston took place. Col. R. J. Henderson, who had been commanding Cumming's Brigade for some time, was promoted to brigade commander. I had first taken command of the Forty Second Georgia on the battlefield at Resaca, Ga.. and commanded in most' of the battles hereafter.
In this reorganization I was promoted to lieutenant colonel. and J. J. McClendon was made the major. The regiment was then known as the Consolidated Forty Second Georgia Regiment, many of the regiments being consolidated so as to make one regiment, and new officers placed over them
. Gen. J. E. Johnston had again assumed command, and the different organizations, under new leaders, commenced in earnest to drill and maneuver, preparing for the next battle. With this new order of things we were again ready for the conflict, but the fighting was over.
Soon thereafter our entire army commenced to march toward Greensboro, N.C. On the march, perhaps the second day of the way, a soldier, who had belonged to the Virginia Army and had in some way gotten away in advance of his comrades and no doubt was moving a rapidly as he could toward his loved ones and home, disheartened, sore footed, and hungry, reported to the officers he first met that Gen. Lee had surrendered. This seemed so absurd that we could not believe it, and the poor fellow was put under arrest and held for a day. After this the news of the surrender came thick and fast, and the Virginia soldier was again allowed to proceed toward his home, apologies having been made to him.
Another thrilling incident I remember. A soldier (his regiment and name I have forgotten) had been tried by a court martial for desertion. He was a young fellow, and had not been long with his command, but the strictest discipline was necessarily in force, and the sentence was death. He was to be excecuted that very day near Greensboro. The detail of men had been made, the time and place selected where he was to be legally executed (shot to death) under military order. His position had been taken, the soldiers were drawn up in front to do the firing, when a dashing young officer from the army headquarters was seen in the distance riding at breakneck speed and waving the pardon from the general commanding just in time to save the life of the poor fellow.
We commenced moving again in silence toward Greensboro and High Point, where we surrendered a few days later. The soldiers were ordered to march to their destinations, each under its own commander, and my military connection with these matchless and fearless soldiers was terminated.
Our command moved on to High Point, a short distance from Greensboro and there in an old field I had our regiment to stack arms, about four hundred in number, and when that was done, amid a silence that could almost be felt, many a tear was shed by brave officers and brave men while standing there over those guns. A beautiful address had been prepared and handed to me, signed by every officer and noncommissioned officer in my regiment, expressive of the highest admiration form me and the deepest regret at parting. This address I still have, preserved among my many cherished army relic:
Tell it as you may,
It never can be told,
Sing it as you will.
It never can be sung
The story of the glory
Of the men who wore the gray.
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