Also called 10th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion
Organized January 8, 1862; consolidated with 2nd (Biffle’s) Battalion May 1862 to form 6th, usually called 1st (Wheeler’s) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.
FIELD OFFICEBS
- Lieutenant Colonel-William W. Gordon
- Major-William Stewart Hawkins
This was a short lived organization, and very little is known of its activities. All of the companies except “A” and “C” show enrollment at Nashville. The muster rolls of “A” and “C” do not show place of enrollment, but it is probable that they too were enrolled at Nashville. It was composed of six companies, as follows:
CAPTAINS
- James T. Wheeler, Co. “A”. Men from Giles County. Became “K”, 1st (6th) Regiment. Organized December 9, 1861.
- William W. Gordon (to lieutenant colonel), W. H. Abernathy, Co. “B”. Men from Giles County. Organized December 10, 1861. Became Company “H”, 1st (6th) Regiment.
- Edward E. Buchanan, Co. “C”. Men from Davidson County. “The Barron Guards”. Organized December 18, 1861. Became Company “C”, 1st (6th) Regiment.
- Edward L. Ensley, Co. “D”. Men from Davidson County. Organized December 24, 1861. Became “D”, 1st (6th) Regiment.
- William W. Roundtree, Co. “E”. Men from Davidson County. Organized December 24, 1861. Apparently disbanded and most of the men transferred to Company “C”, 1st (6th) Regiment.
- Martin B. Foutch, Co. “F”. Men from DeKalb and Smith Counties. Organized December 28, 1861. Apparently disbanded and most of the men transferred to Company “D”, 1st (6th) Regiment.
A note on the report of Company “D”, dated December 24, 1861, at Camp Weakley, Nashville, stated: “This company was ordered away from Nashville where it was being mustered into service before the muster of men and horses could be furnished.” No record of where it was sent was found. Company “E” reported it was stationed at Nashville January 27, 1862; Company “F” that it was at Nashville December 28, 1861. The battalion was in Brigadier General W. H. Carroll’s Brigade, and moved to Corinth before the Battle of Shiloh.
The next record found was an inquiry from General Bragg, at Corinth, Mississippi dated April 1, 1862. “Where are McNairy’s and Gordon’s Cavalry commands?” On April 28, the battalion, with 32 officers, 357 men present for duty, 408 present, and 469 present and absent, was reported in Brigadier General William N. R. Beall’s Brigade, in the Army of the Mississippi, at Corinth, Mississippi.
In May, by order of General Bragg, the 2nd and 11th Battalions were consolidated to form the 6th (1st) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. On September 12, 1862, the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, commenting on a list of new organizations formed furnished it by General Bragg, stated: “It appears that there has been a new cavalry regiment formed by uniting the 2nd and 11th Battalions and styled the 1st Regiment. There are already rolls for a First Regiment on file, and in order to avoid confusion, it will be necessary to style this one the Sixth, by which it will be recognized in future.”
This regiment was first commanded by Colonel Jacob Biffie, later by Colonel James T. Wheeler. Although officially designated the Sixth, it continued to be known in the field as the First (Wheeler’s) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. All muster rolls were made out under that name, and it was paroled as the First Tennessee Cavalry Regiment at the time of the final surrender.
This unit history was extracted from Tennesseans in the Civil War, Vol 1. Copyrighted 1964 by the Civil War Centennial Commission of Tennessee and is published here with their permission. This history may not be republished for any reason without the written permission of the copyright owner.