Jeremiah Golden, a 48-year old farmer from Henry County, Georgia, followed his three sons to war on 7 June 1862. William, George and J.J. Golden had enlisted in early May at Atlanta in Co. E, 56th Georgia Infantry; the enrolling officer was J. F. Albert. The 56th Georgia, led by Elihu P. Watkins, was assigned to the brigade of military engineer Danville Leadbetter at Chattanooga. When E. Kirby Smith's "Army of Kentucky" pushed through the Cumberland Gap and invaded the state in October 1862, the 56th was brigaded under Thomas H. Taylor in Carter L. Stevenson's division and participated in the campaign. The Golden family suffered its first loss at Harrodsburg; already either sick or wounded, 22-year old George was captured when the town was evacuated on 11 October. On 20 November he died on board the Metropolitan while en route to Vicksburg, Mississippi for prisoner exchange. The remaining Goldens soldiered on. When the city of Vicksburg was captured on 4 July 1863, Jeremiah and 20-year old J.J. Golden surrendered with the garrison; they were paroled on 23 July at Enterprise, Mississippi. Jeremiah was sick that October in Charleston, Tennessee; he was subsequently transferred to facilities in Montgomery Springs, Virginia and thence to Richmond, finally returning to Georgia fit for duty in January 1864. 26-year old William Golden was sick at Vicksburg on 15 April 1863, but he had returned to the ranks by 13 June. William does not appear on the list of Vicksburg parolees; it is not clear when he was captured, but a William Golden appears on a list of Rock Island prisoners and his service record shows he was eventually released from Elmira, New York prison in 1865. The 56th Georgia was reconstituted for the 1864 Atlanta campaign; John T. Slaughter commanded the regiment in place of E. P. Watkins, wounded at Baker's Creek. J. J. Golden was sent home with a relapse of lung disease following an earlier bout of measles, but recovered in time to join his father - and to be wounded twice - on 25 May at New Hope Church and at Powder Springs on 22 June, permanently disabling his left hand. With a son dead, another disabled and a third in captivity, the aging "Jerry" Golden soldiered on alone. Following Alfred Cumming's wounding at Jonesboro on 31 August, E. P. Watkins assumed command of the brigade and Benjamin T. Spearman took over command of the 56th. Finally, at the Battle of Nashville on 16 December 1864, Jeremiah Golden was captured along with 48 other men of the 56th Georgia. The recalcitrant rebel was sent to Camp Chase, Ohio and was held there until his postwar release on 12 June 1865. The period image shows Confederate prisoners at Chattanooga in 1864.