Organized November 28, 1861; captured at Fort Donelson; reorganized September 29, 1862; finally formed Company “E”, 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1, 1865.
FIELD OFFICERS
- Colonels-Robert Farquarson, James D. Tillman.
- Lieutenant Colonels-Robert G. McClure, James D. Tillman, Thomas G. Miller.
- Major-Thomas G. Miller.
CAPTAINS
- William W. James, Hugh L. W. Little, Co. “A”. Men from Lincoln County.
- William Lafayette Brown, Joel C. Russell, Samuel O. Woods, Co. “B”, also called “G”. “The Richmond Gentrys.” Men from Bedford County.
- James D. Scott, James R. Feeney, Benjamin J. Chafin, Co. “C” also called H”. Men from Lincoln County.
- Joseph H. George, William J. March, Thomas D. Griffis, Co. “D”. “The Liberty Guards.” Men from Lincoln County.
- John J. Fly, William B. Fonville, Co. “E”. Men from Lincoln and Marshall Counties.
- Abner S. Boone, William E. Cunningham, Co. “F”. “The Shelbyville Rebels.” Men from Bedford County.
- Comer H. Bean, William E. Murrell, Co. “G”. Men from Moore County, then part of Franklin County.
- Robert G. McClure, John C. Osburn, Co. “H”. Men from Marshall County.
- Albert G. Clopton, A. M. Kieth, Co. “I”. Men from Franklin and Bedford Counties.
- Littleberry Logan, James H. Moore, William B. Baxter, Benjamin Boone, James Y. Norman, Co. “K”. Men from Bedford County.
At the reorganization of the regiment in September, 1862, James D. Tillman was elected lieutenant colonel in place of McClure, with the other officers remaining the same. Colonel Farquarson was disabled, and placed on the retired roll in June, 1864; Till-man succeeded him as colonel and Miller became lieutenant colonel.
The 41st Regiment was organized at Camp Trousdale, whence it moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and was placed in Colonel W. E. Baldwin’s Brigade, Brigadier General Simon B. Buckner’s Division of the Central Army of Kentucky. The components of the brigade were the 14th, 26th Mississippi Infantry Regiments, 26th and 41st Tennessee Infantry Regiments. The brigade was ordered to Fort Donelson February 12, 1862, and here Baldwin’s Brigade was temporarily divided, the 14th Mississippi and 41st Tennessee Regiments, with Porter’s and Graves’ Batteries being attached to Colonel John C. Brown’s Brigade of Buckner’s Division; the 26th Mississippi and 26th Tennessee were detached to Brigadier General Gideon J. Pillow’s Division. The 41st reported 575 engaged, two killed, six wounded, 26 missing. It was in reserve during the early stages of the battle, and not heavily engaged until the Federal assault on Buckner’s position late in the after-noon of the 15th of February. It was surrendered along with the rest of Buckner’s forces on the 16th; the enlisted men sent to Camp Morton, Indiana, the line officers to Camp Chase, Columbus, Ohio, and later to Johnson’s Island; the field officers to Fort Warren, Massachusetts.
On March 19, at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois, 16 men from the 41st appeared on a Federal roll of prisoners who desired to take the oath of allegiance to the Federal Government; a very small percentage considering the large number of men from some other regiments appearing on the list.
The regiment was released on parole at Vicksburg, Mississippi September 18, 1862. It was reorganized at Clinton, Mississippi on the 2~h of September, and declared exchanged November 10, 1862. A number of men who were not captured at Fort Donelson served in other regiments, and many of them returned to the regiment when it was reorganized.
On December 27, 1862, Lieutenant General 3. C. Pemberton placed the 41st in a brigade commanded by Brigadier General John Gregg, composed of the 3rd/30th, 1Oth/4lst, Soth, 51st Tennessee Infantry Regiments and Colm’s 1st Tennessee Battalion. The 41st reported 526 effectives. Early in January the brigade moved to Port Hudson, Louisiana, where it was in Major General Franklin Gardner’s District of Louisiana. In April 1863, the 9th Louisiana Battalion, the 7th Texas Infantry Regiment, the Brookhaven Artillery, and Bledsoe’s Battery were reported as members of the brigade. At this time the 41lst/50th/51st Regiment and 1st Tennessee Battalion were serving as a field unit under the command of Lieutenant Colonel T. W. Beaumont.
