Also called 2nd Organization, 15th Consolidated Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. Formed February 5, 1864 by consolidation of 15th (Stewart’s), 16th (Logwood’s) Regiments and Street’s Battalion Mississippi Cavalry; consolidated March, 1865 with 14th (Neely’s), 21st (Carter’s) and 22nd (Nixon’s) Regiments to form Nixon’s Consolidated Regiment. Paroled Gainesville, Alabama May 1865.
This consolidated regiment was formed at Oxford, Mississippi, by orders of Major General N. B. Forrest, who appointed the field officers. His action was confirmed by the Adjutant and Inspector Generals Office, but not until July 18, 1864.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonels-Francis M. Stewart, Thomas H. Logwood
- Lieutenant Colonels-Thomas H. Logwood, William A. Dawson
- Major-Sol G. Street
CAPTAINS-Peter W. Moore, Co. “A”. Formerly “B”, 15th Regiment.
- J. L. Garrison, Co. “B”. Formed from vanous companies of 16th (Logwood’s). Men from Fayette County.
- H. T. Hanks, Co. “C”. Formed from various companies of 15th Regiment.
- Thompson Nutt, Co. “D” (also called “E”). Organized October 1, 1863 at Orizabah, Mississippi, from Street’s Mississippi Cavalry Battalion
- E. L. Hussey, Co. “E” (also called “D”). Organized October 1, 1863 in Tippah County, Mississippi. Formerly in Street’s Mississippi Cavalry Battalion.
- T. C. Buchanan, Co. “F”. Formed from various companies of 15th Regiment.
- R. B. Saunders, Co. “G”. Formed from various companies of 15th Regiment.
- Gabriel T. Penn, Co. “H”. Formed from various companies of 15th Regiment.
- P. M. Williams, Co. “I”. Formed from various companies of 16th (Logwood’s). Men from Shelby, Fayette and Tipton Counties.
- John A. Williamson, Co. “K”. Formed from various companies of 16th (Logwood’s). Men from Fayette and Tipton Counties enrolled at Corinth, Mississippi.
Major Street was killed in May, 1864; Colonel Stewart was relieved of command in October, 1864, and Lieutenant Colonel Logwood was promoted colonel and William A. Dawson, formerly lieutenant colonel of the 15th, became lieutenant colonel, and was killed in November, 1864.
The regiment was placed in Brigadier General R. V. Richardson’s Brigade, Brigadier General J. R. Chalmers’ Division, along with the 7th (Duckworth’s), 12th (Green’s), and 14th (Neely’s) Regiments.
Colonel Logwood, in Lindsley’s Annals, states: “At the time of this new organization, not more than fifty of the officers and men had ever drilled an hour, and in this condition the command was ordered to march, and we proceeded to Grenada, Mississippi, and thence to West Point, where the command of General Forrest met and repulsed a large Cavalry force under General Sooy Smith. The 15th was in that engagement, was dismounted, and in an hour after the enemy broke and began the retreat, Richardson’s Brigade was ordered to move back to Grenada, and thence down the Yazoo River to meet a raiding force that was advancing northward from Yazoo City.”
This movement culminated in an attack on Yazoo City, March 5, 1864. General Richardson reported: “The 15th, and its gallant and dashing Colonel Logwood, behaved well. Its flag bears ten bullet holes through its folds, and one through its staff, as honorable mementos of the fierce struggle it passed.”
Shortly thereafter, Colonel Duckworth was given command of the brigade, which he retained until May 10, when his regiment was transferred to another brigade, and Colonel Neely of the 14th assumed command of the remaining regiments in the brigade. On May 21, General Forrest, in answer to complaints that the new cavalry regiments contained many men who were absent without leave from Infantry Regiments, had a long list of such men arrested, and turned over to the proper authorities. Among them were 91 from the 15th, and the following day another 58 were reported as having deserted from that regiment. On June 3, Captain Higgs’ Company of Scouts, who had been serving with the brigade, at their own request were attached to the 15th Tennessee as part of that regiment.
As part of Neely’s Brigade, the regiment moved in June to join Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow in a raid on Sherman’s communications which ended with an attack on LaFayette, Georgia on June 24, 1864. On July 18, Duckworth’s 7th Regiment was returned as a member of the brigade. On July 27, the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office took note of the fact that there were two 15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiments, one under Colonel Robert M. Russell in Bell’s Brigade, one under Colonel Stewart in Neely’s Brigade, and ordered that they be referred to as Russell’s and Stewart’s Regiments until proper numbers could be assigned. Russell’s Regiment was eventually designated as the 2Oth, (q.v.) but it continued to be referred to at times as the 15th Regiment.
The regiment got back from the expedition under General Pillow just in time to form in line of battle at Harrisburg July 15, for General S. D. Lee’s encounter with the Federal forces under Major General A. J. Smith. It was next engaged in Forrest’s raid into the city of Memphis on August 21, with Lieutenant Colonel Logwood in command of the troops that charged into the city.
On August 30, General Forrest constituted Rucker’s Brigade, under Colonel Edmund W. Rucker, composed of the 7th, 12th, 14th, 15th Regiments and the 26th Battalion (3rd; Forrest’s Old Regiment). As a result of dissatisfaction expressed over this appointment, Colonel Stewart was suspended from command, and Lieutenant Colonel Logwood was promoted colonel in recognition of services rendered on the charge into Memphis.
The regiment was next engaged at the capture of Athens, Alabama, on September 24, 1864, where General Forrest reported: “Colonel Logwood’s Command and two companies of Forrest’s Regiment charged them behind their breastworks.” This charge was made against re-enforcements who were attempting to come to the relief of the garrison, and who had taken shelter behind a pile of crossties. From here the regiment returned to Mississippi in charge of 820 prisoners, plus arms and stores captured at Athens.
It was next engaged at Paris Landing October 30, and Johnsonville early in November, where the 15th, along with the 26th Battalion and Hudson’s Battery, captured the gun boat Undine, and the 15th, with Hudson’s Battery, drove off five gunboats attempting to come up the river to the relief of Johnsonville.
The regiment then moved with General Forrest into Tennessee in support of General Hood’s invasion. Lieutenant Colonel Dawson was killed in a hand to hand fight at Columbia, as the regiment moved up to Spring Hill and the Battle of Franklin. It was engaged in the Battle of Nashville, and the retreat from Tennessee, and came out of the campaign with only 75 men, rank and file.
In February, 1865, General Forrest ordered all the Tennessee troops in his command to report to Brigadier General W. H. Jackson, to be consolidated into six regiments, comprising two brigades. As a result of this order, in March 1865, the 15th Regiment was merged into Nixon’s Consolidated Regiment which was paroled at Gainesville, Alabama in May, 1865.
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.