USA > Tennessee > Henry County > A history of the Henry County commands which served in the Confederate States army, including rosters of the various companies enlisted in Henry County, Tenn. > Part 12
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
Henry Cooper; escaped at Island No. 10; enlisted in cavalry.
James Fowler; captured at Island No. 10; took oath in prison.
Henry Griffin.
J. M. Hays ; died April 1, 1863.
W. E. King; died February, 1862.
D. C. Lee ; captured at Island No. 10 ; died in prison.
J. P. Lee ; captured at Island No. 10; escaped from prison.
H. C. Lee; captured at Island No. 10; escaped.
G. C. Lemonds; captured at Island No. 10.
-. -. Scarboro.
-. -. Scarboro.
-. -. Thompson.
Noah Thompson ; escaped at Island No. 10; joined some other command and disappeared.
D. M. L. Walker ; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
Richmond Walker; died at Island No. 10.
J. Wesley Watkins.
Wm. Watkins.
Wm. Whitfield ; died July 30, 1862.
Crofford Williams; captured at Island No. 10; dis- charged, ill health.
J. M. L. Williams; escaped at Island No. 10; died at home.
R. D. Williams; captured at Island No. 10; died April 10, 1862.
B. F. Wimberly; escaped at Island No. 10.
Wm. W. Wimberly; escaped at Island No. 10; served in cavalry and died.
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
ROLL OF COMPANY "K," FORTY-SIXTH REGIMENT, TEN- NESSEE INFANTRY.
Capt. John D. Paschall; captured at Island No. 10; re-elected at reorganization; wounded at Franklin; served through the war.
First Lieut. Wyatt Yow; captured at Island No. 10; discharged at reorganization.
Second Lieut. Elisha Paschall; captured at Island No. 10; elected first lieutenant at reorganization ;. served through the war.
Third Lieut. Robert D. Hendricks; captured at Is- land No. 10; elected second lieutenant at reorganiza- tion ; detached and served as train inspector at Co- lumbus, Ga. ; wounded at Franklin and died Decem- ber 2, 1864.
First Sergt. David Arnn; captured at Island No. 10; took oath in prison and joined Federals.
Matt. Ashlock; escaped at Island No. 10. J. B. Atkins; discharged, ill health.
Thomas Ayry ; escaped at Island No. 10.
Eugene Boatwright (drummer boy). Bloomfield Boden; captured at Island No. 10.
Wm. Brisendine; escaped at Island No. 10.
Jeff Butler; captured at Island No. 10.
Henry Cochran; captured at Island No. 10; wound- ed at Atlanta and died.
Marsh Cole; discharged, ill health.
Berry Ford; escaped at Island No. 10.
Robert C. Foster; captured at Island No. 10; elect-
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
ed third lieutenant at reorganization ; served through the war.
Wm. Gallimore; escaped at Island No. 10.
Porter Hill ; died of measles.
Elias Holden ; died June 26, 1862.
Jeff Jimmison; escaped at Island No. 10.
Thompson Key; captured at Island No. 10; died in prison.
William Key; escaped at Island No. 10.
John Mason; captured at Island No. 10; died in hospital in Mississippi.
Wright Mason; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
J. K. Polk Martin; captured at Island No. 10; elected first sergeant at reorganization; served through the war.
T. H. Mathis; died July 29, 1863.
James Morton ; discharged, ill health.
Frank Nance.
Richard Nance; captured at Island No. 10.
Wm. Nance; captured at Island No. 10; discharged, over age.
Bedford Orr; captured at Island No. 10.
Cyrus Orr; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
James Orr; captured at Island No. 10; killed at Atlanta.
James Palmer; captured at Island No. 10; killed at Atlanta or Franklin.
Thomas Paschall; captured at Island No. 10; lost sight of in Mississippi.
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
Samuel Paschall; captured at Island No. 10;
served through the war.
Wm. Russell; discharged, ill health.
V. D. Spradling; died April 2, 1862.
Thomas Stephens; escaped at Island No. 10; re- turned to regiment; served through the war.
Frank Stephens.
-. -. Tharpe; wounded at Kennesaw Mountain. Wilson Thomason ; escaped at Island No. 10.
Linn Turner; served a year in First Kentucky In- fantry ; after its disbandment, enlisted in this com- pany ; killed at Atlanta.
Loony Turner; escaped at Island No. 10.
John H. Vaughan; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
Perry Vaughan; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
R. T. Walker ; escaped at Island No. 10.
Fred Wilson ; captured at Island No. 10.
James Wilson; captured at Island No. 10; served through the war.
