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Confederate Forces of Dyer County

The following forces are Confederate units that had a significant number of Dyer County men. Many of these units overlap through consolidation and still others were never fully formed or short lived. The following list is an attempt to indicate the scope of Dyer County's contribution to the war.

2nd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company D
(Partially made up of men from the following orginal Dyer County Units: Company A, 12th Tenn.; Company K, 13th Tenn. Infantry, Company I, 22nd Tenn. Infantry,Co. K 22nd Tenn. Infantry, Co.C, 47th Tenn. Infantry, Co.D, 47th Tennessee Infantry, and Co. E, 47th Tennessee Infantry) 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company D, Partially made up of men from Company K, 4th Tennessee Infantry

4th Tennesee Infantry Regiment, Company K , Also known as the "Dyer Guards", Formed in Dyer County and made up of Dyer County men.

12th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company A, Formerly Co.G during provisional state service. Also known at the "Newbern Blues". Formed in Newbern, Tennessee and made up of Dyer County men.

2th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company B, Formerly Co. C during provisional state service. Also known as the "Friendship Volunteers". Formed in Dyer County and made up of Men from Dyer (part of which is now Crockett County) and Gibson County.

12th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company A, Partially made up of Dyer County men from Company A, 12th Tennessee Infantry

12th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company D, Partially made up of Dyer County men from Co.I, 22nd Tennessee Infantry

12th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company F, Partially made up of Dyer County men from K, 22nd Tennessee Infantry

13th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company D, also know as the "Yorkville Rifles", consisted of at least 20 men from Dyer County. Most of these men were from an area East of Newbern.

13th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company K, also know as the "Dyer Grays". Formed at Dyersburg of Dyer County men.

22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company I, also known as the "Bell Grays", Organized July 22, 1861 at Camp Trenton and made up of men of Dyer County

22nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company K, also know as the "Newbern Grays". Organized December 7, 1861 at Newbern Tennessee and made up of men from Dyer County.

47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company B, made up of men from Gibson and Dyer Counties.

47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company C, enrolled at Dyersburg of men from Dyer County (mostly from men South and West of Newbern)

47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company D, enrolled at Dyersburg of men from Dyer County (mostly men of Southern Dyer County)

47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company E, enrolled at Dyersburg of men from Dyer County (mostly of men from Dyersburg and West of Dyersburg)

47th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Company H, a few men from Dyer County enlisted in this unit. The bulk were from Gibson and Obion Counties.

15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company A, Organized September 24, 1862 at Haysbridge (believed to be the bridge crossing Lewis Creek on the Road from Dyersburg to what is now RoEllen) formerly Captain Kirk's Company in Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion. Made up mostly of men from central Dyer county in a line running East and West across the county.

15th Tennessee Cavarly Regiment, Company B, Organized August 1, 1862. Men of Haywood, Gibson & Dyer Counties. Formerly Capt. Haywood's Company of Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion. Most of the Dyer County men seemed to have enlisted at Newbern. One of the Company commanders was from Southern Dyer County.

15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company C, Organized Jan. 1, 1863 at Dyersburg. Made up of men mostly from Souther Dyer County. Formerly Capt. Webb's Company of Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion.

15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Company C, part of the company consisted of men from the former Co.A, 15th Cavalry of Dyer County. Most Dyer County men seemed to come from the central part of the county running in a line East to West, though some were from the South.

15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Company F, part of the company consisted of men from the former Co. C, 15th Cavalry of Dyer County. Most of the Dyer County men were from Dyersburg and West of Dyersburg, though a few were from the 12th District.

15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Company H, formed to replace Capt. Benjamin Porter's Company which had been cut off behind enemy lines. Later Transferred to Harris' Mississippi Regiment as Company I. Unit partially formed from 16 men of Dyer County who were enlisted by Col. Wynne at Terzo Church in Dyer County. These men were from Eastern Dyer County most of those from the 8th District.

19/20th Consolidated Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company E, Some Dyer County men from various companies of the 20th Cavalry saw service in this company.

20th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company D, Formed of men from Madison, Carroll, Dyer, Henry and Gibson County.

20th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, Company G, Before formerly assigned to a regiment these troops served as Partisan troops operating under Tyree Bell.

