- Joined
- Nov 8, 2018
- Location
- Palm Coast, Florida
Part 1: Walker's 2nd Tennessee
The regiment first organized as the 2nd Tennessee under Colonel J. Knox Walker, from Memphis dockworkers, include a sizable number of Irishmen (as there was another regiment named the 2nd Tennessee, I shall refer to this formation as the 2nd Tennessee Irish, as many refer to it and the later 5th Confederate as Irish formations, though most of the men seemed to have actually have been "natives"). It initially served in State service as part of the River Brigade. July 31st, 1861, it was sent to Fort Wright in Randolph, where it was mustered in with 541 effectives, armed with flintlock muskets. General Polk assigned them to General Pillow's at Fort Pillow August 17th, and were then sent to take Columbus. They were then assigned to 1st Brigade, Pillow's (Later Cheatham's) Division, with Colonel Walker commanding the brigade. They took part in the Battle of Belmont, being ferried across the river to retake the Confederate camp, helping to turn the tide of battle and recapturing a battery.
The unit remained at Columbus with Polk's Corps until the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, when Polk retreated to Corinth, Mississippi. 1st Brigade was reorganized, under the command of Colonel Preston Smith of the 154th, then Brigadier Bushrod Johnson (recently escaped from Fort Donelson), who led the brigade to Shiloh. Here, the regiment was used to reinforce A. P. Stewart's Brigade. The 2nd Tennessee Irish suffered heavily, so much so that, after the battle, on May 11 1862, it was reorganized into a battalion of 4 companies. By this time, Colonel Knox Walker was out of action, taking ill due to the strain of the campaigning around Corinth and Shiloh. Thus Lt. Colonel James Argyle Smith of Polk's staff was assigned to command the battalion.
This lasted until July 21st, 1862, when the unit was consolidated with the 21st Tennessee, becoming the 9th (but more commonly called 5th) Confederate Regiment, with Colonel Smith in command.
Organization
Field Officers
The regiment first organized as the 2nd Tennessee under Colonel J. Knox Walker, from Memphis dockworkers, include a sizable number of Irishmen (as there was another regiment named the 2nd Tennessee, I shall refer to this formation as the 2nd Tennessee Irish, as many refer to it and the later 5th Confederate as Irish formations, though most of the men seemed to have actually have been "natives"). It initially served in State service as part of the River Brigade. July 31st, 1861, it was sent to Fort Wright in Randolph, where it was mustered in with 541 effectives, armed with flintlock muskets. General Polk assigned them to General Pillow's at Fort Pillow August 17th, and were then sent to take Columbus. They were then assigned to 1st Brigade, Pillow's (Later Cheatham's) Division, with Colonel Walker commanding the brigade. They took part in the Battle of Belmont, being ferried across the river to retake the Confederate camp, helping to turn the tide of battle and recapturing a battery.
The unit remained at Columbus with Polk's Corps until the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson, when Polk retreated to Corinth, Mississippi. 1st Brigade was reorganized, under the command of Colonel Preston Smith of the 154th, then Brigadier Bushrod Johnson (recently escaped from Fort Donelson), who led the brigade to Shiloh. Here, the regiment was used to reinforce A. P. Stewart's Brigade. The 2nd Tennessee Irish suffered heavily, so much so that, after the battle, on May 11 1862, it was reorganized into a battalion of 4 companies. By this time, Colonel Knox Walker was out of action, taking ill due to the strain of the campaigning around Corinth and Shiloh. Thus Lt. Colonel James Argyle Smith of Polk's staff was assigned to command the battalion.
This lasted until July 21st, 1862, when the unit was consolidated with the 21st Tennessee, becoming the 9th (but more commonly called 5th) Confederate Regiment, with Colonel Smith in command.
Organization
Field Officers
- Colonels: J.Knox Walker, James A. Smith
- Lt. Colonels: James A. Ashford, James A. Smith, William B. Ross
- Majors: William B. Ross, F. A. Strocky
- F. A. Strocky, L. D. Greenlaw, Co. “A”.
- James A. Ashford, William P. Triplett, Co. “B”.
- Charles E. Cossitt, Co. “C”.
- E. Marshall, Co. “D”.
- Edward Ethel Porter, John Wilkerson, Co.
- Samuel Vance, John Fitzgerald, Co. “F”.
- J. Welby Armstrong, Co. “G”.
- R. E. Chew,Co.”H”.
- John L. Saffanans, Co. “I”.
- Thomas Stokes, Co. “K”.
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