DEKALB COUNTY

The Confederate Army

Allison's Battalion of Cavalry, raised by Col. R. D. Allison, John S. Reece, and Robert V. Wright at Alexandria, consisted of three companies and was, besides taking part in a number of the most important battles of the war, very active in DeKalb County during Morgan's occupation and afterwards. It was with Wheeler on his last raid through East Tennessee in the summer of 1864; but it seems from Du Bose's "Life of Wheeler" that it was, with other companies, sent under Gen. "Cerro Gordo" Williams to attack a Federal Garrison at Strawberry Plains. Finding the garrison too strong, it marched to overtake Wheeler, but did not succeed. It followed close on his heels through Sparta, Liberty, and Alexandria, and went into camp near Murfreesboro, soon, however, taking the Woodbury Pike and returning south across the mountains, engaging in considerable fighting on the way.

After The war Colonel Allison removed to Texas, where he thrice represented his county in the State legislature, and died at an advanced age. Captain Reece removed to Nashville, becoming prominently identified with the city's interests, though his sight was greatly impaired before the close of the war. As Colonel Allison was old and Catain Reece with impaired sight, Captain Wright commanded the DeKalb Countians, who had been consolidated with Shaw's Battalion after Missionary Ridge, in the later months. Captain Reece was born in Virginia in 1814, and died in February, 1868, only fifty-four, but a veteran of the war with the Seminoles, the Mexican War, and the War between the States. Captain Wright also located in Nashville, where he won splendid business success. He was living in 1914, somewhat more than eighty years of age.

This from Lieut. B. L. Ridley's published diary gives in a small way an idea of the horrors of war. It is dated Smithville, N. C., march 27, 1865: "This afternoon went with General Stewart to the depot, where we found Colonel Allison, a Tennessee Cavalryman, on his way westward with the body of his son, who was killed a day or two ago near Goldsboro trying to rescue some ladies from the clutches of the enemy." By the way, still as illustrative, General Forrest and his escort were on a road three miles from Selma, Ala., one night after the retreat from Nashville. Suddenly the cries of women in distress reached them. "Guided by the sounds," to quote the diary of Ben Hancock, of the Second Regiment of Cavalry, "Forrest and some of his men dashed thither, to find a neighboring house in the possession of four Federal bummers who, having rifled it, were engaged in the effort to outrage the women who lived there. Summary was the fate of these wretches. The escort was now getting excited, and, meeting a number of these fellows loaded, down with plunder, they did not hesitate to slay them on the spot. Hearing the sounds of what was happening ahead, Forrest, to check it, took the conduct of the advance upon himself." It is not believed that any DeKalb soldiers on either side were ever charged with assaulting women.

Allison's squadron, when it surrendered with General Shaw in North Carolina in 1865, numbered only about thirty men, according to Lieut. Ed Reece.

The writer has been able to secure from the mutilated records in the archives at Washington the following names only of the troops of Allison's Battalion. They cover various periods of the war.

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Company "A" OFFICERS:

Senior Captain: R. D. Allison
Captain: John H. Allison
1st Lieutenant: James A. Nesmith
2nd Lieutenant: James N. Eaton
3rd Lieutenant: James W. Foutch

ENLISTED:

Sergeants: J. A. Atwell, J. L. Reasonover, J. E. Robinson, J. W. Boyd
Corporals: James B. Gregston, Ab Drury, W. J. Eaton

Privates:
R. D. Allison, J. W. Allen, William Allen, George Ashe, William Ashe, William Askew, J. A. Boyd, William Corley, David Crook, Robert Caskey, John Cartwright, William Carr, Daniel Driver, A. Davis, Hardin Denny, J. H. Foutch, J. W. Floyd, E. and Joseph Gann. Freeling H. Hayes, J. A. Higdon, Horace M. Hale, Leander B. Hale, F. W. Hobson, John Johnson, Gus H. Johnson, James W. Keaton, R. W. Keaton, Jake H. King, R. A. King, W. R. King, H. D. Lester, S. M. Leftwick, L. C. Lincoln, James C. Malone, N. J. Petty, W. F. Powell, Irving Parsley, Ben Robinson, James M. Turney, H. J. Wills, Pleas C. Adams, C. A. Bailiff, G. W. Adkins, M. Byford, Monroe Bailiff, P. Dedman, M. L. Dedman, J. H. Gann, Thomas Malone, R. W. Tubb, W. S. Webster, W. M. Walker, J. D. Wheeler, James Mullinax, D. L. Braswell, James Rigdon, H. J. Wills, Newton Petty, Shade L. Davis, Patterson Dedman, John H. Gann, Michael Gann, W. H. Gann, nathan Gann, Denham Bethel, D. L. Russell.

