4th Infantry Regiment completed its organization at Dalton, Georgia, in May 1861. The men were recruited in Dallas, Madison, Macon, Lauderdale, Jackson, Marengo, Perry, and Conecuh counties.
Ordered to Virginia, the unit fought in the Battle of First Manassas, under General B. E. Bee. In this fight it lost thirty-three percent of the 750 engaged, including all its field officers. Later the 4th was assigned to General Law's and W. F. Perry's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It was active in the campaigns of the army from Seven Pines, to Cold Harbor except when it was detached with Longstreet at Suffolk, Chickamauga, and Knoxville The regiment was placed in the trenches of Petersburg, and ended the war at Appomattox.
It reported 130 men disabled at Gaines' Mill, 63 at Second Manassas, and 87 at Gettysburg. Other casualties sustained were thirty-three percent of the 300 at Chickamauga, and thirty percent of the 250 at The Wilderness.
This unit surrendered with 21 officers and 202 men. The field officers were Colonels P. D. Bowles, Egbert J. Jones, and Evander M. Law; Lieutenant Colonels Thomas J. Goldsby, O. K. McLemore, and L. H. Scruggs; and Majors Ben Allston, T. K. Coleman, W. Mack Robbins, and Charles L. Scott.