Company B, 49th Alabama Infantry Regiment "The DeKalb Rifles"
The Regiment was originally mustered into service at Camp Lookout near Chattanooga, Tennessee as the 31st (Hale's) Alabama Infantry Regiment, but its designation was changed in the spring of 1862. It was also called the 52nd Alabama Regiment. The 49th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Nashville, in January 1862 with men from Blount, Colbert, DeKalb, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan counties. It was attached to the Kentucky Brigade of General John C. Breckinridge.
It took part in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, 1862 where it lost 113 men (killed and wounded). A few weeks later, the unit was reorganized as the 49th Regiment on 8 May 1862 and was sent to Vicksburg, with Breckinridge's Brigade, and was engaged in the defense of the place when it was bombarded in 1862. On August 6, 1862, the regiment fought at Baton Rouge with a loss of 45 (killed and wounded). Joining the army of General Earl Van Dorn, the 49th was engaged in the assault on Corinth (October 3rd and 4th, 1862) and suffered very severely there. Consolidated with the 27th Infantry and 6th Battalion from October 1862 through January 1863, the regiment was ordered to Port Hudson to pass the winter. The regiment was brigaded with the 27th and 35th Alabama, and two Mississippi regiments under Gen. Abraham Buford, who was soon succeeded by General William Beall. The 49th shared the dangers and hardships of the 42 days siege of Port Hudson, losing 55 men k and w with the reminder captured, 8 July 1863. Exchanged three months later, the 49th was re-organized at Cahaba and attached to the brigade of Gen. Thomas M. Scott of Louisiana, with the 12th Louisiana, and 27th, 35th, 55th, and 57th Alabama regiments. Joining the main army at Dalton, the brigade was assigned to William W. Loring's Division, Alexander P. Stewart's Corps. Having wintered at Dalton, the 49th participated in the Dalton-Atlanta Campaign, doing much arduous service, but losing inconsiderably. Around Atlanta, it was again fully engaged and suffered severely. It moved with Gen. John Bell Hood into Tennessee and came out of the battles of Franklin and Nashville with a long list of casualties and captured men. Transferred to the Carolinas, the 49th took part in the operations there. Reduced to a skeleton and consolidated with the 27th, 35th, 55th and 57th Regiments, it was surrendered at Smithfield, NC, 9 April 1865.
Field and Staff Officers: Cols. Smith D. Hale (Madison; retired); Jeptha Edwards (DeKalb; captured, Port Hudson); Lt. Cols. Montgomery Gilbreath (Marshall; resigned); William N. Crump (Blount; retired); John D. Weeden (Madison; wounded, Nashville, and captured); Majors B. C. Johnston (Marshall; retired); John D. Weeden (promoted); Thomas A. Street (Marshall; captured, Port Hudson); Adjutants John D. Weeden (promoted); C. E. Merrill (Dallas; wounded, Corinth, Franklin)
'The regiment acted with praiseworthy gallantry in this action.'
- Col. Robert Trabue, the Battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862.
Location: C06 East side of CRESCENT FIELD in front of 6th IOWA MONUMENT |
Location: F06 In rear 3d IOWA CAMP, near UNION SCHOOL HOUSE
|
|
Location: E07 West side of DUNCAN FIELD 300 feet N of CORINTH ROAD
|
Location: C08 On PITTSBURG ROAD 150 yards to right of SHILOH CHURCH |
Position marker 469
The roster of Company B "The DeKalb Rifles" (Those marked in RED did not survive the war.)