W. C. Wilson; captured at Island No. 10.
W. D. Wilson; captured at Island No. 10; wounded and lost an arm and captured at Atlanta; served through the war.
Henry Young; captured and died after exchange.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
SKETCH OF COMPANY "G," SEVENTH REGIMENT, TEN- NESSEE CAVALRY.
In the autumn of 1861, Capt. J. G. Stocks of Mem- phis, came to Paris, bringing with him a few men as a nucleus of a cavalry company which he announced his determination to form. The young cavaliers of Henry County flocked to his standard, and soon he had en- listed about one hundred men. These were mustered into the Confederate service and fully organized, and went into camp at the old fair grounds, one mile north- west of town, and were constantly drilled and trained till the last day of the year, when they marched to Co- lumbus, Ky., camping awhile at Poyner's Mill, and at Camp Beauregard, near Feliciana, Ky. Returning to Camp Beauregard they were joined by Mccutchen's company, recently enlisted in Weakly county, and henceforth these two companies, forming a squadron, were closely allied during all the campaigns that fol- lowed.
Uniting also with Miller's Mississippi Battallion and Colonel Brewer's, all under command of Colonel Miller, they followed a Federal force under General Smith, who had come out from Paducah, going as far as New Concord, Ky., and later reconnoitered along the Tennessee River. February 15th, 1862, while en- camped at Paris, Colonel Miller took the company on a reconnoisance in the direction of Ft. Heiman. When within one and a half miles of this place they came in sight of some Federals posted in a yard near Mt. Car- mel church. Withdrawing a short distance, and dis-
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
mounting, they formed and advanced in one rank and a sharp skirmish ensued. The small force soon retir- ing, placed out a rear guard. James Boyd, J. M. Fields and John Paschall were wounded. March 1st, the company was sent to Columbus, Ky., to destroy the stores left there on its evacuation by General Polk. Returning to Paris, Major King's Battalion and Stocks' and Mccutchen's companies encamped a mile or more west of Paris, on the Dresden road, and were engaged in shipping all the supplies that could be secured from the sur- rounding country, sending them Southward by the Memphis & Ohio Railroad. On March -, Major King, who was in command at Paris, sent Rev. Asa Cox, in charge of a scouting party, consisting of C. W. Tandy and two other men, to secure information of the enemy's movements in the direction of Ft. Hei- man. Taking the Obion road, they met a negro REV. ASA COX. man near Owens' Hill, from whom they learned that a column of Federals of all arms were en route to Paris by the Mouth of Sandy Road. Private Cox tried to get into this road in advance of the enemy at Wright's shop. Failing in this, he turned towards the Conyersville road. Reaching this he and Tandy
/
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
exchanged horses with two citizens and pushed on at full speed. Reaching camp and giving the alarm, the Canfederates scarcely had time to form before the Federals, who had surprised and captured the pickets near Currier's Mill, appeared on the hill west of the Memphis & Ohio depot, and, unlimbering a section of artillery, commenced to shell the camp.
Maj. King's force formed under cover of the timber, prepared an ambuscade and waited the evening's at- tack. The shelling ceased soon after and the cavalry advanced, but the plan of surprise was defeated by a drunken Confederate, who rose up and fired prema- turely. After a few rounds the enemy retired and took up their march back to Ft. Heiman. Lieut. John Yow and Private Glover of King's Battalion were killed. The Federals carried off several dead. The success of Private Cox's scout secured for him the confidence of the officers, and many times afterward he did valuable scouting. Major King. retired to Henry Station, where he continued to collect and ship all accessible supplies, and later to Humboldt, destroying the railroad as they fell back.
April 1, 1862, the command was surprised in camp at Union City. Fell back in pretty good order to Trenton, losing most of their baggage, however. Here a regimental organization was effected May 24, 1862, Captain Stocks' Company becoming Company "G" and Mccutchen's Company "H" of the Seventh Ten- nessee Cavalry. For the next fortnight they were employed in covering the withdrawal of Confederate forces from Ft. Pillow to North Mississippi, and were
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
within three miles of Memphis when that place sur- rendered.
June 10, 1862, the regiment was permanently or- ganized by the election of William H. Jackson, col- onel; J. G. Stocks, lieutenant-colonel, and W. L. Duckworth, major. Lieut. F. F. Aden was promoted to Captain, Lieut. Benjamin M. Diggs to first lieuten- ant and Lieut. J. J. Blake to second lieutenant, and W. N. Griffin to third lieutenant. The summer of 1862 was spent in scouting in North Mississippi, and in August General Armstrong advanced into West Tennessee with about 5,000 cavalry and attacked the enemy at Bolivar and Medon and fought a Federal Brigade at Britton's Lane, both sides retiring.
