Edmund Nathan Atkinson

Son of wealthy Camden County, GA planter Edmund Atkinson (1804-1862, 61 slaves in 1860), then age 28, he enrolled on 22 October 1861 as First Lieutenant and Adjutant of the 13th Georgia Infantry, made up of militia companies from Southeastern Georgia. At their reorganization on 10 May 1862 the regiment was designated the 26th Georgia Infantry and he was elected Colonel.

Lawton's Brigade and the 26th Georgia were positioned at the south of the Cornfield. They bore the brunt of Hooker's early morning attack ansd he was wounded.

He returned to his regiment by December and was in command of Lawton's Brigade at Fredericksburg. He was wounded and captured in action there on 13 December, but paroled for exchange and returned through the Confederate lines on 17 December. He was furloughed from a Richmond, VA hospital for 40 days on 23 December 1862. He was captured again, at Fisher's Hill, VA in the Shenandoah Valley on 22 September 1864, and was a prisoner at Fort Delaware. He was released on 24 July 1865 after taking an oath of allegiance to the United States.

He was elected to the state legislature in 1866 and by 1880 was a surveyor in Camden County, GA.

His service from his his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1880. His gravesite is on Findagrave, source also of his picture, from a restored copy of a damaged full length portrait photograph contributed by Kevin Mercer.

He married Elizabeth C. Lang (1852-1939) in December 1868 and they had 3 children.

His brother Alexander (1836-1912) was Captain of Company C of the 26 Infantry and may have been with him in Maryland; he resigned in October 1862.

11/14/1834; Camden County, GA

06/17/1884; Waycross, GA; burial in Lott Cemetery, Waycross, Georgia