18th Infantry Regiment was organized during the spring of 1861 with slightly more than 750 men. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Cobb, Newton, Stephens, Jackson, and Dooly. The regiment was ordered to Virginia and first served under General Wigfall, then was brigaded under Hood, T.R.R. Cobb, Wofford, and DuBose. It fought with the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Gettysburg, moved with Longstreet to Georgia, but was not engaged at Chickamauga. After serving at Knoxville it returned to Virginia and saw action at The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor, participated in Early's operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and took part in various conflicts around Appomattox. In April, 1862, it contained 634 effectives, reported 14 killed and 128 wounded at Gaines' Mill, and had 19 killed and 114 wounded at Second Manassas. The regiment lost fifty-seven percent of the 176 engaged at Sharpsburg. There were 14 killed and 72 wounded at Chancellorsville, and of the 302 who saw action at Gettysburg, twelve percent were disabled. Many were captured at Sayler's Creek and only 1 officer and 52 were surrendered in April, 1865. Its commanding officers were Colonels Joseph Armstrong, S.Z. Ruff, and William T. Wofford; Lieutenant Colonel Francis M. Ford; and Majors W.G. Calahan, John C. Griffis, Jefferson Johnson, and Joseph A. Stewart.
