Organized May 23, 1861; Confederate service August 12, 1861; reorganized May 6, 1862; formed Company ‘A”, 1st Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment April 9, 1865; paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina, May 1, 1865.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonels-William H. Stephens, George C. Porter.
- Lieutenant Colonels-Timothy P. Jones, William M. R. Johns, John L. Harris.
- Majors-George C. Porter, J. A. Wilder, John L. Harris, Robert C. Williamson.
CAPTAINS
- George C. Porter, S. B. Humphreys, James A. Wilder, David S. Hay, Co. “A”. “The Haywood Blues.” Formerly Co. “B”. Men from Haywood County
- John J. Brooks, George G. Person, R. M. Sharp, Co. “B”. “The Gotten Zouaves.” Formerly Co. “D”. Men from Madison County.
- William W. Freeling, Rufus A. Mays, Thomas B. Rains, Co. “C”. “The Madison Invincibles.” Men from Madison County.
- William M. R. Johns, Robert C. Williamsoson, Co. “D”. “The Somerville Avengers.” Formerly Co. “A”. Men from Fayette County.
- James M. Woollard, J. L. Brown, Co. “E”. “The McClanahan Guards.” Men from Madison County.
- John F. Newsom, Ed Scott Mollison, W. H. Bray, Co. “F”. Disbanded October 1862, and men distnbuted to “C”, “H” and “L” Companies. Men from Madison County.
- William H. Stephens, Joseph B. Freeman, Ed Burke McClanahan, Co. “G”. “The Jackson Grays.” Men from Madison County.
- Timothy P. Jones, William C. Penn, Amos B. Jones, Co. “H”. “The Southern Guards.” Men from Madison County.
- James M. Collingsworth, William I. Mc-Kinney, William E. Copeland, Co. “I”. “The Gadsden Spartans.” Men from part of Madison County, now Crockett County.
- John Ingram, Ephraim C. Harbert, Co. “K”. “The Danes.” Men from Madison County.
- R. P. Ford, M. D. Merriwether, W. W. Folsom, Co. “L”. “Ford’s Battalion.” This company was organized as part of the 55th (Brown’s) Tennessee Infantry Regiment. The bulk of this regiment was captured at Island No.10, and this company was attached to the regiment in April, 1862.
Colonel Stephens and Lieutenant Colonel Jones were not re-elected at the reorganization of the regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel Johns resigned in October, 1862.
The regiment was organized for the Provisional Army of Tennessee at Camp Beauregard, Jackson, on May 23, 1861. It moved to Union City on May 26, 1861, where it was reported on July 31, 1861, with 851 men, armed with flintlock muskets. From Union Citv it moved to Camp Blythe, near New Madrid, Missouri, where it was transferred to Confederate service, and placed in a brigade with the 9th Tennessee Infantry Regiment with Colonel Stephens in command of the brigade, in Brigadier General Benjamin F. Cheatham’s Division. It was present at Columbus, Kentucky, but not actively engaged in the Battle of Belmont November 7, 1861. On March 9, 1862 the brigade, still under Colonel Stephens, was enlarged by the addition of the 7th Kentucky Infantry, the 21st Tennessee Infantry Regiment, and Smith’s Mississippi Battery.
Following the evacuation of Columbus, Kentucky, the regiment moved to Corinth, Mississippi, via Humboldt and Union City, and was heavily engaged in the Battle of Shiloh on April 6-7. At Shiloh, the brigade consisted of one battalion from Maney’s 1st Tennessee, the 6th and 9th Tennessee, the 7th Kentucky Regiments, and Smith’s Battery. Colonel Stephens was in command till 2:30 P.M. on April 6, when Colonel George Maney took over command. The regiment suffered casualties at Shiloh of nearly 500 men, and several companies reported the loss of their muster rolls and company records.
At the reorganization, George C. Porter was elected colonel, W. M. R. Johns, lieutenant colonel, and J. L. Harris, major. Colonel Maney was promoted to brigadier general and remained in command of the brigade till the middle of 1864. On May 26, 1862, the brigade consisted of the 1st (Feild’s) 6th, 9th, 21st Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Smith’s Battery. By June 30, 1862, the 27th Tennessee had replaced the 21st.
