Nathan Stuart
2nd Lieutenant
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2020
The Army of Tennessee (A of T) was the main Confederate army operating in the western theater. Like the Army of Northern Virginia, the A of T did not appear to start equipping with whitworths rifles until about halfway through the war. Whitworths were used in its battles in Georgia and Tennessee, during 1863 and 1864, and up until the end of the war.
Around April/May 1863, the A of T received 20 imported English whitworth rifles. At the time, five of these weapons went to Cleburne’s division. While at Wartrace, Tennessee, Cleburne formed his division’s own corps of whitworth sharpshooters, issuing the five whitworths to his best marksmen. Cleburne would continue to grow his sharpshooter corps, whose members were armed with either whitworths or imported English kerr rifles.
Soon afterwards, outside of Chattanooga, a corps was organized of hand-picked sharpshooters, which included all the whitworths in the A of T. Individual rifle marksmen, detached from their original infantry units, were assigned to divisions in the A of T.
Later, following the high casualty rates in Hood’s failed Tennessee campaign, another group of whitworth sharpshooters was organized at Meridian, Mississippi.
In ‘The Confederate Whitworth Sharpshooters’ (2nd ed, 2002), John Morrow stated at page 27 that ,”…an ammunition report submitted for the week ending June 19, 1864, by the Army of Tennessee, lists a total of twenty-six whitworth rifles….”… Similarly, in ‘Shock Troops of the Confederacy’ (1st ed., 2006), Fred L. Ray at page 276 refers to a report dated, June 24, 1864 showing 32 whitworths were possessed by the Army of Tennessee.
Some writers have suggested that a few more whitworths (and kerrs) might have been acquired by Cleburne’s division at Dalton, during the start of the Atlanta campaign in 1864.
It is not known exactly how many whitworths were operating in the A of T during the conflict. A reasonable estimate might be perhaps between 26 and 40, subject to any further information becoming available.
The below list of whitworth riflemen (plus their original units) in the A of T is compiled from Confederate veterans accounts found in various journals and newspapers.
Cleburne’s Division
Sgt. Walter L. Bragg 6 AK
Cpl.. Stan C. Harley 6 AK
Pvte. James Griswold 6 AK
Pvte. Henry Harrison 16 AL
Pvte. Charles Trickett 1 AK
Pvte. Jim Moore ? TN
Pvte. Walter Norris 1 AK
Pvte. Licurgus A. Saller 1 AK
Pvte. John C. Knox 1 AK
Pvte. John/George Decker 8 AK
Pvte. James Lane 15 AK
Pvte. James Melvins 32 MS
Pvte. John McKinney 6 TX
Pvte. George Armore ? TX
Pvte. John Driscol 10 TX
Pvte. Sam Mizer 7 AK
Pvte. Barney P. Roark 10 TX
Pvte. Barney Robart ? TX
Pvte. James Patterson ? AL
Pvte. John H. W. Terry 2 TN
Pvte. Jim Lawler 16 AL
(2) Unknown ? AK
Unknown 6 TX
Cheatham’s Division
Lt. John M. Ozanne 1 TN (volunteers)
Cpl. Isaac N. Shannon 9 TN
Pvte. William Beasley 1 TN
+ 2 others
Bate’s Division
Lt. Abraham. B. Schell 2 TN
Pvte. John King 20 TN
Pvte. A. G. Hill 15 AK
Pvte. ? Jackson 24 TN Battalion Sharpshooters (Maneys) ?
French’s Division
Pvte. C. T. Ingram 3 MI
Walker’s Division
Pvte. Henry C. Green 24 TN Battalion Sharpshooters (Maneys)
Clayton’s Division
Pvte. A. T. Davis 18 AL
Walthall’s Division
Pvte. W. C. McTyere 17 AL
Loring’s Division
Pvte. Richard W. Evans 14 MS
Any comments or further information would be welcome.
Around April/May 1863, the A of T received 20 imported English whitworth rifles. At the time, five of these weapons went to Cleburne’s division. While at Wartrace, Tennessee, Cleburne formed his division’s own corps of whitworth sharpshooters, issuing the five whitworths to his best marksmen. Cleburne would continue to grow his sharpshooter corps, whose members were armed with either whitworths or imported English kerr rifles.
Soon afterwards, outside of Chattanooga, a corps was organized of hand-picked sharpshooters, which included all the whitworths in the A of T. Individual rifle marksmen, detached from their original infantry units, were assigned to divisions in the A of T.
Later, following the high casualty rates in Hood’s failed Tennessee campaign, another group of whitworth sharpshooters was organized at Meridian, Mississippi.
In ‘The Confederate Whitworth Sharpshooters’ (2nd ed, 2002), John Morrow stated at page 27 that ,”…an ammunition report submitted for the week ending June 19, 1864, by the Army of Tennessee, lists a total of twenty-six whitworth rifles….”… Similarly, in ‘Shock Troops of the Confederacy’ (1st ed., 2006), Fred L. Ray at page 276 refers to a report dated, June 24, 1864 showing 32 whitworths were possessed by the Army of Tennessee.
Some writers have suggested that a few more whitworths (and kerrs) might have been acquired by Cleburne’s division at Dalton, during the start of the Atlanta campaign in 1864.
It is not known exactly how many whitworths were operating in the A of T during the conflict. A reasonable estimate might be perhaps between 26 and 40, subject to any further information becoming available.
The below list of whitworth riflemen (plus their original units) in the A of T is compiled from Confederate veterans accounts found in various journals and newspapers.
Cleburne’s Division
Sgt. Walter L. Bragg 6 AK
Cpl.. Stan C. Harley 6 AK
Pvte. James Griswold 6 AK
Pvte. Henry Harrison 16 AL
Pvte. Charles Trickett 1 AK
Pvte. Jim Moore ? TN
Pvte. Walter Norris 1 AK
Pvte. Licurgus A. Saller 1 AK
Pvte. John C. Knox 1 AK
Pvte. John/George Decker 8 AK
Pvte. James Lane 15 AK
Pvte. James Melvins 32 MS
Pvte. John McKinney 6 TX
Pvte. George Armore ? TX
Pvte. John Driscol 10 TX
Pvte. Sam Mizer 7 AK
Pvte. Barney P. Roark 10 TX
Pvte. Barney Robart ? TX
Pvte. James Patterson ? AL
Pvte. John H. W. Terry 2 TN
Pvte. Jim Lawler 16 AL
(2) Unknown ? AK
Unknown 6 TX
Cheatham’s Division
Lt. John M. Ozanne 1 TN (volunteers)
Cpl. Isaac N. Shannon 9 TN
Pvte. William Beasley 1 TN
+ 2 others
Bate’s Division
Lt. Abraham. B. Schell 2 TN
Pvte. John King 20 TN
Pvte. A. G. Hill 15 AK
Pvte. ? Jackson 24 TN Battalion Sharpshooters (Maneys) ?
French’s Division
Pvte. C. T. Ingram 3 MI
Walker’s Division
Pvte. Henry C. Green 24 TN Battalion Sharpshooters (Maneys)
Clayton’s Division
Pvte. A. T. Davis 18 AL
Walthall’s Division
Pvte. W. C. McTyere 17 AL
Loring’s Division
Pvte. Richard W. Evans 14 MS
Any comments or further information would be welcome.