Murray's 4th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment was assigned to General Forrest's Brigade on September 14, 1862. When Forrest was sent back to Tennessee by General Bragg on Sept 25, the regiment was placed in Colonel (later Brig Gen) John A. Wharton's Brigade. Colonel Murray was elected to the Confederate Congress, an attempt was made to make two regiments out of Murray's Regiment---one being the 8th but usually known as the 4th.
It would seem that the 4th Tennessee Regiment reported in Whatron's Brigade on November 25, was the forerunner of Baxter Smith's Regiment which was not officially organized until January 1863.
At the Battle of Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862, Wharton's Brigade consisted of 14 Alabama Batln, 1st Confederate, 3rd Confederate, 2nd Georgia, a detachment from 3d Georgia, 2nd (Ashley), 4th(Baxter Smith) Regiments, John R. Davis Battalion, 8th Texas, Murray's Tennessee Regiment, under Major W. S. Bledsoe, Anderson's Escort Company, Hardy's Escort, and White's Battery. Wharton reported that Major Beldsoe rendered prompt and efficient service in burning wagons which could not be removed. Also the loss of Murray's Smith's. Cox's Regiments and Malone's Batln in officers and men were considerable.
The 8th (Baxter Smith's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment was also called the 4th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. Commander was Col. Baxter Smith. See above for details.
4th (Starnes'-McLemore's) Tennessee Regiment, originally called 3rd Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.
This regiment is not to be confused with Baxter Smith's Regiment, usually called the Fourth but officially designated the Eighth; no with 4th Murray's Regiment which was the forerunner of Baxter Smith's 8th (4th).
Starnes 8th Battalion was organized at Camp Cheatham, Robertson County, with 6 companies under Lt-Col. Starnes and Major Ewing A. Wilson. In was increated to a regiment May 26, 1862 by the addition of Companies G, H, I, K. Colonel Starnes dies of wounds June 3, 1863 and Major Rankin resigned April 3. Captain W. S. McLemore became first major and then colonel of the regiment.
On July 3, 1862, the regiment was assigned to Gen. Heth's Division, Col. Allston's Brigade. On August 4, it was ordered to report to General Forrest in Middle Tennessee, with a note it would probably be 2 weeks before it arrived. Actually, it took longer that that for on September 27 it was with Colonel J. S. Scott, screening Gen Kirby SMith's advance with the enemy near Richmond, KY. On Oct 31 and Nov 20, it reported as part of Gen John Pegram's Division but on Nov 6 it was actually with Gen Forrest on his demonstration up to the outskirts of Nashville and then went with Forrest on his expedition into West Tennessee, ending with the Battle of Parker's Crossroads on December 31, 1862.
In the spring of 1863, it was still with Forrest at Thompson Station, March 5, and the assault on Brentwood, March 24, which time Colonel Starnes was in command of a brigade. After his death, Colonel N. N. Cox took over command of a brigade consisting of his own, McLemores', Biffle's, Dirbrell's and Holman's Regiments.
On August 31, the brigade, commanded by Colonel George G. Dibrell, was reported in Gen Frank C. Armstrong's Division. On August 20, a Federal report placed Dibrell's, McLemore's and one other regiment at Sparta, Tenn, where Dibrell had been attacked on August 16 by US Cavalry under Col. Minty.
In the re-organization of Bragg's Army on October 31, 1863, the regiment was reported in General. H. B. Davidon's Brigade, Maj-Gen Wharton's Division of Wheeler's Cavalry Corps. Even though there is no specific report of the regiment at the Battle of Chickmauga.
On December 31, Biffle was in command of the brigade and it was reported in a skirmish at Sevierville, Feb 4, 1864 but by April 30, the brigade, now commanded by Colonel (later Gen) George G. Dibrell was back with the Army of Tenn at Dalton, Georgia.
The regiment remained with Wheeler's Cavalry. Dibrell was left in Sparta, Tenn on Sept 2, 1864 to recruit his command in his home territory. In attempting to rejoin the corps, he was attacked on Sept 7 , between Readyville and Woodbury and unable to break through. He joined General John Start Williams, who had also become separated from the main command and moved on into East Tenn and Virginia where he was engaged at the Battle of Saltville, Virginia on Oct 2, 1864, In this battle, Dibrell reported he had with him his old regiment, 6 companies from the 4th(McLemore's) and Col Paul Anderson's 4th (8th) Regiment. These units later rejoined General Wheeler in the Savannah campaign in 1864.
Before rejoining the Army of Tenn, General Wheeler, responded to a request from General Forrest to detach some of his troops to help in his projected raid into Middle Tenn. He ordered Colonels McLemore, Nixon and Biffle to report to Forrest. Of course McLemore only had part of his regiment, as the rest was with Dibrell in E Tenn & Virginia. These troops remained with Forrest for the balance of the year, for one Jan 20, 1865, at Verona, Miss, General Forrest ordered Gen. Chlamers: "You will retain Holman's, DeMoss's, Biffle's, and Russell's Regiments and sent Wheeler's and the 4th Tennessee and all other parts of regiments and detachments whose command may be in Georgia".
On Jan 6, 1865, General Dibrell was at Grahamsville, SC and reported detachments of the 4th Regiment at Glover's and Dawson's Bluff. On April 9, 1865, Dibrell's Brigade was reported at Gen. Joseph Johnston's Army in North Carolina and was included in the surrender at Greensboro.
Source: Tennesseans in the Civil War, Part 1
Excuse the typos.
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