From Corinth, the regiment moved to Tupelo, Mississippi, and then to Tullahoma and Shelbyville, and finally to Chattanooga, to participate in the invasion of Kentucky in the fall of 1862. At Perryville, October 8, 1862, the brigade was enlarged by the addition of the 41st Georgia Regiment. The Sixth had 91 casualties in this battle.
There followed the retreat into Tennessee, and the Battle of Murfreesboro on December 31, 1862. Prior to this battle the 6th and 9th Tennessee Regiments were consolidated into one organization for field purposes, but continued to maintain separate muster rolls. They continued to act as a field unit until the end of 1864. In the battle, Maney’s brigade consisted of the lst/27th, 4th Confederate, 6th/9th, (Colonel C. S. Hurt) Tennessee Regiments, 24th Battalion Tennessee Sharpshooters and Smith’s Battery. The 6th/9th had 412 engaged, and lost 42 by casualties.
After the battle, the regiment went into winter quarters at Shelbyville, leaving June 27, 1863, to march to Chattanooga, which it reached on July 7, 1863.
In the Battle of Chickamauga, the 6th/9th entered the conflict with 335 effective, and lost over half the men engaged, including Major J. A. Wilder. It was commended by General Maney for its valour.
On October 22, 1863 the regiment went on an expedition to Sweetwater, but returned shortly, and on November 12, 1863 was placed in Major General William H. T. Walker’s Division, along with the rest of Maney’s Brigade which now eonsisted of the lst/27th, 4th Confederate, 6th/9th, 41st, 50th Tennessee Regiments, and 24th Battalion of Sharpshooters. It was first stationed at Lookout Mountain, but moved to the center of the line east of Chattanooga, where it took part in the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863, and then fell back to Dalton, Georgia, which it reached on November 27, after having marched 60 hours with only five hours’ rest, and where it went into winter quarters. On December 14, 1863 the 6th/9th showed 329 effectives.
On February 20, 1864, the brigade was returned to Cheatham’s Division, where it remained for the rest of the year. On February 18, 1864, at least a portion of the regiment went with a force to Mississippi, but on reaching Demopolis, Alabama, were ordered to return, and got back to Dalton on February 28. On April 30, 1864 Colonel George C. Porter was in command of the brigade, with the 6th/9th commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Buford of the 9th. On June 30, 1864 the brigade consisted of the 1st/27th, 4th Confederate, 6th/9th, 19th and 50th Tennessee Infantry Regiments. On August 31, 1864, the 24th Battalion of Sharpshooters was again shown as part of the brigade. The 6th/9th was now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John L. Harris of the 6th.
On September 20, 1864 the brigade consisted of the 1st/27th, 6th/9th, 34th/46th, and the 50th Tennessee Infantry Regiments. During all this time, the regiment was almost constantly engaged in the campaign from Dalton to Atlanta, Cheatham’s Division sharing with Cleburne’s the duty of rearguard for the army. The heaviest engagement was at the famous “Dead Angle” at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.
From Jonesboro, Georgia, there followed the march back into Tennessee, culminating in the Battles of Franklin and Nashville. At Franklin, November 30, 1864, the 6th/9th was a part of Cheatham’s Division that stormed the Federal works, and then held on against desperate counterattacks. Every general or field officer in the division, with the exception of Colonel Hurt, was killed or wounded in that charge.
In December, 1864, the 6th/9th/50th (Lieutenant Colonel George W. Pease) along with 4th Confederate, 1st/27th, and 5th/16th/28th Tennessee Regiments were in a brigade commanded by Colonel Hume R. Feild. In the Battle of Nashville, the line held by Brown’s Division was not broken, and the 6th/9th were among the troops that formed the rear-guard till the Tennessee River was recrossed.
There followed the long march to North Carolina to join General Joseph E. Johnston in the last struggle. In the final reorganization of Johnston’s Army on April 9, 1865 the 1st, 6th/9th, 16th, 27th, 28th and 34th Tennessee Regiments and the 24th Tennessee Infantry Battalion formed the 1st Tennessee Consolidated Infantry Regiment which was paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1, 1865. At the end, the regiment numbered about 100 men, commanded by Major Robert C. Williamson.
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.