Richard, The "Hardin County Yankee Hunters" were composed of men from Hardin Co., TN. There was probably one or two from Wayne and perhaps the same from McNairy Co, these counties lying on either side of Hardin. According to the oldest history of the county, Soon after the vote for or against secession, the county militia, including all able bodied men, was ordered to meet regularly at the muster grounds at Old Town, former County Seat, on the east side of the Tennessee River and at the Perkins place on the west side of the River. In the summer of 1861, a great rally and barbecue was held at Shady Grove Church near Saltillo TN. Many men committed themselves to the Confederate cause on that day. From "Goodspeed's History of Hardin County." "The first company of troops raised was at Shady Grove Church, near Saltillo, where a great barbecue and war meeting was held. War speeches were made and volunteers were called for, yet not in vain. A full company of cavalry was soon raised in which C. S. (Charles Sevier) Robertson was captain, J. W. Irwin first lieutenant; Arthur Hardin second lieutenant, and R. W. Reynolds 3rd lieutenant." Apparently, these men went into Confederate service on 21 October 1861. Several men of "G" Company gave this as the date they enlisted, one said at Jackson Tennessee. On the 10th of January of 1862, the unit was stationed at Henderson Station, now Chester, then Madison Co., TN. On that date Capt. Robertson wrote a letter to Maj. Gen. Polk at Columbus MS inquiring as to what unit they would be attached. If it was to be an infantry unit, his preference was the 52nd Inf. Reg. under Col. Benjamin Lea. Lea was also stationed at Henderson Station. Capt. Robertson sent his letter to Polk with Lt. J. W. Irwin. Robertson explains that since the unit was formed, with 131 men, they had been scouting in Madison, Henderson and McNairy Counties and made several arrests. On the 15th of April, 1862, Robertson is still trying to get attached to a Cavalry Unit. His preference is that of Col. Jake Biffle and the 19th (Biffle's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. But, that didn't work. As it turns out, he had already been assigned to the First Confederate Cavalry under Col. Henry Clay King of KY, this being done about the 1st of April 1862. The original officers were: Col.'s Thomas Claiborne, John T. Lay, H. Clay King, and John T. Cox. I believe the First Confederate remained in north Mississippi and West Tennessee until the Kentucky Campaign with Gen. Joe Wheeler. David Richard Davis wrote: > David, > > Sorry, but no big winnings in the land of "Hard Luck". However, you > have made much sense out of a tangled situation concerning my family in the > early part of the war and the battle of Shiloh. In a nutshell, my five > ancestors were invited to join an independent cavalry company that was > formed at Landersville, Alabama, in September of 1861, which went by the > name of "Hubbard's Company of Alabama Rangers" under the command of Captain > David C. Hubbard. They were dispatched to Fort Henry, but were not captured > on account of General Lloyd Tilghman sending them away before the fort fell, > and since they were independent, they made a good decision to not go to Fort > Donelson and do some scouting instead. That is documented in the OR's. One > of these five brothers was my GG Grandfather Benjamin D. Kelley. Sometime > along this period in the early spring of 1862, they were placed in the 1st > Confederate Cavalry Regiment as Company "K". He survived the war and gave an > interview to the local newspaper "Daily Mountain Eagle" in 1925 and the > article was about he and his brothers service during the war. He states that > they were "consolidated with a Kentucky and Tennessee mixed regiment of > cavalry under Colonel Clayborne, the battalion being commanded by a Major > King". So what you have said about General Albert Sidney Johnston > consolidating his forces is correct information. After Shiloh, Company K was > ordered to Northwest Alabama to be consolidated with other companies under > Captain Philip D. Roddey, Captain Josiah Patterson, Captain John Newsome, > and others, to form the 4th Alabama Cavalry (Roddey's) Regiment, and served > the remainder of the war in that unit. Where did you find the info about > Major King? I believe my search about my ancestors early service lies with > him. Let me know and please stay in touch as you are also the first person > that I have talked to about the 1st Confederate!!!! > > Richard B. Davis > 9417 McCaw Road > West Paducah, KY 42086 > -----Original Message----- > From: David Cagle <dcagle@centuryinter.net> > To: Richard Davis <eagle6@brtc.net> > Date: Tuesday, April 13, 1999 10:25 PM > Subject: Re: First Confederate Cavalry Regiment > > >Richard, > > > >Did you win big bucks at Vegas? > > > >It is good to hear from another with ties to the First