4th Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment

Organized September 29, 1864; mustered out at Nashville, August 25, 1865.

FIELD OFFICERS

  • Lieutenant Colonel-Joseph H. Blackburn.
  • Major-Thomas Waters.

CAPTAINS

  • James Wortham, George Gray, Co. “A”. Mustered April 14, 1864. Men mostly from Bedford County.
  • John W. Phillips, Co. “B”. The nucleus of this company was The Union Guards of Tennessee, mustered at Memphis, April 14, 1864 with men from various West Tennessee Counties. Mustered out at Nashville, June 1, 1865.
  • Andrew C. Card, Co. “C”. Mustered at Nashville, September 29, 1864 and January 10, 1865; men from Bedford and Rutherford Counties.
  • Norton E. Quinn, Co. “D”. Mustered at Nashville, October 26, 1864. Men enrolled at Liberty and Alexandria, DeKalb County.
  • McAdoo Vanatta, Co. “E”. Mustered at Nashville, October 26, 1864, and December 9, 1864. Men from DeKalb County.
  • William L. Hathaway, Co. “F”. Mustered at Nashville, October 29, 1864. Men from DeKalb County.
  • James P. Paty, Co. “G”. Mustered at Carthage, December 5, 1864, and February 1, 1865. Men from Wilson, DeKalb and Smith Counties.
  • George Oakley, Co. “H”. Mustered at Carthage, December 14, 1864, and February 10, 1865. Men mostly from Wilson County.
  • John Simpson, Co. “I”. Mustered at Nashville, February 1, and March 10, 1865. Men from Bedford and Giles Counties.
  • Rufus Dowdy, Co. “K”. Mustered at Nashville, February 27 to April 10, 1865. Men from Smith, DeKalb and Overton Counties.

The first mention of this regiment in the Official Records was dated March 11, 1865. On that date the following order was issued: “The Fourth Tennessee Mounted Infantry, Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Blackburn commanding, will report to Alexandria, Tennessee, and take post at that place. Colonel Blackburn will exert himself to restore confidence to the people, and destroy the guerrillas now infesting that region. All of the latter which his forces may capture will be turned over to the civil authorities of the counties in which they are captured, provided there are such civil authorities organized; otherwise they will be tried by military commission.”On April 25, Colonel Blackburn was instructed to detach four companies to LaFayette, Tennessee, to assist the civil authorities in exterminating the guerrillas who were infesting that region. On the same date, the regiment was assigned to the 4th Subdistrict, District of Middle Tennessee. On May 25, 1865, the regiment was ordered to make an expedition “through White, Overton, Fentress and Montgomery Counties, to Morgan, Tennessee,” for the purpose of restoring quiet to that region, “now so much infested by guerrillas.” At Morgan, it was to meet a similar force sent out by Major General Stoneman, commanding in East Tennessee; and, after having met with Stoneman’s command, to return to Alexandria, and report. The order evidently should have read through Morgan County to Montgomery, Tennessee, as there was no town called Morgan, and Montgomery County is not in the same area as the other counties mentioned in the order. This was the last mention of the regiment in the Official Records.

Dyer’s Compendium states the regiment was mustered out August 25, 1865.

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