| Soldier's Name | Soldier's Rank | Notes |
|
Baldwin, Charles McDonough |
Private |
Probably the son of Hiram Baldwin of South Carolina and brother to John William Baldwin. Charles was born around 1850 in Cherokee Co., AL. |
|
Baldwin, F.M. |
No rank given |
|
|
Baldwin, George Washington |
Private |
He was living in Guntersville, Marshall Co., AL in 1860. (US Census, Marshall Co., AL page 924). |
|
Baldwin, John William |
Private |
Probably the son of Hiram Baldwin of South Carolina. John W. Baldwin was born abt. 1834 in SC, married Sarah Ann Hollenshed in Calhoun Co., AL in 1857, and died in 1863 in DeKalb Co., AL His daughter, Georgia Ann said that her father had tried to stay out of the Civil War because he had a wife and two small children. She said that the Union Soldiers came to their home, in DeKalb County, Alabama, and took her father out into the woods behind the house, shot and killed him. They then just rode off. Her mother then married Andrew J. Berry and moved to Arkansas. |
|
Baldwin, Joseph Tade (Tate) |
Private |
|
|
Baldwin, Martin Van Buren |
Private |
|
|
Baney, W.S. |
Private |
|
|
Baxter, George Washington |
Private |
He was born about 1832 in Lebanon, DeKalb County, Alabama. He was adopted by Jesse and Temperance Baxter. He was married to Elizabeth. |
|
Bearden, G. M. |
Private |
|
|
Bingham, W. J. |
2nd Lt. |
|
|
Bookout, Silas Levi |
Private |
He is probably connected to the Bradley County, TN Bookout family which moved through Alabama to Arkansas before 1860. Silas Bookout was living in the second District of DeKalb County in the 1860 US Census (page 148) in the household of his father Silas Bookout, Sr. and mother Mary. |
|
Brazeale, Elias De Loach |
Private |
He was listed as Elias D. Brazile age 26 (born in Alabama) in the 1860 census in Division 2, DeKalb County, Alabama (page 147). His wife was Martha. He is the ancestor of Carl Anthony (Tony) Brazell |
|
Bryant, Preston |
Corporal |
Probably Presley/Preston Bryant b. ca 1823 in Georgia. |
|
Bryant, Thomas |
Private |
Probably the son of William and Lucinda Bryant of DeKalb County, Alabama. He was born abt. 1842 in Tennessee. |
|
Burt, Groves |
Private |
He is believed to be the son of John Burt of Georgia. He was born about 1824 in Tennessee. He was living in the Northern District of DeKalb Co., AL in 1860. In 1880, he was age 56, living at Beat 5, Dekalb Co., Alabama. He married Mary Caroline Unknown. |
|
Camp, John Marion |
Private |
Probably the John M. Camp, age 23 listed in District 3, Cherokee Co., Alabama in 1860 (page 128). His wife was Mary. |
|
Campbell, John |
No rank given |
Probably the John W. Campbell, b. GA, age 33, listed in the 1860 Census in Division 2, DeKalb Co., Alabama (page 126). His wife was Mary. |
|
Campbell, Ransom Mathias Turner |
Private |
He was born in North Carolina ca 1837 and is listed in Divison 2, DeKalb Co., Alabama (page 160). He was the son of John Campbell of Ireland and Rebecca. |
|
Carroll, Benjamin |
Private |
|
|
Carroll, Rufus Anderson |
Private |
He was admitted into the Hospital at Port Hudson on 1-3-1863 suffering from "intermittent tertiana" (note: possibly malaria) and returned to duty 1-12-1863. |
|
Clark, Franklin |
Private |
Benjamin Franklin Clark was born abt. 1845 in Alabama. He was the son of Oliver Perry Clark and his wife Clarissa. |
|
Clark, Oliver Perry |
Private |
He was born abt. 1815 in Kentucky and Clarissa. By profession, he was a cabinet maker. He was the father of Franklin Clark (above) |
|
Coffee (Coffey), Joel |
Private |
|
|
Coffey, William Henry |
Private |
|
|
Couch, Wilson Harris |
Private |
|
|
