In 1862, Captain William T. Gunter, a native of Jackson County, Alabama and officer of the 6th Alabama Infantry Regiment came home to Alabama to bury his 15 year old son who died of typhoid during the Manassas campaign. He never returned to regular infantry life in the eastern theater as he then formed the 1st Alabama Partisan Ranger Battalion often referred to as "Gunter's Battalion, Alabama Partisan Rangers" and was then elected Major of the unit and later Lieutenant-Colonel. The unit was composed almost entirely of men from Jackson County, Alabama.
Major Gunter led the unit from June 1862 to January 1863 before retiring* (citation needed as I cannot find any other records confirming this). The battalion is mentioned in several dispatches in use as scouts, burning railroad bridges in Tennessee and being train/railroad guards. There's even a mention of them having to report to Maj. Gen. Forrest in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1862. (Series I, Pt. 2, Vol. 16, p. 929 of the Official War Record)
Now here's where things get interesting. In January of 1863 Major John Gibson of (Snodgrass's) Alabama Infantry Battalion (another unit native to Jackson County) was assigned as the commanding officer of the 1st Alabama Partisan Ranger Battalion while they were in Tullahoma, Tennessee. I'm not sure as to what happened to make the men change their mind but from what little information is left says that they voluntarily dismounted and became an infantry battalion. Henceforth in all of the official records they are referred to as "(Gibson's) Battalion, Alabama Infantry" and it would not be until 1864 when they are officially referred to as the "18th Battalion, Alabama Infantry" not to be confused with the 18th Alabama Infantry Regiment.
They were assigned to Brigadier General S.A.M. Wood's brigade in Cleburne's division. Given their small size, for the sake of convenience they were thrown in with the 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment without being formally consolidated and losing their respective designation. Their arrival was mentioned briefly in the journal of Private W.E. Matthews of Company B, 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment. In battle they were placed on the right side of the regiment according to some accounts I've read but cannot recall enough to source properly.
The battalion served valiantly through their first baptism by fire as infantry at the Battle of Chickamauga where their commanding officer Major John Gibson was mortally wounded. The battalion later fought at Wauhatchie, Lookout Mountain, Nashville, Franklin and countless other battles before finally surrendering with the 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment upon the conclusion of the Carolinas Campaign in 1865.
All in all they are a very unique unit to me and one worthy of further study I would think. I would also like to add that I had 4 ancestors to serve in this unit which is what spawned my interest.
Didn't know if you had this :
Chickamagua after battle report:
Report of Col. Samuel Adams, Thirty-third Alabama Infantry,
commanding Thirty-third Alabama and
Gibson's Battalion.
HDQRS. THIRTY-THIRD ALABAMA REGT.,
Missionary Ridge, Tenn., October 8, 1863.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part
that my command acted in the battle of the Chickamauga, on
September 19 and 20:
Mine was the left regiment of Wood's brigade. On my right was
the Sixteenth Alabama Regt.; on my left was Deshler's brigade.
Between sundown and dark on the evening of the 19th, I
deployed, in accordance with an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood,
a company of skirmishers (Capt. Hammett's company) about 150
yards distant, covering my front and connecting with a similar
line in front of Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Very shortly after this
line was formed I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood,
delivered by Capt. Palmer, assistant adjutant-general on his staff,
to move my regiment forward and keep in line with the
Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Capt. Palmer also stated to me that it
was Maj.-Gen. Cleburne's order that if a battery of the enemy
should appear in my front I should immediately charge and take
it. Jackson's brigade was in line of battle in front of and about
100 yards from my line of skirmishers.
After my skirmishers had passed Jackson's brigade about 75
yards, they engaged the skirmishers of the enemy and
immediately drove them back. After my regiment had passed this
point about 75 yards it engaged the enemy's main line. At this
point the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. halted. I also halted my
regiment. After remaining in this position for a very short
time--not more, I think, than ten minutes--I moved my regiment
forward and the enemy fell back before it. After moving forward
175 or 200 yards I halted my regiment. At this point Deshler's
brigade lapped my regiment by about two companies. I had lost
my connection with the regiment on my right. A part of
Jackson's brigade had followed closely in my rear and was
firing. It was now so dark that his object could be distinguished
but a very short distance. My reason for halting was to rectify
my line and to avoid being fired into by the Sixteenth Alabama
Regt. on my right and Jackson's brigade in my rear. Shortly
after halting I perceived from the flash of the arms that
there was fire in my front directed toward the enemy.
This, I afterward learned from some prisoners taken at this point,
was one of the enemy's lines firing into another. While I was
investigating this matter some of my center companies fell back
about 100 yards. This was caused, as I learned from the officers
commanding the companies, by some person giving the command
to "fall back," and stating that it was my order. I immediately
brought these companies again forward and moved my regiment
forward about 75 yards. Here I received an order from
Brig.-Gen. Wood, by Capt. Palmer, to move my regiment to the
right and connect with the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. After doing
this I received an order from same officer to deploy a company
as pickets, about 300 yards distant from my line, so as to cover
my front and connect with a similar line in front of the regiment
on my right. This line I afterward doubled, and rested for the
night.
My loss had been 3 killed and 33 wounded. I took 33 prisoners.
On the morning of 20th, my position in the brigade was not
changed. Deshler's brigade was on my left. About 10 a. m. I
received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to move my regiment
forward and keep it in line with the Sixteenth Alabama Regt.
