Major J. Richard McCann
This was a Partisan Corps under the command of Major J. R. McCann, and was organized in the Summer of 1862 to operate within the enemy’s lines for the purpose of procuring information of his movements, interrupting his communications, and creating divisions of his forces. The companies from Davidson were Captain William J. Bass’s, Hays Blackman’s, Carter’s and Shaw’s. The company of Captain Thomas Perkins, from Williamson, had many men from Davidson County. Some of these companies were on Morgan’s raid into Kentucky in the summer of 1862. The battalion operated with Wheeler in the circuit of Rosecrans’ Army in 1862, and in the expedition to the lower Cumberland in 1863, where it captured several transports. McCann on December 23, 1862 became Major of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment which operated with Morgan on his raid into Indiana and Ohio, and finally served in Duke’s Kentucky Brigade in East Tennessee and Western Virginia.
The companies commanded by Captains McCann, Blackman, Carter, and Perkins were also listed as belonging to Douglass’ Cavalry Battalion. Nothing is known of Captain William J. Bass’s Company, and the only cavalry company known commanded by a Captain Shaw was in Hamilton’s Battalion, of which Jo Shaw later became Major. No muster rolls of the battalion organization were found.
J. R. McCann had first served as captain, Company “B” (originally “F”) of the 11th Tennessee Infantry 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.