"KELLEY, GEORGE V.
Rank and organization: Captain, Company A, 104th Ohio Infantry
Place and date: At Franklin, Tenn., 30 November 1864
Entered service at: Massillon, Ohio
Date of issue: 13 February 1865
Citation: Capture of flag supposed to be of Cheatham's Corps (C.S.A.)." (from (
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"George V. Kelley was 20 years old when he enlisted at Massillon Creek, Stark County, Ohio on July 23, 1862, as a 1st Lieutenant. On August 30, 1862 he was commissioned into Company A. He mustered out June 17, 1865 at Greensboro.
On December 9, 1862 he saw a promotion to Captain. Kelley died in 1905 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Denver, CO.
Kelley was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor for his actions at Franklin on November 30, 1864.
When Quarles’ Brigade reached the Federal line on November 30th, it would not break. Many of the Confederates fell back and as they did several regiments lost their colors. Capt. George V. Kelley captured the colors of the 1st Alabama during the action. The Confederates would lose at least 20 colors at Franklin at the hands of the 23 Corps.
Section 72 Alabama has six identified 1st AL soldiers buried here (plots #61-64, 66 and 73). Section 73 Alabama has seven identified buried (plots #81-88).
There are also 1st AL soldiers buried in Sections 75, 76. In total, there are 19 known 1st AL soldiers buried at McGavock. No doubt some of these men lost their lives as the colors were captured by the 104th Ohio and Captain Kelley.
Resources on the 1st Alabama
McMorries, Edward Young. History of the First Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. (Montgomery : Brown Printing Co., 1904 [reprinted, Freeport, NY : Books for Libraries Press, 1970])
Partin, Robert. “Report of a Corporal of the Alabama First Infantry on Talk and Fighting Along Mississippi, 1862-63,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XX, no. 4 (Winter, 1958), 583-594
“The pioneer banner : a Confederate camp newspaper,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 211-219 [includes Co. "A" muster roll]
Rogers, William Warren, “The Escape of Melvin Thornton from Camp Butler, Illinois,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 220-230
Rumph, Catherine Elizabeth (Hixon), “Reminiscence of Perote in Bullock,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XX, no. 3 (Fall, 1959), 479-522 [includes, "The History of the Perote Gurds Flag," pp. 504-508]
Rumph, Langdon Leslie, “Letters of a teenage Confederate,” in Florida Historical Quarterly Review, XXXVIII (April 1960), 339-346
Smith, Daniel P. Company K, First Alabama Regiment, or, three years in the Confederate service (Philadelphia : Burke & McFetridge, 1885 [reprinted, Gaithersburg, MD : Butternut Press, 1984; contains regimental muster roll])
Thornton, Harry Innes, “Recollection of the war by a Confederate officer from California,” in Southern California Quarterly, XLV (Sept 1963), 195-218
Thornton, Melvin, “The Escape of Melvin Thornton from Camp Butler, Illinois” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 220-230
Manuscript Resources
Dent, Stouten Hubert [1st Lt., Co. "B"]. Papers, in Auburn University, Archives and Special Collections Dept., RG 86
Parker, John M. [Co. "G"] Civil War Letters, 1861-1862 in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA, Accession #13240
Partin, Robert. Papers [includes collected research materials], in Auburn University, Archives and Special Collections Dept., RG 448
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"Civil War Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient. Served in the Civil War as Captain and commander of Company A, 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was awarded the CMOH for his bravery at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee on November 30, 1864. His citation reads "Capture of flag supposed to be of Cheatham's Corps (C.S.A.)". His Medal was awarded to him in February 13, 1865. He was one of six 104th Ohio soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Civil War (the others being Corporal Joseph Davis, Private John C. Gaunt, Private Abraham Greenawalt, Corporal Newton H. Hall, and Private John H. Ricksecker). (bio by: Russ Dodge) " (from (
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