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Also called 1st Confederate Infantry and 1st Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
(Prov). This unit should not be confused with a 1st Tennessee Infantry that served in the Western theater under Gen. Braxton Bragg.
Records filed as 1st (Turney's) Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Organized
at Winchester, Franklin County, TN, April 29, 1861; mustered into
Confederate service at Lynchburg, VA, May 8, 1861; surrendered at
Appomattox Courthouse April 9, 1865.
Field Officers |
Colonel | Peter Turney |
Lt Colonels | James H. Holman James C. Shackleford
Newton J. George |
Majors | Daniel W. Holman Martin V. McLaughlin
Newton J. George Felix Buchanan |
Captains |
Alex E. Patton Elijah Reynolds Joseph A. Lusk Jesse R.
Gunn | Co. "A" | Grundy County Coffee County |
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John E. Bennett Thomas Daniel William S. Daniel |
Co. "B" | Franklin County Bedford County |
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Miller Turney A.T.W. Alexander Samuel H. Estill |
Co. "C" | Franklin County | "The Mountain Boys" |
Littleberry N. Simpson William J. Awalt John H. Bevill |
Co. "D" | Moore (Franklin) County |
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Ezekiel Y. Salmon Thomas H. Mann William P. Tolley
Owen J. Bailey | Co. "E" | Moore (Franklin) County |
"The Lynchburg Rangers" |
Clement Arledge James H. Thompson John D. Bell |
Co. "F" | Franklin County |  |
Benjamin F. Ramsey John C. Shackleford Felix G. Buchanan
Davis W. Clark Richard Routt | Co. "G" |
Lincoln County | "The Fayetteville Guards" |
Jacob Cruse Newton J. George Young T. Stubblefield
Thomas P. Arnold Thomas B. George | Co. "H" |
Lincoln County | "The Shelton's Creek Volunteers" |
Joseph Holder Henry J. Hawkins | Co. "I" |
Coffee County | "The Tullahoma Guards" |
Newton C. Davis Jacob B. Turney | Co. "K" |
Lincoln County | "The Boon's Creek Minutemen" |
Practically simultaneously with the holding of a mass meeting in Winchester
on February 24, 1861, at which Franklin County petitioned to be allowed to
secede from Tennessee and join Alabama, then a Confederate State, Peter
Turney commenced the organization of a company in Winchester, which was
later to become "C" Company. Shortly thereafter, other companies were
formed in and around Winchester and in the neighboring counties of Coffee
and Grundy. Quickly after the fall of Fort Sumter came the formation of
four other companies to complete the regiment.
On April 21, Colonel Turney reported to the Confederate War Department
that his regiment was organized, although without weapons. On April 28,
the regiment was assembled at Winchester, bivouacking on the grounds of
Mary Sharp College; on May 1, it departed by rail for the Virginia theater.
Six companies arrived at Lynchburg, Virginia, on May 5; the remainder of
the regiment shortly thereafter, when the regiment was sworn into the
Confederate service.
On May 17, the regiment was moved by rail to Richmond, where it went into
training camp, to be drilled by the detachment of cadets from the Virginia
Military Institute.
On June 1, the regiment moved by rail to Harper's Ferry, there to be under
the command of Brig. General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. In July, it
was moved to the locale of Manassas and, for the Battle of First Manassas,
was part of the 3rd Brigade (Bernard E. Bee), Johnston's Division. The
regiment remained in the Manassas area until about September 30, when it
moved to duty along the Potomac, between Occoquan and Aquia Creeks. On
January 10, 1862, it was part of the task force of Brig. General William
H.C. Whiting, at Dumfries, Virginia, being placed, on February 9, under
the command of Maj. General Theophilus H. Holmes, commanding the Aquia
District. At the same time, the 1st Tennessee Infantry (Maney), 2nd
Tennessee Infantry (Bate), and 3rd Tennessee Infantry (J.C. Vaughn), were
detached from the Army of Northern Virginia and returned to the Tennessee
Theater, leaving the 1st Confederate Infantry, the 7th Tennessee Infantry,
and the 14th Tennessee Infantry as components of a brigade which was to
serve, with minor changes from time to time, during the rest of the war,
and which was to become known as the Tennessee
Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.
Organization of the Tennessee Brigade was announced on March 8, 1862.
