Colonel James F. Franklin
Raised 1863 and operated within Federal found. Prisoner of war records show some of lines; part of organization brought within the captains were Company “G”, E. 0. Clif Confederate lines December, 1863; merged ford; others R. G. Grundy, Wilson, Phillips, into 21st (Wilson’s) Tennessee Cavalry, Ellis, Rhodes and McCullom. February, 1864. Miscellaneous records show that Andrew
No muster rolls of this organization were N. Wilson, Thomas N. Kizer, James F. Franklin, and John F. Newsom were authorized by Brigadier General Gideon Pillow, Chief of Conscript Bureau, to raise regiments or battalions within the Federal lines during 1863. Skeleton commands were raised, but not officially recognized.
Both Andrew N. Wilson, and James F. Franklin were former members of the 52nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Both were officers of the 51st and 52nd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, but when that consolidation was pronounced illegal, and the 52nd reorganized in April 1863, both men were rendered supernumerary when defeated for re-election in the 52nd reorganized. Prisoner of War records indicate that Franklin first served as captain in Wilson’s Cavalry Regiment but afterwards attempted to raise a regiment of his own.
A Tennessee battalion was reported assigned to the 2nd Brigade of Forrest’s Cavalry in January, 1864, and this battalion is believed to be Franklin’s command. On February 4, 1864, General Forrest ordered the consolidation of a number of units, among them Franklin’s, to form the 21st (Wilson’s) Tennessee Cavalry 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.