Jeptha Edwards, age 34, Captain, Capt. Edwards’ Company (DeKalb County) Alabama Vols.*, commissioned December 19, 1861, Hale’s Alabama Regiment, joined for duty and enrolled January 13, 1862 at Duck Springs, Ala. for one year, recorded Captain, Company G, 31st Alabama Infantry, recorded Captain, Company G, 52nd Alabama Infantry, n.d., elected Colonel May 8, 1862, appointed Colonel, 49th Alabama Regiment October 14, 1862, captured at Port Hudson July 7, 1863, sent north on steamer “Planet” July 16, received at Johnson’s Island, Ohio, July 28, 1863, forwarded to Point Lookout, Md. for exchange, March 21, 1865, received at Fort Delaware, Del., from Point Lookout, Md., April 28, 1865, subscribed and swore allegiance to the United States in June/July, 1865, released July 15, 1865, description, resident of Duck Springs, Ala., light complexion, dark hair, hazel eyes, 5’ 10”

* This company subsequently became Company G, 49th Regiment Alabama Infantry.

This regiment was successively designated as 52nd Regiment (Hale’s) Alabama Infantry, 31st Regiment (Edwards’), Alabama Infantry, and 49th Regiment Alabama Infantry

M311: Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Alabama

....................................

HE FORTY-NINTH ALABAMA INFANTRY

The Forty-ninth regiment was organized at Nashville early in
the year 1862, and brigaded in April, under Colonel Trabue, in
Breckinridge's division.

It was first known as Hale's Thirty-first, and some confusion
has arisen in the documents of the War Records between the
Forty-ninth and Hundley's Thirty-first regiment, but great
pains have been taken in collecting the extracts below.

The first battle of this regiment was Shiloh, April 6 and 7,
1862, when it was commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Gilbreath and fought nobly, losing quite a large number. It was warmly
praised by Colonel Trabue.

It formed part of the defense of Vicksburg during 1862, when
Lieut. W. H. Boggess was killed, and again at Baton Rouge,
August 15th where it lost severely. It followed Van Dorn to
Corinth, and there again met heavy loss in the attack on that
place.

The winter of 1862-63 was spent in the vicinity of Port Hudson.
For a short time General Beall commanded the brigade, then
General Buford. At the long siege of Port Hudson, the regiment
lost a large number of its men; the balance were captured.

The regiment, when exchanged, was reorganized at Cahaba, and
assigned to General Scott's brigade with the Twenty-seventh,
Thirty-fifth, Fifty-fifth and Fifty-seventh Alabama. Sent to
Johnston's army, the brigade, then in Loring's division,
wintered at Dalton, taking part in the Dalton-Atlanta campaign,
continually fighting and skirmishing, but with comparatively
small loss until it came to Atlanta, where many were sacrificed
on the altar of patriotism.

The regiment, reduced to a paltry number, was merged into the
Twenty-seventh, in July, 1864, by consolidation with the
Twenty-seventh and Thirty-fifth Alabama, which had also been
reduced to mere squads, and was commanded by Col. S. S. Ives,
of the Thirty-fifth, with Lieut.-Col. John D. Weedon, of the
Forty- ninth.

The regiment was on detached service at Selma. With Hood, it
fought in the battle of Franklin, November 30th, where Colonel
Ives was wounded; again at Nashville, December 15th and 16th,
where many were killed and many captured.

Ordered to North Carolina, commanded by Capt. W. B. Beason, it
surrendered with Johnston's army near Smithfield, March 31,
1865.

The captains killed were John R Gardner, at Shiloh, and John D.
Rivers and F. A. Payne, at Port Hudson. Capt. W. S. Bruce was
captured at Port Hudson, and died in prison; Capt. G. C.
Leadbetter died in service.

The field officers were Cols. I. D. Hale and Jeptha Edwards;
Lieut.-Cols. M. Gilbreath, W. N. Crump, John D. Weedon; and
Majs. B. Johnston and Thomas A. Street.

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. VIII, p. 207