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Confederate (CSA)

Major

William Terrell Harris

(1829 - 1863)

Home State: Georgia

Education: Franklin College (later University of Georgia);Class Rank: 1849

Command Billet: Regimental Staff

Branch of Service: Infantry

Unit: 2nd Georgia Infantry

Before Sharpsburg

He was a lawyer, State legislator (1855-57), and farmer in Meriwether County, GA. He enrolled on 9 May 1861 and mustered as Captain, Company B, 2nd Georgia Infantry. He was elected Major of the on 28 April 1862 at the same time as then-Major Edgar Butt was elected Colonel.

On the Campaign

He was the Major of the 2nd at Sharpsburg, and he relieved Lieutenant Colonel Holmes in command on that day, after Holmes was killed. Harris was himself wounded in the arm there.

The rest of the War

He was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel to date from 17 September 1862, and was killed on 2 July 1863 in action at Gettysburg, PA.

"... It was shortly after the regiment halted [on the Confederate Right on the second day] that Lieutenant Colonel William. T. Harris fell, pierced through the heart by a Minie ball."
(from LCol Shepherd's report, in the OR)

His body was buried near where he died on the battlefield.

After the War

Soon after the war his brother Henry retrieved his body and had it reinterred in Columbus, GA.

References & notes

His service from his Compiled Service Records,1 online from fold3. Personal details from his obituary in the Milledgeville, GA Confederate Union of 11 August 1863, thanks to Laura Elliott.

Birth

11/12/1829; Sparta, GA

Death

07/02/1863; Gettysburg, PA; burial in Linwood Cemetery, Columbus, GA