After advancing about a half mile obliquely, most of the time to
the right in to the left, the Sixteenth Alabama Regt., under a
heavy fire of grape and canister and shell, halted. Ten or 15
paces in advance of this position I moved my regiment before
halting it. During most of the time that I remained in this
position my regiment was under a very heavy fire of grape,
canister, and shell. I had here 7 men wounded.
After I had remained here an hour or an hour and a half, I
received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to move forward and
keep in line with Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Previous to this time
Deshler's brigade had moved to the right. Brown's brigade was
near me on the left. After moving forward about 200 yards I
received a general volley of small-arms from the enemy's line.
At this point the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. halted. On a line with
it halted my regiment. Here my company of skirmishers that had
covered my front in the whole advance came in, having driven
the enemy's line of skirmishers back to the main line. Near my
line in front was a fence covering my whole regiment except the
right company. The enemy's line of battle was distant about 275
yards behind barricades. In this position I was subjected to a very
severe enfilading fire from the right. In front a low hill protected
me. Shortly after I halted, Brown's brigade came up on my left,
and supporting it and very near in its rear was Clayton's brigade,
the right regiment of which lapped my whole regiment. I moved
forward my regiment with these two brigades about 100 yards to
the crest of the hill in my front. At this point most of both
brigades fell back, carrying with them many of my men. I
continued to advance until I reached a house on the western side
of the Chattanooga road, about 75 yards from the enemy's line.
This house caught fire about the close of the engagement and
burned down. At this point I found myself with but 60 or 70 of
my own men and but very few, if any, of the other two
brigades. With this squad of men and my colors I fell back to the
ravine where I had previously halted. After I had remained here
half an hour engaged in collecting my stragglers, I received an
order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to rejoin the brigade, which was
700 or 800 yards farther in the rear.
In this engagement I lost 16 killed and 133 [wounded].
About an hour before sundown I was ordered by Brig.-Gen.
Wood to support Semple's battery. In this position I remained
until dark, and during this time I was not under fire.
In both of these engagements both my men and officers, with a
few exceptions, acted well. Some, both of officers and men,
acted very gallantly.
I desire to mention the names of Capt. Dodson, Company C, and
Capt. Hammett, Company D, among those who were most
distinguished for coolness and bravery.
The adjutant of my regiment (A. M. Moore) was killed on the
19th, and Maj. J. H. Gibson, Gibson's battalion, was mortally
wounded on 20th, and has since died. Both of these were brave
and efficient officers, and in their death the country has sustained
much loss. Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
SAM. ADAMS,
Col., Comdg. 33d Alabama Regt. and Gibson's Batt.
[Capt.] O. S. PALMER,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 165-51 KY., SW. VA. TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII.
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]
**************************************************************************************
Report of Col. Samuel Adams, Thirty-third Alabama Infantry,
commanding Thirty-third Alabama Infantry and
Gibson's battalion.
HDQRS. THIRTY-THIRD ALABAMA REGIMENT,
Near Tunnel Hill, Ga., December 3, 1863.
SIR: I respectfully report that in the battle of Taylor's Ridge, November
27, mine was next to the left regiment of Lowrey's brigade. On my left
was Forty-fifth Alabama Regiment; on my right was Thirty-second and
Forty-fifth Mississippi Regiments.
About 8.30 a.m. my regiment was formed in line of battle in the gap
east of Ringgold, Ga., on the side of the hill, north of the railroad and
about 40 paces from it. My orders from Brig.-Gen. Lowrey were
to follow the movements of the regiment on my right. After remaining
in this position a short time, I moved to the right, following the
movements of the regiment on my right about 250 yards. After
remaining in this position a short time, I moved to the right about 600
yards, following the direction of the ridge. Immediately after halting,
my regiment was formed in line of battle. In my front, near the foot of
the hill, 200 or 300 yards distant, the enemy had a strong line of
skirmishers. A column of the enemy, about 600 yards distant, was
moving forward to make an attack, inclining to my right. I advanced a
line of skirmishers, about 50 yards, to engage that of the enemy. As the
attacking column inclined to the right, the regiment on my right moved
in that direction, and I followed its movements. When the column
reached the base of the ridge, about 300 yards distant, I moved my
regiment to the right until I lapped about half of the regiment on my
right, as is seemed at that time that the main attack would be made at
that point. The vacant space on my left I covered with a company of
skirmishers. The attacking column still inclined to the right, and,
after advancing a short distance up the side of the ridge, broke and
retired. My regiment fired but 2 or 3 rounds at the main line. My line
of skirmishers, placed in advance, I have good reason to believe did
much execution. My men have never gone into a fight so eagerly as they
did in this. They moved with the greatest promptness to any position
that they were ordered. They fired with the greatest deliberation.
I lost 2 killed and 9 wounded.
About 1 p.m. I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Lowrey to
follow the movements of the regiment on my right and retire from the
position. I had several men engaged in the fight who had marched from
Missionary Ridge to that place entirely barefooted.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
SAM. ADAMS,
Col., Comdg. 33d Alabama Regt. and Gibson's Battn.
Capt. O. S. PALMER,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
Source: Official Records
CHAP. XLIII.] THE CHATTANOOGA-RINGGOLD CAMPAIGN. PAGE 770-55
[Series I. Vol. 31. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 55.]
Bringing the