In celebration of Confederate Memorial Day, as proclaimed by Governor Sonny Perdue, a memorial ceremony will be held at the Old City Cemetery of Warrenton at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 25.
"We are intending to honor the men of the 5th Georgia Infantry and several other units that were recruited from the Thomson area," organizer Ben Willingham said.
A large exhibit of original War Between the States weapons and artifacts will be displayed by the Museum of Southern History, located in Jacksonville, Fla., during the event.
The Atlanta Pipe Band will play bagpipes, the B.G.E. Porter Alexander Honor Guard will give a gun salute, a history of local members of the 5th Company will be given by local resident Tom Holley, and the Gray Poet, Phil Turner, will return to the cemetery to give a Southern-style recitation.
Because McDuffie County did not exist during the confederate war, all references in the history are to Warren and Columbia Counties, even though the men were from the Thomson area.
"Clearly, the men from the Thomson area fought in some of the worst battles and suffered extremely high casualties. These men joined voluntarily and fought for what they believed was right. The cause of the war was just and they gave their lives in support of their beliefs. Today, as descendents of these men, we wish to honor their sacrifice and let them know we have not forgotten that they fought for us to make a better country," Mr. Holley wrote in a historical essay, which will be read during the ceremony.
Participants and sponsors of the event include the Major General Ambrose Ransom Wright Camp #1914, Sons of Confederate Veterans from Evans, Ga., the W.H.T. Walker Chapter #2253 of United Daughter of the Confederacy from Augusta/Evans, Ga., the Masonic Lodge of Warrenton, the Museum of Southern History in Jacksonville, Fla., and the Brigadier General E. Porter Alexander Honor Guard.