Croft, Charles Basel |
Private |
He was born about 1835 in South Carolina. He was living in DeKalb County, Alabama in 1860 (US Census page 148). His wife was Susannah. |
|
Crowder, R. |
Corporal |
Robert Crowder, b. ca 1841 in North Carolina. He was the son of John C. Crowder and Susannah. |
|
Cunningham, Elijah Lafayette |
Private |
He was born in Tennessee abt. 1831, the son of Jesse Cunningham and his wife, Mary. He was one of three Cunningham brothers in the Company. |
|
Cunningham, George Washington |
Private |
He was born in Tennessee abt. 1829, the son of Jesse Cunningham and his wife Mary. |
|
Cunningham, William Johnathan |
Private/2nd Lt. |
He was born in Tennessee abt. 1832, the son of Jesse Cunningham and his wife Mary. |
|
Davis, Abraham |
Private |
He was born in Tennessee abt. 1837, the son of John Davis and his wife Mary. He was a neighbor of the Cunningham brothers and is likely related. He is one of three Davis brothers in the Company. |
|
Davis, George |
Private |
He was the brother of Abraham Davis (above) and was born around 1835 in Tennessee. |
|
Davis, James A. |
No rank given |
He was the eldest son of John and Mary Davis, born about 1830 in Tennessee. |
|
Downer, Benjamin Franklin |
No rank given |
Born April 10, 1842, d May 30, 1887. He was the son of John Downer and Martha Mae Siblings. He is buried in DeKalb County, Alabama. He was about 20 years old when he volunteered for service in 1862. |
|
Downer, William Alexander |
Private |
He was born abt. 1844 in North Carolina. He was only about 18 when he enlisted. He appears in the 1860 US Census in DeKalb County, Alabama (page 188).F |
|
Elrod, Benjamin Lewis |
Corporal |
Benjamin Franklin Lewis Elrod was born in January, 1828 in Anderson District, South Carolina the son of Ellis Franklin Elrod of Surry County, NC. He married Catherine W. Murphy in 1851. He was living in DeKalb Co., Alabama 1870. He died in Anderson Co., Texas in January, 1902.(Source: Kelley Paterno) |
|
Elrod, Wesley Adam |
Private |
He is probably the son of Adam Elrod of Surry Co., NC who died in Carroll Co., GA around 1828. This would make him the first cousin of Benjamin Lewis Elrod, above. |
|
Etherington, William |
Private |
|
|
Fortner, Archibald Henderson |
Private |
He was born in 1824 in Knox County, Tennessee and died at Wills Valley in DeKalb County, Alabama October 15, 1897. He served in the Mexican war (from June 20 1846 to May 31 1847) and fought in the battles of Veracruz and Cerro Gordo. He was discharged on the in New Orleans. On the 8th of June 1848, he married Elendor Tinker daughter of William Tinker and Margaret Robison. |
|
Fowler, Richard |
Private |
He was the son of Arthur Fowler of Georgia. He was living near Guntersville, Marshall Co., Alabama in 1860 at age 24. |
|
Fowler, Stephen G. |
No rank given |
He was the son of Arthur Fowler of Georgia. He was living near Guntersville, Marshall Co., Alabama in 1860 at age 20. |
|
Fuller, James |
Private |
He is probably the James Fuller who was born abt. 1842 in Tennessee to William Fuller of Virginia. |
|
Glazener, George Russell |
Private |
He was born on January 25, 1825 in Transylvania County, NC, the son of Jesse Kitchen Glazener and Millie Ann Harris. He married Mary F. Saddler on September 25, 1854. He died January 3, 1888 in DeKalb County, Alabama |
|
Gober, George Washington |
Private |
|
|
Hall, H.T. |
Private |
|
|
Harvey, C. |
Private |
|
|
Hayhill, J. |
Private |
|
|
Haywood, George T. |
Private |
|
|
Houston, Allison Woodville |
Private |
He was born abt. 1842 in Alabama to William Houston and his wife Mary. He was the brother of Thomas Tinsley Houston. |
