Also called 15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment
Organized August 27, 1863 at Pikeville, Mississippi; reorganized November 16, 1863; consolidated with Street’s Mississippi Battalion, 15th (Stewart’s) Tennessee Regiment on February 5, 1864 to form 15th (Stewart’s-Logwood’s) Regiment (2nd Organization).
Thomas H. Logwood was formerly lieutenant colonel of the 6th (Logwood’s) Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, which was merged into the 7th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. On June 15, 1863, he received authority from the Secretary of War to raise a regiment of cavalry within the Federal lines in West Tennessee. According to Colonel Logwood he raised a full regiment, sent in his muster rolls to the Secretary of War and was commissioned colonel. When West Tennessee was evacuated by Colonel R. V. Richardson with his West Tennessee Brigade of Partisan Rangers in late July or early August 1863, some of Logwood’s companies were cut off and dispersed. The regimental organization was completed at Pikeville, Mississippi, August 27, 1863 with the election of James H. Murray as lieutenant colonel, Thomas S. Webb as major. It was reorganized November 16, 1863 by the addition of recruits, and the substitution of Captain Stevens’ Co. “G” for Captain M. F. Mister’s Company, previously “I”. A letter from Colonel Logwood to Adjutant and Inspector General Cooper, dated January 26; 1864, stated he was forwarding muster rolls of companies not already forwarded. These rolls were received by the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office April 10, 1864. Some new companies were composed of recruits raised in the fall of 1863 and remnants from old companies which had been reorganized. The muster rolls of the original organization were not found.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonel-Thomas H. Logwood
- Lieutenant Colonel-James H. Murray
- Major-Thomas S. Webb
CAPTAINS
- James H. Murray (to lieutenant colonel), Co. “A”. Organized October 18, 1862 in Fayette County. Formerly Co. “B” 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. Illegally assigned to this regiment by Colonel Richardson August 27, 1863. Returned to 12th Regi-ment by General Forrest in December, 1863.
- James L. Garrison, Co. “B”. Organized July 15, 1863 at Oakland, Fayette County.
- Benjamin I. McSpadden, Co. “C”. Organized November 22, 1862 in Shelby County. Became 2nd Co. “K”, 12th Regiment February, 1864.
- J. R. Farrabee, John C. Ford, Co. “D”. Or-ganized July 2, 1863 with men from Shelby and Fayette Counties.
- Thomas N. Caruthers, Co. “E” (also called “F”). Organized July 2, 1863 in Gibson County.
- Thomas W. Brinkley, William S. Latta, Co. “F” (also called “G”). Organized August 28, 1863 with men from Fayette, Hardeman, and Haywood Counties.
- John H. Stevens, Co. “G” (also called “I”). Organized November 9, 1863 with men from Fayette and Shelby Counties.
- Thomas D. Robins, Co. “H”. Organized November 10, 1863 with men from Fayette, Shelby and Hardeman Counties.
- J. E. Sullivan, Co. “I”. Organized November 16, 1863 with men from Shelby and Tipton Counties. Some men on the rolls were previously enlisted by J. L. Hainie, who became 2nd lieutenant of this company in November, 1863. This suggests that Captain John Hainie’s 1st Co. “H”, on which no rolls were found, was merged into this company.
- Thomas N. Hughes, Co. “K”. Organized November 17, 1863 with men from Shelby and Fayette Counties. Most men enlisted by R. S. Griffin, which suggests that Captain Rufus S. Griffin’s 1st Co. “E”, on which no rolls were found, was reorganized as Co. “K”.
- Mention is made in the regimental records of Captain M. F. Mister’s Co. “I” having been replaced by Captain Stevens’ Co. “G”. No records were found of Captain M. F. Mister’s Company, but Captain J. F. Mister’s Company was assigned to the 15th (Stewart’s) Regiment by Colonel Richardson on November 15, 1863. This may be the same Company.
Major General N. B. Forrest was appointed to command of the Cavalry in the Department in November 1863, and moved into West Tennessee in December. According to Colonel Logwood, General Forrest ordered officers commanding regiments, battalions and companies to send squads of their men in different directions with orders to conscript every man of suitable age they could find. While most of his command was so engaged, he, with two companies, was watching the movements of Federal forces along the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. As the Federal pressure grew heavier, it was necessary for Forrest to move out of West Tennessee into North Mississippi. He issued orders for commanders of regiments to collect their men, and meet him at designated places along his line of retreat. Colonel Logwood reported that he received the order at daybreak, when his men were scattered over three counfies, and had to report to Forrest with only 300 men, with whom he moved with Forrest into Mississippi. “Upon arriving at Oxford, Mississippi, there were none of the new regiments that had over 300 men, all the rest being still in Tennessee. I regret to say that a very large proportion of those so left could never be induced to come out.”
On February 5, 1864, on orders of General Forrest, which were later confirmed by the Adjutant and Inspector Generars Office, but not until July 19, 1864, the regimental organ-izations of the 14th, 15th, and 16th Tennessee Cavalry Regiments were annulled, and the field officers of the regiments declared out of commission. General Forrest then proceeded to form new regiments, of which he appointed the field officers. In this consolidation and reorganization, Companies “A” and “C” of Logwood’s Regiment wound up in the 12th Tennessee Cavalry, other men brought out by him were used to fill up other regiments, so that he had only two full companies left which were consolidated with Street’s Battalion, and the men from Stewart’s 15th Regiment to form the 15th Tennessee Cavalry, 2nd Organization (q.v.), of which Logwood was appointed lieutenant colonel, and later promoted to colonel.
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.