Sergeant Richard H. Powell

Richard Holmes Powell. Richard Holmes Powell was born in Crawford County, Georgia on October 21, 1841. He enlisted as a Private in Company C, 6th Georgia Infantry Regiment on May 27, 1861. He was appointed 4th Corporal and then promoted to 3rd Sergeant. Sgt. Powell was wounded in the leg resulting in amputation at Ft. Harrison, Virginia on September 29, 1864. After the war, Sgt. Powell was an attorney. He died on December 30, 1899 and is buried in the Blakely Cemetery in Early County, Georgia. 

The 6th Georgia Infantry was organized at Macon, Georgia, in April,1861, and soon moved to Virginia. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Bibb, Crawford, Butts, Baker, Twiggs, Gilmer, Taylor and Mitchell. Assigned to General Rains' Brigade, the regiment totaled 703 men in April, 1862, and was active at Williamsburg and Seven Pines. Later it transferred to General Colquitt's Brigade and remained under his command the balance of the war. The 6th served with the Army of Northern Virginia from the Seven Days' Battles to Chancellorsville, then was ordered to North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida where it fought at Olustee. During the spring of 1864 it returned to Virginia, participated in the conflicts at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor, and endured the battles and hardships of the trenches of Petersburg. Sent to North Carolina the unit saw action at Bentonville and surrendered with the Army of Tennessee.