|
Houston, Thomas Tinsley |
Private |
He was the brother of William Allison Houston and was born abt. 1836 in Georgia. |
|
Jarnagin, Asa |
No Rank Given |
Listed on the Hospital Roll at Port Hudson (4-22-1863, typhoid fever, sent to Jackson, La., hospital 4-22-1863). He was born about 1843/44 in Tennessee to William and Elizabeth Jarnigan. He married Mary Finch in Franklin County, Tennessee. He is the brother to 2nd Sgt. Hamilton Jarnagin. |
|
Private/2nd Sgt. |
After the War (about 1870) he moved to Texas. He wrote "I will never forget the hardships, and privations that we have taken together." He was married to Griselda Orlena Kirby [b. December 22, 1846 Jackson County, AL], d/o Richard Lawrence "Sauta Dick" Kirby and Elizabeth Jane Gross. Hamilton & Orlena were married on July 6, 1868 in Jackson County, AL. This was the same Hamilton Jarnigan serving in Exchange Battalion Co. D CSA. He was the son of William and Elizabeth Jarnigan of Jackson Co. AL. Hamilton died on Jan. 15, 1908 near Lewisville, Denton Co., TX. He had lived in TX for 43 years. His wife, Orlena, applied for and was granted a widow's pension on July 16, 1914 at the age of 67. File #28705. Hamilton's brother Franklin, age 69 and living in Pisgah, Jackson Co., AL, filed a deposition on July 30, 1914 to aid Orlena in receiving the widow's pension. Orlena died on June 21, 1935 near Lewisville, Denton Co., TX, at the home of their only child, William L. Jarnigan. William and Elizabeth Jarnigan are buried at Old Sardis Church in Jackson Co., AL. |
|
|
Keller, Hanley Gibbons |
Private |
This is probably Hardy G. Keller who appears on the 1860 US Census of DeKalb Co., Alabama at age 31 with wife Mary. |
|
King, William Fletcher |
Private/Sgt. |
Born 1837 in Georgia to James King and Cynthia Conley, he was a Blacksmith by profession. |
|
Kirtland, Byrd Jackson |
Private |
He was the son of Rheubin Kirtland and Delila. He was born on 8/1/1827 in Bibb County, Georgia. He died 2/1/1878. He was married to Mary Ann Sellers. |
|
Lackey, James Russell |
Private |
Born 1838, the son of William Lackey and Nancy Spears of Tennessee. This family moved to Jackson and DeKalb Counties, Alabama. James married Rosanna Dixon. |
|
Lackey, William |
Private |
Born about 1823 in Tennessee, the older brother of Private James Russell Lackey. He married Edy Cathey in 1838 in Benton County, Alabmam and Sarah Bryant in 1846 in Benton County, Alabama. |
|
Latham, John Calhoun |
Private/1st Lt. |
John Calhoun Latham married Mary Katherine Witt, daughter of Abner Witt and Ann Airhart of Blount Co., AL. |
|
Laughlin, James B. |
Private |
|
|
Laughlin, William Reid |
PrivateSgt. |
|
|
Lee, Jordan |
Private |
|
|
Lee, William |
|
|
|
Mathena, Thomas Jefferson |
Private |
He is probably the Thomas Mathena that appears, at age 7, on the 1850 US Census in the household of William and Matilda Mathena in DeKalb County, Alabama. |
|
Mayes, James Washington |
Private |
He was the son of Stephen Mayes of Etowah County, Alabama. He married Mary Ann Mitchell. |
|
Mitchell, James Lewis
|
Private |
He was captured at Shiloh and spent three and one half years in prison at Camp Douglas, IL. Upon release he walked home to Alabama. At one point he found a "pone" of cornbread which he described as "one of the best meals I have ever had." He married Elizabeth Payne in 1867 and died in 1927 in Arkansas. |
|
Mitchell, William Jasper |
Private |
Brother of Private James Lewis Mitchell, they were sons of Benjamin Smith Mitchell of Abbeville, South Carolina. William Jasper Mitchell was born in 1842 in South Carolina. |
|
Myrick, Richard Grice |
