Organized January 30, 1862; consolidated with 44th Tennessee Infantry April, 1862 to form 44th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonel – James L. McKoin
- Lieutenant Colonel – Wiley M. Reed
- Major– B. A. James
CAPTAINS
- Benjamin F. Duggan, Co. “A”. Men from Bedford County. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 9, 1861. Formed part of Co. “G”, 44th Consolidated
- James E. Scobey, Co. “F”. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale, Sumner County, December 20, 1861. Roll reads “33 miles to rendezvous.” Consolidated with “H” to form “E”, 44th Consolidated
- William W. Burnette, Co. “H”. Formed by the consolidation of two incomplete companies, William H. Moore’s “Lady’s Guards”, men from Lincoln County, with William W. Burnette’s Company from Davidson County. Consolidated with “F” to form “E”, 44th Consolidated
- Wiley M. Reed, John Overton, Jr., Co. “I”. Men from Davidson County. “The Nashville Confederates.”
- George W. Bounds, unlettered company. Men from Rutherford County. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 13, 1861. Formed part of Co. “G”, 44th Consolidated
- Henry B. Day, unlettered company. Men from Sumner and Macon Counties. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 17, 1861. Formed part of Co. “H”, 44th Consolidated
- Alexander R. Dillehay, unlettered company. Men from Smith County. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 23, 1861. Formed part of “C”, 44th Consolidated
- B. A. James, unlettered company. Men from Smith County. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 19, 1861. Formed part of “C”, 44th Consolidated
- James H. Joyner, unlettered company. Men from Sumner County. Mustered in at Camp Trousdale December 21, 1861. Formed part of “H”, 44th Consolidated
- John L. McEwen, Jr., unlettered company. Men from Williamson County. Enlisted at Franklin November 26, 1861. Mustered in at Nashville December 21, 1861. Formed part of “I”, 44th Consolidated
McKoin’s regiment never did receive a regimental number from the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office at Richmond, Virginia, as they seemed to have it confused with Colonel A. J. Brown’s Regiment, which was officially designated as the 55th Tennessee Infantry. However, the regiment was known in the field as the 55th (McKoin’s) Tennessee Infantry. The regiment was organized at Camp Weakley, near Nashville, on January 30, 1862, from these companies which had been formed in November and December, 1861.
On February 16, 1862 the regiment was placed in the forces commanded by Major General William J. Hardee, and on February 23, at Murfreesboro, was reported in Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow’s Division, Brigadier General S. A. M. Wood’s Brigade, composed of the 7th, 16th Alabama, 8th Arkansas, 9th Arkansas Battalion, 3rd Mississippi Battalion, 27th, 44th and 55th (McKoin’s) Tennessee Infantry Regiments, Avery’s Cavalry, and Byrne’s and Harper’s Batteries.
At Shiloh, April 6-7, it participated in the battle as part of this brigade. General Wood, in his enumeration of his forces, listed the 55th with 280 muskets. No record of regimental casualties was found, but Doctor Noblitt of the 44th Tennessee Infantry stated its casualties were so heavy it did not have the minimum numbers to preserve its organization. The 44th had also suffered heavily, and on April 18, 1862, the two regiments were consolidated to form the 44th Consolidated. The consolidation was later pronounced illegal, but it was deemed inexpedient to annul it, and the consolidated organization served the rest of the war as the 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment Consolidated.
For the further history of the regiment, see the history of the 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Colonel McKoin resigned on account of ill health, and was placed on the “superannuated roll.” Lieutenant Colonel Reed was placed on the supernumerary roll and later served on General Forrest’s Staff. He was killed at Fort Pillow April 12, 1864.
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.