September 29 the command moved to Holly Springs and thence advanced with Van Dorn and Price to at- tack Corinth. Companies "G" and "H," forming the advance guard, served as pickets, scouts and couriers during that disastrous short campaign, and covered the retreat. On the second day these two companies built a temporary bridge over the Hatchie River, by which the army was enabled to escape from the Fed- eral forces closing in from front and rear. They took part in Van Dorn's great cavalry dash to Grant's rear, capturing and destroying $5,000,000 or $6,000,- 000 worth of stores at Holly Springs and capturing 2,500 prisoners.
Advanced again into West Tennessee and fought at Davis' Mill, Middleton and Bolivar. At Davis' Mill, January 1, 1863, Lieut. Benjamin M. Diggs was mor- tally wounded while gallantly leading the company. Colonel Jackson having been made brigadier-general,
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
Lieutenant-Colonel Stocks was promoted to colonel, and Major Duckworth to lieutenant-colonel.
The spring and summer of 1863 was spent in guard- ing North Mississippi from incursions moving out from Memphis, and the whole territory from Jack- son, Miss., to the M. & C. Railroad was traversed in various directions and at various times.
From January 1, 1862, to August of the same year Company "G," Seventh Tennessee Cavalry, marched from ten to fifty miles each twenty-four hours, and drilled on foot in the morning and on LIEUT. B. M. DIGGS. „horseback in the evening, whenever time could be found. The scarcity of cav- alry in the West rendered this hard service necessary.
In May or June they engaged in a running fight near Hernando with a Federal detachment, with no casualties, but fifteen or twenty Federals were killed and wounded.
To detail minutely all the movements of the Sev- enth Cavalry would be beyond the scope of this his- tory, so it will only be possible to refer to many occur- rences in a general way and specifically only where Company "G" performed a conspicuous part. Early in the fall of 1863, Colonel Stocks resigned on account
.
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
of failing health, and Lieutenant-Colonel Duckworth was promoted to colonel, and some time later Capt. C. C. Clay was advanced to the position of major. Early in October Col. T. H. Bell, formerly of the Twelfth Tennessee Infantry, was sent to West Ten- nessee, within the Federal lines, to collect and bring out recruits, and Company "G" was detached to ac- company him, doing excellent but hard service, and with a few other troops were enabled by General For- rest's skillful management and hard fighting by his troops to successfully escort about 1,800 recruits through the cordon of Federal troops along the M. & C. Railroad. Henceforth they had a general in whose ability they had implicit trust. Late in February, 1864, Generals Smith and Grierson advanced from Memphis with a force of 7,000 men to destroy the Mobile & Ohio Railroad and pillage the rich prairie country along its route. Col. Jeff Forrest's Brigade (to which the Seventh Tennessee belonged ) met their advance at Egypt Station and stubbornly resisted and checked its forward movement, falling back to Soonkatonchee Creek, four miles south of West Point, where it was attacked by a superior force, which it fought for two or three hours. General Forrest says of this fight that "about 300 men of the Second and Seventh Tennessee received repeated charges of seven regiments of the enemy in open ground and drove them back every time, finally driving them from the field, capturing three stands of colors and one piece of artillery. A great deal of the fighting was almost hand to hand."
These Confederate forces, reinforced by others, fol-
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
lowed them as they retreated and came upon them ten miles from Pontotoc, where they attempted to .make a stand, and charged the Second and Seventh Regi- ments in three lines, but these regiments, though nearly out of ammunition, repulsed them and drove back each line in succession. "Standing firm," Gen- eral Forrest says, "they repulsed the grandest cav- alry charge I ever witnessed." The retreat of the enemy now became a rout, but the Confederates were nearly out of ammunition and too nearly exhausted to press the pursuit vigorously.
On the night of the 22d, General Forrest instructed Captain Aden to send a commissioned officer and twenty-five or thirty men to harass the enemy and keep them frightened till morning, and to send cou- riers back to bring up the command. This was suc- cessfully and faithfully performed, but the records omit the names of those who performed this trying and praiseworthy service.
In the month of March, General Forrest again en- tered West Tennessee, this time making his entree near Purdy. Capt. F. F. Aden, with his company, was detached to escort Tennessee's Governor (Isham G. Harris) to Paris, Tenn., to visit his family. Near Mansfield they encountered a battalion of Federals and a spirited engagement took place. The Federal force retired with the loss of two killed, including their major, and several wounded. Company "G" had two wounded. The company numbered only forty men. Returning from Paris the company rejoined the regiment at Trenton.