Private |
|
|
Nicholas, William H. |
Private |
Possibly identical with William Henry Henderson Nichols (below). |
|
Nichols, William Henry Henderson |
Private |
He was the brother-in-law of Private William Parks Patey. |
|
Nicholson, Elihu Lemuel |
3rd Lt. |
|
|
Nicholson, Thomas Jefferson |
2nd Lt./Captain |
He was born abt. 1834. He survived the war and returned to DeKalb County. He is found on the 1870 US Census (page 832). He was married to Mary. |
|
Patey, William Parks |
Private, Killed 7 Apr 1862, Shiloh |
William Parks Paty, born in Georgia in 1829, grew up in Cherokee County, Alabama. He married Elizabeth Jane Nichols. He was a carpenter. When he went off to fight, his wife had three small children and was pregnant. She would put her son George, on a horse or mule and send him out into the Yankee infested land to try to find corn meal. William's brother, Henry McKindry Paty, joined in Cherokee County, Alabama and also died from injuries in the war. William Parks Patey was the brother-in-law of Private William H. H. Nichols. |
|
Perry, L. |
No rank listed |
|
|
Phillips, Osias |
Private |
He was the son of Jesse H. Phillips of Georgia (later Jackson Co., Alabama). He was married (on 25 Jan 1857) to Martha Thomas, the sister of 1st Lt. Francis Marion Thomas. |
|
Phillips, Washington |
1st Sgt. |
|
|
Phillips, William |
Private |
He was the brother of Osias Phillips. He married Jane Stewart in DeKalb County, Alabama on February 21, 1867. Jane was the daughter of Wilson Stewart and Mahalia Hinnard. He was born around 1847 in Georgia. |
|
Prince, Jonathan Jones |
Private |
He was born August 17, 1818 in Buncombe Co. NC. His wife was Mary Ann Hammers. Jonathan survived the War and in 1866, he and his family moved back to Franklin County, Tennessee. In late 1868, he started out in a covered wagon for Alabama (or Georgia) with his family. As they traveled across the Cumberland Mountains, the family was ambushed and robbed. In the scuffle, Jonathan was taken by the robbers and never seen again. It has always been assumed he was killed within a short distance of the robbery scene and his body was left on the mountain. Following this tragedy, Mary Ann and her children, one only a few months old, returned to the foot of the mountain to Cowan. |
|
Ramsay, James Thompson |
Private |
|
|
Raper, David Johnathan |
Private |
|
|
Reese, Henry |
Private |
|
|
Roden, J.N. |
No rank given |
|
|
Roder, Isaac N. |
Private |
|
|
Rucks, Elisha Parks |
Private/Sgt. |
Born September, 1842 in Cobb County, Georgia to Wiley Rucks and his wife Lucy, he married Mary Elrod. He died February 8, 1924. |
|
Rucks, James Patton McGee |
Private |
Born October 2, 1844, he died on February 25, 1932. |
|
Rucks, William Emerson |
Private |
Born in 1842, died March 1, 1862 -- before Shiloh probably of measles. |
|
Rucks, William George Washington |
Private |
Born in South Carolina, he married Elizabeth Parker |
|
Ryan, Amos Lafayette |
Private |
|
|
Saint, William |
Private |
|
|
Sampley, Oliver Miller |
Private |
He was the son of Jesse Sampley, a cabinet maker from Tennessee and his wife Deborah. Oliver M. Sampley was born abt. 1835 in Tennessee. |
|
Sartin, Lewis |
Private |
|
|
Sellers, Daniel Rice |
Private |
Born January 31, 1832 to Robert Sellers and Jane Surratt of Madison County, Alabama, he married Polly Ann Wilson. He died in Colorado on December 29, 1913. |
|
Sellers, David (Davis) Moore |
Private |
Born September 6, 1842 in Madison County, Alabama, he was a brother of Privates Daniel and John Sellers. He died March 3, 1862. |
|
Sellers, John Jasper |
Private |