On May 2, 1863 the brigade left Port Hudson for Jackson, Mississippi, and was engaged in some heavy fighting at Raymond, Mississippi on May 12, 1863. On May 26, 1863, Gregg’s Brigade was reported in the division commanded by Major General W. H. T. Walker, with headquarters at Canton, Mississippi. The 9th Louisiana Battalion was gone, but otherwise the brigade was the same. By July 30, the 14th Mississippi had been transferred elsewhere. A Federal report of prisoners paroled at Port Hudson, Louisiana dated July 10, 1863 listed an Improvised Teunessee Battalion composed of details from the 41st/42nd/48th/49th/53rd/55th Tennessee Regiments.
The regiment was stationed near Vernon, Mississippi on June 30th, was at Yazoo City when Vicksburg fell on July 4, and encamped during August at Enterprise, Mississippi. Walker’s Division was transferred to the Army of Tennessee in September, moving from Enterprise September 7 via Mobile to Chickamauga, where it was engaged in the Battle of Chickamauga September 19-20. In this battle, Gregg’s Brigade was in Brigadier General Bushrod Johnson’s Provisional Division. The 41st reported 325 engaged, but no report of casualties was found.
Following the battle, the brigade returned to Walker’s Division, but on November 12, 1863, Gregg’s Brigade was broken up, and the 41st placed in Brigadier General George Maney’s Brigade, of Walker’s Division. The brigade consisted of the lst/27th, 4th Confederate, 6th/9th, 41st, 50th Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Maney’s 24th Sharpshooter Battalion. It was engaged in the Battle of Missionary Ridge November 25, 1863, and on the 26th, while acting as guard for Ferguson’s Battery, was ambushed at Graysville, Georgia where it suffered a number of casualties. It retreated to Dalton, Georgia, where it went into winter quarters. On December 14, 1863 it reported 201 effecfives, 226 present, with 151 arms. While at Dalton, on February 20, the brigade was transferred to Major General B. F. Cheatham’s Division.
The regiment remained at Dalton until the resumption of activity in May, with the exception of one expedition to Demopolis, Alabama, and return from February 19 to 29th. It was part of a force which was started to reenforce General Leonidas Polk in Mississippi, but which was recalled before reaching its destination. On June 30, 1864, during the Atlanta Campaign, the 41st was transferred to Brigadier General Otho Strahl’s Brigade of Cheatham’s Division, which was composed of the 4th/5th, 24th, 31st, 33rd and 41st Tennessee Infantry Regiments. This brigade assignment continued until the surrender in 1865.
No report of regimental activities for May and June, 1864 was found, but company reports for July and August show the regiment left Kennesaw July 2; reached Chattahoochee River July 5; fell back to Atlanta, July 19; was engaged in the battle July 22; left Atlanta August 26; at East Point August 28; moved to Jonesboro August 29-30; and was engaged at Jonesboro August 31. On September 10, it was still at Jonesboro. A Federal report of an engagement at Atlanta August 20 mentioned the capture of eight men from the 41st Tennessee Infantry Regiment.
No further details of the activities of the 41st were found, but as part of Strahrs Brigade it was with General John B. Hood in his invasion of Tennessee, and the Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864, where General Strahl was killed. Following this battle, on December 10, 1864, Strahrs Brigade was commanded by Colonel Andrew J. Kellar, the lath and 38th Tennessee Regiments had been added, and the make-up of the brigade was 4th/5th/31st/33rd/38th Tennessee Regiments commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Finlay, and the 19th/24th/41st Tennessee Regiments commanded by Captain Daniel A. Kennedy. On March 31, 1865, in the order of battle of General Joseph E. Johnston’s Army at Smithfield, North Carolina, Colonel James D. Tillman was in command of the brigade, with the same units, but the 19th/24th/41st commanded by Colonel C. W. Heiskell.
In the final reorganization of Johnston’s Army April 9, 1865, Colonel Tillman was in command of the 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, made up from the 4th/5th/24th/31st/33rd/35th/38th/41st Tennessee Infantry Regiments and this regiment was paroled with the rest of Johnston’s forces at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1, 1865.
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.