Also called 9th Tennessee Infantry Regiment: 1st West Tennessee Infantry Regiment
Organization attempted December 3, 1862, at Trenton, Tennessee; merged into 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment about July 1, 1863.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonel-John A. Rogers
- Lieutenant Colonel-William T. Wilson
CAPTAINS
- Orlando H. Shearer, Co. “A”. Organized at Trenton, Tennessee, October 10, 1862, with men from Weakley and Henry Counties, Tennessee, and from Hickory Grove, Kentucky; mustered in at Humboldt, Tennessee, October 18, 1862; became Co. “I”, 6th Tennessee Cavalry.
- John Neeley. Co. “B”. Mustered in at Dresden, Tennessee, November 16, 1862 with men from Carroll, Weakley, and Gibson Counfies.
- John H. Edwards, Co. “C”. Mustered in at Dresden, November 21, 1862; with men from Weakley County. Became Co. “L”, 6th Tennessee Cavalry.
- Thomas H. Boswell, Co. “D”. Organized October 3, 1862, with men from Weakley County. Became Co. “K”, 6th Tennessee Cavalry.
- William Carroll Hunt, Co. “E”. Enrolled at Trenton, Gibson County, August 11, 1862; mustered in October 4, 1862; became Co. “M”, 6th Tennessee Cavalry.
The regiment first appeared in the Official Records on September 20, 1862, when it was reported near Jackson, in the 2nd Division, District of West Tennessee. At the time of Brigadier General Nathan B. Forrest’s first raid into West Tennessee, Colonel George P. Ihrie, U.S. Army, in a report dated December 31, 1862, told of the attack on the railroad crossing of the Forked Deer River by Confederate Colonel George G. Dibrell on December 20, 1862.
Colonel Ibrie was a passenger on the train from Jackson to Columbus, Kentucky, which was cut off and surrounded by the Confederate attack. Colonel John Rogers, 7th Tennessee Infantry, was in charge of the troops guarding a construction train. “At the stockade, all was confusion, and the want of a head apparent. The senior line officer present (Colonel Rogers) was utterly at a loss what to do, and admitted his inexperience and incompetency to some of the passengers. After consultation with Colonel Rogers, Colonel Ibrie assumed command, beat off the Confederate attack, and recaptured the town of Humboldt. At night “Colonel Rogers was ordered to take his regiment and occupy the Fort which commands the whole place and vicinity. *** About an hour later I was astonished to learn that Colonel Rogers had not only wilfully disobeyed my order by abandoning the Fort and camping his regiment in the safest part of the town, but had failed to inform me of same, thereby endangering our lives, and risking the capture of my command.”
A few days later, Colonel John I. Rinaker reported the 7th Tennessee Infantry, Colonel Rogers, as part of the force with which he left Trenton, on December 27, in pursuit of General Forrest. He left the 7th Tennessee, about 300 men, at Huntingdon, to guard the bridge, and with the rest of his command took part in the battle of Parker’s Crossroads on December 31, 1862.
On January 31, 1863, five companies of the 1st West Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Companies “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E”, under Lieutenant Colonel William T. Wilson, were reported in Colonel Michael K. Lawler’s 1st Brigade, District of Jackson. On April 30, the same unit, under Lieutenant Colonel Wilson, was reported in Colonel James M. True’s 3rd Brigade, District of Jackson. A footnote stated the 1st West Tennessee Infantry was later merged into the 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.
Dyer’s Compendium states the regiment remained on duty in the District of Jackson until July, 1863, and was mustered out of service July 31, 1863. Adjutant General Brownlow’s report said the companies were transferred to other regiments, and notes on the muster rolls indicate that Companies “I”, “K”, “L” and “M” of the 6th Tennessee Cavalry had originally served in the 1st West Tennessee Infantry, and were consolidated into the 6th Tennessee Cavalry about July 1, 1863.
On March 21, 1865, the 7th Tennessee Infantry Regiment was reported at Athens, Tennessee, but this reference is believed to be intended for the 7th Tennessee Mounted Infantry Regiment, which was a later organization, formed in August, 1864, and known to have been stationed in the vicinity of Athens.