Born September 5, 1839 in Madison County Alabama, he was the brother of Private Daniel Rice Sellers. He died March 12, 1862--before Shiloh. |
|
Seymour, George Washington |
Private |
|
|
Sisk, Chelsey C. |
|
He was living at Duck Springs, DeKalb County in 1860 at the age of 34 with his wife Harriet. |
|
Smith, John |
Private/Corp. |
|
|
Sparks, John Thomas |
Sgt. |
|
|
Spence, William M. |
|
|
|
Stansel, W.M. |
No rank listed (d. 20 May 1862) |
|
|
Stasel, S.A. |
No rank listed (d. 7 Apr 1862) |
|
|
Stephens, James F. |
|
|
|
Summers, John |
Private |
|
|
Tatham, J.C. |
1st Lt. |
|
|
Taylor, John |
Private |
|
|
|
Private/1st Lt. |
Born January 20, 1837 in Pendleton District, South Carolina, son of Ebenezer Thomas and Mary Nimmons. He was captured at the siege of Vicksburg, exchanged, and rejoined his Regiment. He was close friends with 2nd Sgt. Hamilton Jarnagin. He was the brother-in-law of Osias Phillips. He once said of one battle that "The bullets were so thick, if I had a bucket, I could have caught a bucketful." He died February 25, 1925 at Kirbys Creek, Jackson County, Alabama and is buried at Old Sardis Church in Jackson County. |
|
Tidwell, Anderson |
Private |
|
|
Tidwell, Charles N. |
No rank listed (d. 27 Jul 1862) |
|
|
Tidwell, James |
Private |
|
|
Tiket, J.T. |
Private |
|
|
Upton, William H. |
|
|
|
Wade, Matthew D. |
|
|
|
Walker, Isaac D. |
|
|
|
Walker, John Jackson |
Private |
He was born in 1815 in North Carolina. He was married to Rachel. He appears on the 1860 US Census in DeKalb County (page 148). |
|
Watts, Henry |
Private |
|
|
Watts, Levi Henry |
Private |
|
|
Whitt, James |
|
|
|
White, Isaac Green |
Private |
|
|
Whitley, Nathan Micajah |
Private |
He was born abt. 1830 in Georgia. He appears on the 1860 US Census in DeKalb County (page 148) along with wife "Elliott." |
|
Whitlock, John T. |
Private |
|
|
Whitten, James Marion |
Private |
Born 1830 in North Carolina, he was living in DeKalb Co., AL in 1860 (page 147) with wife Lettie and son William. |
|
Wilkes, Henry Jackson |
Private |
He was born in Virginia ca 1833 and was living in DeKalb County in 1860 (page 165) with wife, Mary. |
|
Wilkes, William Bradford Brown |
Private |
He is the younger brother of Henry Jackson Wilkes (above). William was born in Virginia ca 1842. He is listed in 1860 in DeKalb Co., Alabama (page 165) in the household of his father Washington D. Wilkes and mother Catherine. |
|
Wilks, J.T. |
Private |
James Wilkes, b. ca 1840, was the brother of William Wilkes and Henry Jackson Wilkes. |
|
Willbanks, Thomas Martin |
Corp. |
He born in South Carolina ca 1842 and was the son of James Willbanks and Elizabeth. The family was listed in Division 2 of DeKalb Co., Al in 1860 (page 167) |
|
Williams, James Anderson |
Private, d. 20 Feb 1862 |
He was born abt. 1823 in South Carolina and married Eliza. He appears on the 1860 US Census in DeKalb County (page 148). |
|
Williams, Silas C.M. |
Private |
He was age 17 and living in the Easter Division of Marshall Co., Alabama in 1860 (census page 899) with father A. I. Williams and mother Letty. |
|
York, Andrew Jackson |
Private/Sgt. |
He was born Georgia, ca 1841. He is listed in the 1860 US Census in DeKalb Co., AL (page 159) in the household of his father John G. York. |
|
York, George Washington |
Sgt./2nd Lt. |
He was born in Georgia ca 1839. He is listed in the 1860 Census in DeKalb Co., Al (page 185) with wife Louisa, son John, and daughter Zara. |
|
York, John |
Corp. |
He is probably the John G. York, age 23 living in Lebanon region of DeKalb Co., Alabama in 1860. |
|
York, Micajah Granduine |
Sgt. |
He married Sarah Rebecca Sewell. |