It's first commander was Brig. General Samuel R. Anderson; his headquarters
were at Evansport, now Quantico, Virginia. On March 8, 1862, the brigade
was assigned to the division of Brig. General William H.C. Whiting.
Under General Anderson, the brigade entered the Peninsular Campaign as
part of A.P. Hill's "Light Division" of Magruder's Corps. It's initial
position was about midway between the York and James Rivers. Here the
regiment was reorganized; General Anderson was relieved from active field
service by reason of ill health (he was 58 years old and was serving in
his second war), and the brigade command passed to Brig. General Robert
H. Hatton, formerly colonel of the 7th Tennessee Infantry.
General Hatton was killed in the fighting near Fair Oaks Station, May 31,
1862. By the time the brigade entered the Battle of Gaines' Mill, June 27,
it had a new brigade commander. This was Brig. General James J. Archer;
he was to retain command with several absences until January, 1865. Under
him the brigade was to make it's reputation.
Gen James J. Archer
As part of the Fifth (Archer's) Brigade, A.P. Hill's "Light Division",
Magruder's Corps, the regiment participated in the Seven Day's Battles
before Richmond. It's regimental flag was captured at Gaines' Mill by the
13th New York Infantry. As part of the same brigade and division, but now
part of the II Corps (Thomas J. Jackson), Army of Northern Virginia, it
participated in Jackson's Valley Campaign at Cedar Run, moving from there
to the actions at Orange Courthouse, Manassas Junction, and Second Manassas.
In September, the regiment, still in the II Corps, took part in the
Maryland Campaign, fighting at Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, and
Shepherdstown. Returning to Virginia, it was part of the II Corps at the
Battle of Fredericksburg. Here Colonel Turney sustained the wound which
removed him from active command; a year later he was to take over a
semi-administrative command in Florida.
During 1863, the regiment, now commanded by Lt. Colonel N.J. George,
continued as part of Archer's Brigade, but the division was commanded by
Henry Heth and the Corps was now the III, commanded by A.P. Hill after the
fall of Jackson at Chancellorsville. It participated in the Gettysburg
Campaign, where it was on the left flank during Pickett's Charge on Jul
3, 1863. The 1st and 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiments
were the only units to breach the Federal lines that day,
but at a high price; the Brigade Commander, the Regimental Commander, a
large number of other officers and enlisted men, and the colors of the
1st and 14th Regiments, were captured by the 14th Connecticut Infantry.
With Brig. General Henry H. Walker in command of the brigade, it
participated in the actions of the Army of Northern Virginia throughout
the remainder of 1863; these included the Mine Run Campaign and the Battle
of Bristoe Station. Major Felix G. Buchanan commanded the regiment.
As part of Archer's Brigade, later to be known as Fry's Brigade, made by
combining the brigades of Archer and Fields, the regiment took part in the
Battles in The Wilderness and at Spottsylvania Courthouse in May, 1864.
By August, 1864, Colonel George had returned to command the regiment. By
this time the regiment, still a part of Hill's III Corps, had moved
through the Battle of Cold Harbor into the bloody stalemate of Petersburg,
which continued until early April, 1865. General Archer had returned to
his old command briefly in August; the illnesses brought on by his long
confinement at Johnson's Island shortly forced his retirement; he died at
Richmond in October. Captain William S. Daniel commanded the regiment
until the return of Colonel George.
In January, 1865, consolidation of the diminished strength of the Army of
Northern Virginia brought about the formation of Archer's and Johnson's
Brigade, still in Heth's Division of the III Corps. Beside this regiment
were its old companions of the original Tennessee Brigade, the 7th and
the 14th Tennessee Infantry, plus the 2nd Maryland Infantry Battalion, the
17th/23rd Tennessee Infantry, the 25th/44th Tennessee Infantry, and the
63rd Tennessee Infantry.
Withdrawing toward Appomattox early in April, the brigade came under the
command of Brig. General William McComb; Major Felix G. Buchanan was now
in command of the regiment. This was the composition of the brigade as it
passed out of existence with Lee's Surrender.
Letter of Joseph Mitchell Holder published c. 1914
Personnel
Rosters courtesy of Judy Phillips, Franklin County, TN
This page © 1997-2018 by
Sandy Keathley
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