While General Forrest took the main command to
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
attack Paducah, he ordered Colonel Duckworth to proceed to Union City with the Seventh Tennessee, Twelfth Kentucky and McDonald's Battalion and capture the Federal force there. Colonel Duckworth found it strongly fortified, but by a display of force and a clever ruse influenced Col. Isaac R. Hawkins, commanding, to surrender his force, after some sharp skirmishing. Seven hundred prisoners, many horses and much army stores were the fruits of this capture.
While the attack and capture of Ft. Pillow was being made the Seventh was stationed at Randolph to prevent any reinforcements being sent from Mem- phis to the relief of that place. The regiment, after camping a few days at Jackson, Tenn., returned with the other cavalry to North Mississippi.
June 10 they moved from Baldwin to Brice's X Roads to repel the second attempt to capture the Con- federate cornfields of Eastern Mississippi and imme- diately charged the enemy over a broad field and then through tangled brushwood and, though stubbornly resisted, drove them back, and with the aid of other commands, soon turned the defeat into a rout, and pressed the Federals far into the night, only halting when thoroughly exhausted. Company "G" lost two of its bravest and best men in this battle, Dr. Thomas C. Simmons and Frank Wakeland and several were also wounded, among them Capt. F. F. Aden. A month later the Federals made another attempt to reach the rich grain-producing region called Egypt, this time getting as far as Harrisburg, west of Tupelo. Being confronted by Confederates under command of Gen. S. D. Lee, they fortified, and General Lee made the mistake of attacking them in their in-
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
trenchments, instead of flanking them, as could
have been easily done. After heavy fighting for nearly two days the enemy again retreated towards Memphis. The Confeder- ates pursued, but were not in condition to press them as rapidly as at Okolona and Brice's X Roads. Com- pany "G" entered the eng- gagement with twenty- seven men. Only eleven of these escaped unhurt.
Lieut. James Haynes, Mor- ris Womack, Reuben Van- dyck and S. Fields were killed and others wounded.
September 16, 1864, Gen- CAPT. F. F. ADEN. eral Forrest started into North Alabama and Middle Tennessee, with the pur- pose of cutting General Sherman's line of communica- tions. Crossing the Tennessee River at Colbert's Shoals, and striking the Nashville & Decatur Rail- road at Athens, captured the forces guarding it, thence to near Pulaski, and destroyed many trestles and bridges. The Seventh Regiment bore its part nobly in this arduous and dangerous work. At Athens Lieut. J. J. Blake was desperately wounded. The nu- merous Federal columns sent to intercept Forrest were now converging upon him, and he was compelled to retire with his small force. Reaching the Ten-
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
nessee River it was found so swollen as to be unford- able, and the means of ferriage was so limited that the enemy was closing upon him before his com- mand could be crossed. To the Seventh Regiment was again awarded the hazard- ous task of keeping them at bay till the river could be placed between the main body and, the swiftly ad-
vancing enemy. The ever
gallant Seventh retired slowly, doggedly contesting every inch of ground. But when the safety of their comrades was assured it was impossible to cross LIEUT. J. J. BLAKE. in the face of the watch- ful Federals. Capt. H. C. Mccutchen of Com- pany "H" was the senior officer present, and after a hurried council of the officers, it was decided that each company commander should seek to escape with his command in whatever direction they might sever- ally think best. Strange to say that each company re- maining intact succeeded in making its escape with- out the loss of a man. The river was crossed at va- rious places and the regiment rendezvoused at Jack- son, Tenn.
October 22 General Forrest started on his raid to the Tennessee River via Paris to Paris Landing, at which place and at old Ft. Heiman three transports
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
and a gunboat were captured and a supply of much- needed clothing and shoes obtained. They marched thence to a point opposite Johnsonville, where artil- lery was mounted under cover of night and next even- ing shells and hot shot were thrown across the river with such success that everything combustible was destroyed, including three gunboats, eleven trans- ports, eighteen barges and warehouses and military stores to the amount of about $8,000,000. General Hood was now at Florence, Ala., on his way into Mid- dle Tennessee, and the cavalry again crossed the river, the Seventh Tennessee and Forrest's old regi- ment at Perryville, and to them was again given the post of honor and danger as advance guard.