Confederate. > Actually, I > >believe you are the first outside of my little circle of people here in > Hardin > >County that had relatives in "G" Company. There was a 1st Tennessee > (Carters') > >and a 1st Tennessee (Rogers') Cavalry Regiment as well as a 1st Tennessee > >Cavalry Battalion. I have had some responses from people confusing these > units > >with the First. > > > >I can't tell you positive what you want to hear about the First. It is not > real > >clear when it was formed. "Military Annals of Tennessee" indicates that > the > >unit was formed about the 1st of April in 1862. "Tennesseans In The Civil > War" > >is not any more specific. Both publications say the First was formed at > Spring > >Creek in Madison Co., TN. That may have been in what is now Chester Co. > In > >either case, that was not far from Shiloh. If they were there on 1st of > April, > >no doubt, they fought at Shiloh., Being that close, they would have to > hide to > >not be in the fight. > > > >It appears to me that Albert Sidney Johnston was consolidating his forces > prior > >to Shiloh, and needed some additional companies to go with Major H. C. > Kings' > >Kentucky Battalion of 4 Companies. I don't know where your Alabama > Companies > >were at the time, but, the Tennessee Companies were scattered around West > >Tennessee. In fact, I have a copy of a letter from Capt. Charles S. > Robertson > >of "G" Company requesting to be assigned to Biffle's Cavalry (19th > Tennessee > >Cavalry Regiment) as late as April 15, 1862. At that point, (8 days after > the > >battle of Shiloh) Robertson did not know he had been assigned to Major King > on > >April 1st. > > > >I believe "G" Company fought at Shiloh, probably not on the battlefield > proper, > >but on outpost duty as suggested by "Tennesseans," and in rearguard after > the > >battle. They were already stationed in the area at Henderson Station, > Madison > >Co., TN, now Henderson, Chester Co., TN which is about 20 miles from > Shiloh. > >They were in Corinth, MS immediately after the battle as per the letter > mention > >above. > > > >I have 16 pension applications from as many former soldiers of "G" > Company. > >Those who joined the army before Shiloh, to a man, said that they fought in > the > >Battle of Shiloh. They fought in many other major battles and would have > no > >need to pad their record. Also, from family tradition, long before I knew > >anything about the Civil War, I knew that two of my g/g/grandfathers fought > at > >Shiloh. > >In that regard, if your family says your soldiers fought at Shiloh, I > suspect > >they did. Apparently, they had been a part of the First Confederate for > about > >a week before the battle. Do you have any idea why they were separated > from > >other Alabama units? It is very possible, like as with "G" Company, that > this > >was a paper unit at that time, and they were perhaps never a physical part > of > >the First? However, "G" Company did eventually became part of that unit, > but > >after Shiloh. Before joining the First, the company was known as "Hardin > County > >Yankee Hunters." > > > >Did any of your soldiers receive a pension after the war. There is usually > some > >very good information in those pension applications. > > > >I am attaching a picture of "G" Co. flag. Capt. C. S. Robertson was the > Grand > >Master of the Savannah Masonic Lodge at the beginning of the war. 1st Lt. > J. W. > >Irwin, later Capt., was later Grand Master and also head of the State > >organization. Might explain the masonic symbol on the flag. > > > >David > > > >Richard Davis wrote: > > > >> David, > >> > >> I have five ancestors (my GG Grandfather and four of his brothers) > >> that fought with Company K, 1st Confederate Cavalry Regiment! I have been > >> trying to tie them to Shiloh and have not had any luck. Our family has > long > >> passed down that they were there, but I cannot find any hard evidence. > Can > >> you assist? I would like to invite you to visit my webpage at > >> www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/6349 that is on Company K after they were > >> detached from the 1st Confederate and were consolidated into the 4th > Alabama > >> Cavalry (Roddey's) Regiment. I am currently preparing to go to Las Vegas > on > >> vacation and will be back on saturday the 10th. Thanks!!! > >> > >> Richard B. Davis > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: David Cagle <dcagle@centuryinter.net> > >> To: CIVIL-WAR@rootsweb.com <CIVIL-WAR@rootsweb.com> > >> Date: Saturday, April 03, 1999 5:49 PM > >> Subject: First Confederate Cavalry Regiment > >> > >> >I would like to correspond with anyone having knowledge of, or interest > in > >> The > >> >First Confederate Cavalry Regiment which was organized in West Tennessee > >> >shortly before the Battle of Shiloh. My prime interest is Company G. > >> > > >> >David > >> > > > > > > >