Organized for Confederate service August 10, 1861; reorganized May, 1862; consolidated with 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment June 16, 1862 to form 12th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonels-Thomas J. Freeman, Lipscomb P. McMurry.
- Lieutenant Colonels-A.T. Robertson, Jr., Francis M. Stewart.
- Majors-Francis M. Stewart, L.P. McMurry, Benjamin T. Davis.
All of the companies changed letters when mustered into Confederate service. In the list below the letters used in Confederate service are shown, with prior letters indicated.
CAPTAINS
- W.D. Bethell, James Purl, Co. “A” formerly “H”. “The Attakapas Rifles.” Organized July 1, 1861. Became Co. “C” 12th Consolidated. Men from Memphis, Shelby County.
- Robert H. Wood, C.M. Wellons, Co. “B” formerly “E”. “The Hatchie Hunters.” Organized July 15th, 1861 at Camp Trenton, became part of Co. “H”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Hardeman County. The muster-in roll for this company reads 26th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
- James M. Richardson, Co. “C” formerly “G” also called “I”. Organized July 18, 1861 at Camp Trenton, became part of Co. “H”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Hardeman County.
- W.A. Marshall, Co. “D” formerly “A”, also called “G”. Organized July 14, 1861 at Camp Trenton. Became part of Co. “F”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Carroll County.
- B.D. Shofner, John M. Fields, Co. “E” formerly “B”. Organized July 22, 1861 at Camp Trenton; became part of Co. “G”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Carroll County.
- Francis M. Stewart, William Lindsey, J. Clay Horne, Co. “F” formerly “F”. “The Kentucky Braves.” Organized July 2, 1861 at Camp Trenton, became Co. “M”. 3rd Kentucky Infantry. Men from Kentucky.
- A. P. Hall, G.W. Parkison, John L. Bell, Co. “G” formerly “C”. “The Carroll Invincibles.” Organized June 25, 1861 at McLemoresville, Tennessee; became part of Co. “G”, 12th Consolidated.
- L.P. McMurry, Benjamin T. Davis, Thomas W. Williams, Co. “H” formerly “I”. Organized June 19, 1861 at Trenton; became part of Co. “D”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Gibson County.
- William A. Dawson, Co. “I” formerly “D”. “The Bell Grays.” Organized July 22, 1861 at Camp Trenton, became part of Co. “F”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Dyer County.
- Louis M. Williams, Co. “K”. “The Newbern Blues.” “The Newbern Grays.” Organized July 22, 1861 at Newbern, Tennessee. Became part of Co. “D”, 12th Consolidated. Men from Dyer County.
In addition, Captain Robert F. Looney’s company was assigned to the 22nd Regiment on August 18, 1861, but was soon transferred to the 38th Tennessee Infantry Regiment of which Captain Looney became colonel.
Of the field officers, Colonel Freeman and Lieutenant Colonel Stewart were not re-elected at the reorganization. Stewart later became colonel of the 15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Robertson resigned; Major Davis was given a discharge as supernumerary at the consolidation, and Colonel McMurry became lieutenant colonel of the 12th Consolidated Regiment.
The regiment mustered into Confederate service at Camp Trenton, where it was in Camp of Instruction. It moved from Trenton to Colombus, Kentucky, where on September 7, 1861 it was reported in Brigadier General Benjamin F. Cheatham’s Brigade, composed of the 5th, 22nd, and 154th Senior Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Blythe’s Mississippi Infantry Battalion.
On October 24, 1861, it was in Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow’s Division, Colonel R.M. Russell’s Brigade, composed of the 12th, 21st, and 22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Jackson’s Battery. A return from the 6th Brigade, 1st Division, Western Department, at Camp Beauregard, Jackson Tennessee for the month of October, 1861 listed the 22nd Regiment as part of that Brigade, but detached. No actual record was found of the 22nd ever being at Camp Beauregard.
On November 7, 1861, the regiment was engaged at the Battle of Belmont. The 12th Arkansas, 12th, 13th, 21st, and 22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Beltzhoover’s Battery were the force on the Missouri side of the river when the battle began. No record of casualties was found, but the 21st and 22nd were in the center in an open cornfield under heavy fire and must have suffered heavy casualties.
In January, 1862, the regiment was listed in the 1st Division, Western Department, stationed at Columbus, Kentucky, consisting of the 2nd, 12th, 13th, 15th, 21st, 22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Jackson’s Battery. On March 9th, 1862, the regiment was reported in Major General Leonidas Polk’s Division, Russell’s Brigade, which was composed of the 12th, 13th, 22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiments and Jackson’s Battery.
A note dated March 13, 1862 from General Polk to Brigadier General John P. McCown at Madrid Bend stated “Russell’s Brigade, Russell’s (12th), Vaughan’s (13th) Freeman’s (22nd) Regiment’s will move at once via Memphis to Tiptonville to your support.” The evacuation of Island Number Ten apparently canceled this move, and the regiment was next reported at the Battle of Shiloh April 6-7.
In this battle, the 22nd was in Brigadier General Charles Clark’s Division, Colonel R.M. Russell’s Brigade consisting of the 11th Louisiana, 12th, 13th, 22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiments and Bankhead’s Battery. Again no report of casualties was found, but the brigade reported 609 casualties, not itemized as regiments.
After the reorganization the regiment in May and June, 1862 was still in Clark’s Division Brigadier General Bushrod R. Johnson’s Brigade, consisting of the 12th, 13th, 22nd and 47th Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Bankhead’s Battery; but on June 16, 1862 the 22nd was consolidated with the 12th Tennessee Infantry to form the 12th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment. For further history of the organization see the history of the 12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
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.