At Henryville, Summertown, Mt. Pleasant, General Polk's farm and at Columbia they fiercely attacked and drove back the Federals. On November 28 the brigade (Rucker's) crossed Duck River, seven miles east of Columbia, and pushed the Federal rear guard back to Franklin. In that bloody and disastrous en- gagement the Seventh was on the extreme left and drove back the advance forces to the main defenses. . Early on November 1 they were again in the advance and following close on the heels of the Federals to Nashville. When General Thomas assumed the of- fensive on December 14 our lines were cut in two and the Seventh nearly hemmed in between the Federals and the Cumberland River. Keeping a bold front to the enemy, they slowly retired on the Harding pike till night, and next day rejoined the main force at Franklin and, with the other cavalry commands, strengthened by Brown's provisional division, pro-
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
tected the rear of Hoods stricken and decimated army till it had placed the Tennessee River again between themselves and their pursuers.
.
When General Wilson started from Decatur, Ala., on his successful and destructive raid in Alabama with 22,000 cavalry and General Forrest prepared as best he could to meet it, the Seventh Tennessee was at West Point, Miss., and formed a part of Gen. A. W. Campbell's Brigade, and they were at once (March 27, 1865) put in motion towards Selma, Ala., Wil- son's objective point. On the 31st they encountered LaGrange's Brigade eighteen miles east of Tuscaloosa and skirmished with them on that and succeeding day, driving them back fifteen miles. Later in the day they came up with Croxton's and drove them back, making important captures, but the Federal forces, having crossed the Cahaba River and burned the bridge, further pursuit was impossible.
Forrest assembled the remnants of his redoubtable cavalry at Gainesville, Ala., and under agreement be- tween his superior and the Federal General Canby the surrender of his forces took place, April 12, 1865. The horses in the Confederate army being furnished and owned by the men who rode them, were exempted in the surrender of equipment, and thus the cavalry- men rode home, and hitching their steeds to their father's plows, went back to the corn and cotton fields from which they had enlisted three and one-half years previously.
Of the 164 men enlisted in Company "G" there were present at the surrender thirty men. Their names will be found noted on the roll following this sketch.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
No braver troop or more daring escort followed the chivalric Forrest, who commanded the best cavalry the world has ever seen.
ROLL OF COMPANY "G," SEVENTH REGIMENT, TENNES- SEE CAVALRY.
Capt .J. G. Stocks; elected lieutenant-colonel at or- ganization; promoted to colonel spring of 1863; wounded in Mississippi; resigned on account of ill health, October, 1863.
First Lieut. Felin F. Aden; promoted to captain, June 10, 1863; wounded at Brice's X Roads; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
Second Lieut. J. J. Blake ; wounded at Athens, Ala. ; served through the war.
Third Lieut. Benjamin M. Diggs; promoted to sec- ond lieutenant, June 10, 1863; mortally wounded at Davis' Mill, October, 1863.
First Sergt. William M. Griffin; elected third lieu- tenant at reorganization ; discharged.
Second Sergt. Pleas J. Diggs; served through the war.
Third Sergt. W. A. Wright; promoted to orderly sergeant ; served through the war; one of thirty pres- ent at surrender.
Fourth Sergt. -. -. Culberhouse; served one year.
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IN CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY.
First Corp. Thomas Diggs; wounded at Franklin; served through the war.
Second Corp. J. J. Bishop ; served in Company "E," Twentieth Tennessee Cavalry. ·
Third Corp. William H. Courts; wounded and died.
Fourth Corp. Henry A. Humphreys; elected first sergeant, 1863 ; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
James S. Aden; elected first sergeant at reorgan- ization, 1862; captured near Grenada, December, 1862; discharged, 1863.
John D. Aden; served through the war.
Van Alexander ; elected sergeant at reorganization ; died at hospital in Mississippi.
John R. Anderson; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
William Archer ; joined the Federals after one year.
S. P. Atkisson; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
B. F. Ballard ; corporal at reorganization ; captured at Corinth, Miss., October, 1862.
Joe Beard, died in 1862, on furlough at home.
Sam Beard, served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
-. -. Beard ; killed at Fort Pillow.
Buck Bell; served one year.
T. N. Bell.
Jack Biles; killed at Athens, Ala.
John W. Blythe ; served one year.
James M. Blake; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
L. A. Blake; served through the war.
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HISTORY OF HENRY COUNTY COMMANDS
Mack Blake; served through the war; one of thirty present at surrender.
Wilson Blake; discharged, ill health.
James H. Blanchett; wounded at Shiloh in throat and coughed up the ball ; served one year.
John W. Blythe ; served one year.
James Bowden ; served one year.
Alex Bowles ; served about a year.
James M. Boyd ; wounded and captured at Mt. Car- mel Church and escaped.
W. Monroe Brisendine ; served one year.
William Brisendine.
Pearl Bridges ; served one year.
Porter Bridges ; served one year.
F. M. Brogden ; served through the war.
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