George Washington Lafayette Ard

Raised in Alabama, he was a farm superintendent in Georgia at the start of the War. He enlisted as Private - September 17, 1861 - in Company K of the 2nd Georgia Infantry.

He was wounded and captured in action on 17 September 1862 at Sharpsburg.

I was on the extreme right of a few of us who were attempting to prevent Burnside from crossing the lower stone bridge. The fight was on; a ball passed through my [right] thigh, and, while lying on the ground wounded, another ball passed through my right elbow joint. Our forces retreated and the Federals rushed across the creek. Wounded, bleeding, suffering as I was, it was a rare sight to see thousands of well-fed, well-clad soldiers occupying the ground just abandoned by the few ragged, hungry Confederates. The contrast struck me. A regiment of Federals halted near where I was lying. The officer made his men a short speech, which was cheered. Amidst this, I beckoned to an officer near me and requested that he would drag me on the other side of a tree hard by. He at once stepped back to the line and brought four men, who gently picked me up and placed me behind the tree, hastily spreading a blanket for me to lie upon. I requested to know whom to thank for the kindness. The reply was, 'We belong to the Ninth New York Regiment, Hawkins' Zouaves.' These four men hurried back to their places, and the command came from head of column, 'forward, march,' and Burnside's corps passed by.

Very soon an army surgeon came near me. I called to him. Fortunately, I was a Mason, for he was one. He said his name was Humphries [George H. Humphreys], surgeon of the Ninth New York Regiment. Dr. Squires [Truman H. Squire], his assistant, was with him. I asked the surgeon if he could give me any temporary aid, remarking that he had as many of his own across the creek as he could attend to. His reply was that he was under as many obligations to me as to any man. He said he had been a surgeon in the Crimean War. He examined my wounds. He administered chloroform, and when I became conscious my leg was off and my arm bandaged. In that fix I lay behind the tree ...

The next morning about sunrise, an ambulance came for me, sent by Dr. Humphries, and took me some two miles to a farmhouse, where Dr. Humphries most tenderly cared for me. He brought a young man who he called Mac and said, 'Mac, I commit this young Georgian, and others to you.' I found this 'Mac' to be Paul J McLocklin of the Ninth New York Regiment. In some two weeks, we were removed to a field hospital [Locut Spring on the Geeting Farm, Keedysville]. My friend Mac continued to wait on me as long as I remained, until the 24th of January, 1863. A nobler man than Paul J McLocklin never lived. While in the hospital, I became acquainted with several members of the Ninth Regiment, and was under the charge of Dr. Humphries until he left for the front, and Dr. Squires was put in charge. In time, I was moved to Frederick City, and I missed the men of the Zouaves.

On the 16th day of May, 1863, I was taken from Frederick City to Baltimore, thence to Fort Norfolk, thence to Fortress Monroe. Here I was transferred to a large steamer, the "Willow Leaf," and the guards on board were Ninth New York men. I was rejoiced. One-legged and maimed I was troubled to know when I reached City Point how I should climb the hill to reach the train that bore the exchanges to "Dixie," but the Ninth New York Zouaves saw me through on board the train ...

After exchange he returned to Georgia and was elected tax collector of Stewart County. He served in that office - being continually reelected - until his death about 30 years later.

Basic service information from Henderson1 Details from a bio sketch in Harden's History of Savannah and South Georgia (1913). The quotes above from his story in the Athens Weekly Banner of 26 July 1892 thanks to Laura Elliott [via Civil War Talk]. Death info from his obituary in the Atlanta Constitution of 2 August 1894. His gravesite is on Findagrave.

07/21/1833; Dale County, AL

07/31/1894; Lumpkin, GA; burial in East Side Cemetery, Lumpkin, GA