KILLED: Edward Gann at Chickamauga, September 19, 1863

DIED: Joseph gann, Tunnel Hill, Ga., January 5, 1864

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Company "B"
OFFICERS:

Captain: J. S. Reece
1st Lieutenant: D. Brien
2nd Lieutenant: J. M. Floyd
3rd Lieutenant: L. P. Rutland

ENLISTED:

Sergeant: T. W.Yeargin, T. R. Foster, James Jones Britton Odum, Ed Reece
Corporal:J. J. Cutler

Privates:
W. W. Adams, Sim Adamson, William Andamson, Henry Bell, N. B. Bradley, J. H. Burton, Hiram Carter, W. J. Covington,W. C. Craddick, David Curtis, J. P. Doss, M. B. Dunn, J. C. Estes, Pack W. Florida, Tilman H. Foster, J. Ervin Foster, William Foster, James S. Foutch, T. J. Finley, R. B. Floyd, L. H. Fite, Sam George, C. A. Hollinsworth, D. H. Hale (teamster), W. H. Jackson, Wiley Jones, Bartley L. James, A. A. J. Jennings, J. M. Jones, Thomas King, W. H. Luckey (bugler), W. C. McGann, George Neal, Robert Neal, Ervin Newsom, L. F. Porterfield, Oliver W. Roberts, William Shanks, J. C. Trammel, J. B. Tarpley, J. B. Witt, Columbus Yeargin, G. W. Lanier, Henry Lanier, James Pope, G. H. McGann, T. J. Coleman, I. C. Stone, William Hullet, James Jones, R. H. Newsom, Calaway Neal, J. R. Newsom, J. B. Pendleton, J. J. Rich, Presley Stroud, O. B. Staley, Jacob Vantrease, jackson Vantrease, J. Willoby, J. Washer, Nathan Walden, G. Hutchinson, Fayette Henley, Nelson Bryant, J. W. Buckner, B. J. Bethel, Henry Georged, Sam Huggins, A. J. Lanier, J. T. Lawrence, Dan McKee, Monroe Malone, John Marks, S. T. Porterfield, J. J. Porterfield, S. A. Rickett, Lander Jackson, Thomas Estes, John Shores, J. R. Smith, Ed Winn, Henry Bell, G. C. McGann, Hiram Curtis.

KILLED:
William Hullet, James Jones, R. A. Newsom, Chickamauga, September 19, 1863.

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Company "C"
OFFICERS:

Captain: R. V. Wright
1st Lieutenant: A. W. O. Baker
2nd Lieutenant: Orson B. Wright
3rd Lieutenant: W. V. Harrel

ENLISTED:

Sergeant: John A. Jones, W. A. Yeargin, John Heflin
Corporal:William Hubbard, John A. Mooneyham

Privates:
L. J. Allison, William C. Bradford, J. C. Bailey, A. M. Cantrell, C. F. Cantrell, G. C. Flippin, John Gilly, James Hawkins, William Mooneyham, Jamrs Jones, James Hines, J. D. Martin, W. S. Patey, J. B. Palmer, W. B. Price, Thomas Spears, George Springfield, Sam Hooper, Jonas Whitley, C. M. Thompson, J. T. Thompson, Z. U. Thompson, J. S. Thompson, Garrett Clay, B. F. Batts, W. D. Yeargin, Bethel Batts, John A. Farmer, Thomas Howaard, William Harper, Charles Harris, W. W. Minton, George Nichols, P. Simpson, C. Vanderpool, Jeff Braswell, John A. Mooneyham, J. H. Baird, A. M. Carter, H. D. B. Anderson, T. C. Bradford, R. Barbee, C. Barbee.

KILLED:
Garrett Clay, Chickamauga, September 19, 1863

The above are from Captain Wright's rolls from December 31, 1863, to February 29, 1864; from February 29, 1864, to April 30, 1864; from April 30, 1864, to June 30, 1864; and from 30 June 1864, to December 31, 1864. Under the first date A. W. O. Baker was first lieutenant; second, O. B. Wright; third W. V. Harrel. Under the decond date W. V. Harrel is third lieutenant. Under the third date no lieutenants are mentioned, nor are there any for June 30, 1864, to December 31, 1864. These are the latest existing records. But two or three living members of the squadron have sent in the names of a few other troops, though it is not known to what companies they belonged. Lieut. Ed Reece's list is: Quarels, Isaac Cooper, and Jerome Barton. James H. Burton contributes this list: Bill Bone, Cain Adams, John Parkerson, Lito Hullet, Alex Stanley, John Reeves, George Beckwith, Mose Blythe, and Dr. Fayett Knight.

Of course during the war there were many changes in subordinate officers not mentioned here--promptions, resignations, and here and there a desertion. The desertions in both Federal and Confederate companies from the county were considerable, and now ant then we find men, as Lowell's bashful beau "stood awhile on one foot fust an' then awhile on t'other," Who fought in the cause of both South and North, at first with one side and then with the other.

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