Help With A Soldier

[rgtaylor61]

Would love any information on the 31st..especially company E. I know initially there were two 31st but I'm interested in the Western Tennessee 31st. Company E was men from Gibson County where my fathers family was from during the war.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Would love any information on the 31st..especially company E. I know initially there were two 31st but I'm interested in the Western Tennessee 31st. Company E was men from Gibson County where my fathers family was from during the war.

There is a little information on the 31st (Bradford's) TN infantry (first organized at Camp Trenton, TN, in Oct., '61), found at the below links:-

https://archive.org/details/cu31924032778700/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater (see pp. 459-463)

31st (A.H. Bradford’s) Tennessee Infantry Regiment – Tennessee & the Civil War

Otherwise, information sought might be contained in the publication shown below:-

Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's): Rigdon, John C.: 9781790301737: Amazon.com: Books

Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's) [Rigdon, John C.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's)

www.amazon.com

 

[rgtaylor61]

There is a little information on the 31st (Bradford's) TN infantry (first organized at Camp Trenton, TN, in Oct., '61), found at the below links:-

https://archive.org/details/cu31924032778700/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater (see pp. 459-463)

31st (A.H. Bradford’s) Tennessee Infantry Regiment – Tennessee & the Civil War

Otherwise, information sought might be contained in the publication shown below:-

Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's): Rigdon, John C.: 9781790301737: Amazon.com: Books

Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's) [Rigdon, John C.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Historical Sketch And Roster Of The Tennessee 31st Infantry Regiment (A. H. Bradford's)

www.amazon.com

https://archive.org/details/cu31924032778700/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater (see pp. 459-463)
thank you for this. interesting how they list some deaths and KIA but all that seems to stop abruptly around 1862. I've heard that the records start to get a bit screwy later in the war as things broke down. Is that true?
Also, the only death mentioned at Franklin is FEP Stafford (regimental commander) and i find it hard to believe he was the only death.

 

[lupaglupa]

I've heard that the records start to get a bit screwy later in the war as things broke down. Is that true?

On the Confederate side, definitely. Sometimes no one created the records due to issues with time, leadership, writing supplies, and other challenges. Other times records were created but were lost on their way to HQ due to poor transportation options, capture of soldiers, and other interruptions to the flow of communications. Some records were created and transported and then lost to fires in captured cities like Richmond. Often the last records you have for a Confederate soldier are ones made by the Union at surrender. And those are pretty dubious, as commanders turned in lists which weren't necessarily accurate.

 

[Stryker65]

https://archive.org/details/cu31924032778700/page/n3/mode/1up?view=theater (see pp. 459-463)
thank you for this. interesting how they list some deaths and KIA but all that seems to stop abruptly around 1862.

That may be because the 31st was consolidated in late 1862 with the 33rd Tennessee, and an officer of the 33rd took command. While sometimes regiments cotninued with separate records, it may have been that the 31st's records were combined with the 33rd, and placed with that regiment.

 

[Nathan Stuart]

Also, the only death mentioned at Franklin is FEP Stafford (regimental commander) and i find it hard to believe he was the only death.

That struck me too. In the attack at Franklin, Strahl's brigade (including the 31 TN) slammed into near the epicenter of the Federal line - crowding into a ditch just west of the Columbia Pike. It was described as one of the worst parts of the battlefield, for attackers receiving enemy fire. These units were subject to a sweeping murderous enfilade fire pouring in from the protruding Union line (near the Cotton Gin) on their right. Their ranks were consequently decimated.

Col. Stafford was found dead, near where Gen. Strahl was killed. The Colonel lay in a pile of bodies with 'his feet wedged in at the bottom, with other dead across and under him.' ('For Cause & For Country', Jacobson, p. 406).

It's difficult to believe that in this slaughter scene, there were not more staff and line officers belonging to the 31 TN identifed in the McGavock Confederate Cemetery records. The only five members of the 31 TN listed are:-
L-C Fountain Stafford
Capt. W. V. Sims
Pvte. William A. Thomas
Pvte. H. C. Stiffler
Pvte. J. C. Jones

 

[Nathan Stuart]

That may be because the 31st was consolidated in late 1862 with the 33rd Tennessee, and an officer of the 33rd took command. While sometimes regiments cotninued with separate records, it may have been that the 31st's records were combined with the 33rd, and placed with that regiment.

Thought the consolidation of the 31 and 33 TN might come across in the literature as a little confusing.

The 31 and 33 TN were consolidated in Dec. '62 and fought during the Stones River Campaign under Col. E. E. Tansil.

However subsequently, at Chickamauga, Chattanooga and during the Atlanta Campaign, believe both of these units were organized separately (evidenced in these respective orders of battle) in Strahl's brigade.

At Franklin, the 31 TN was shown in the order of battle as a separate unit to the consolidated 4/5/33/38 TN, in Strahl's brigade.

After these regiments had been decimated at Franklin, both at Nashville and later at Bentonville, believe the units were consolidated as the 4/5/31/33/38 TN.

 

[rgtaylor61]

That struck me too. In the attack at Franklin, Strahl's brigade (including the 31 TN) slammed into near the epicenter of the Federal line - crowding into a ditch just west of the Columbia Pike. It was described as one of the worst parts of the battlefield, for attackers receiving enemy fire. These units were subject to a sweeping murderous enfilade fire pouring in from the protruding Union line (near the Cotton Gin) on their right. Their ranks were consequently decimated.

Col. Stafford was found dead, near where Gen. Strahl was killed. The Colonel lay in a pile of bodies with 'his feet wedged in at the bottom, with other dead across and under him.' ('For Cause & For Country', Jacobson, p. 406).

It's difficult to believe that in this slaughter scene, there were not more staff and line officers belonging to the 31 TN identifed in the McGavock Confederate Cemetery records. The only five members of the 31 TN listed are:-
L-C Fountain Stafford
Capt. W. V. Sims
Pvte. William A. Thomas
Pvte. H. C. Stiffler
Pvte. J. C. Jones

A fortunate day for the 31st or some if the unidentified were from the 31st...maybe both. Thank you for this information.