138th Militia Regiment, there was at least a rudimentary call up of Dyer County Militia in the early part of the war. This unit had historically been known as the 138th Militia Regiment. This Tennessee troops were sometimes known as "Minute Men" or "Home Guards" during the war.

Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion, Company A, (also known at the 5th Partisan Rangers) Sometimes called Kirk's Company. Formed Sept. 24, 1862 at Hayes Bridge in Dyer County.

Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion, Company B, (also known at the 5th Partisan Rangers) Sometimes called Capt. Moore's Company. Joined Dawson's Battalion on July 7, 1862.

Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion, Company C, (also known at the 5th Partisan Rangers) Sometimes called Captain Webb's Company. Formed January 1, 1862 at Dyersburg

Dawson's Partisan Ranger Battalion, Company E, (also known at the 5th Partisan Rangers) Sometimes called Haywood's Independant Company, men of Dyer, Gibson and Haywood Counties

Greer's Partisan Ranger Regiment, Company E, also know as Capt. Tom Shaw's Company. Capt. Shaw was from Dyer county at least some portion of his company. Few records have survived on Greer's Regiment

Scales Partisan Rangers, Major William P. Scales was from Dyer County. Little is know of his attempt to form this Battalion or Regiment, but it is reasonable to assume that at least some Dyer Countians were enlisted before it expired

Harris' Mississippi Regiment, Company I, consisted of a few men from the 8th District of Dyer County that had been in the 2nd Company H of the 15th Tennessee Infantry Regiment.

Confederate Forces of Dyer County

The following units were enlisted at Camp Bell on the outskirts of Newbern near Church Grove. Few Dyer Countians served in these units, but since they were formed in the County they are listed below:

Units formed at Camp Bell In Dyer County

Colonel Faulker's command - At Wood's Springs Skirmish (still in the process of organization)(Faulkner's men later constitued the 12th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment)

Captain Binford's command - At 1st Skirmish at Merriwether's Ferry (most from Hickman County, Ky.)

5th Partisan Rangers - At Dyersburg Skirmish (Also called Dawson's Battalion and later became 15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment)

Captain J.H. Parks command - At the Obion Plank Road Crossing also known as Snow's Ferry (believed to be from Kentucky)

Colonel Solomon Street's command - At 2nd skirmish at Merriwether's Ferry (Street was a Mississippi Battalion commander)

Confederate Units Involved in Combat In Dyer County

Colonel Faulker's command - At Wood's Springs Skirmish (still in the process of organization)(Faulkner's men later constitued the 12th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment)

Captain Binford's command - At 1st Skirmish at Merriwether's Ferry (most from Hickman County, Ky.)

5th Partisan Rangers - At Dyersburg Skirmish (Also called Dawson's Battalion and later became 15th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment)

Captain J.H. Parks command - At the Obion Plank Road Crossing also known as Snow's Ferry (believed to be from Kentucky)

Colonel Solomon Street's command - At 2nd skirmish at Merriwether's Ferry (Street was a Mississippi Battalion commander)

Confederate Units in Scouts, Expeditions and Marches through Dyer County

(This is of course a partial list and does not include units raised in the County)

6th Tennessee Cavalry Battalion - (Mostly elements of the "Shelby Light Dragoons" involved in a scout down the Forked Deer River)

Company I, 20th Tennessee Cavalry - Passed through Dyer County after the battle of Fort Pillow

1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery - Elements of this and other units passed through Dyer County on their way south of Isalnd Number Ten.

Battles listed on the Confederate Monument, Dyer County Court Square

Shiloh, Harrisburg, Kennesaw, Perryville, Franklin, Jonesboro, Fort Pillow, Murfreesboro, Parkers Cross Roads, Dibriel's Cross Roads (believed to be outside Sparta, Tn.), Brice's Cross Roads, Selma, Atlanta, Resaca, Chicamaugua, Belmont, Peach Tree Creek, Richmond (Ky.), Bentonville

Confederate Brass Memorial on Courty House North Wall

Units Listed:

Commanders of the Dawson's Bivouac (Confederate Veterans organization)

Hess Masonic Lodge Worshipful, Confederate Veterans:

Note: General Otho F. Strahl was said to have been an officer of the lodge before he left for the War


By Earl L. Willoughby, Jr.

The author retains full copyright to all written material, though it is permissable to copy for personal use or for educational purposes. Permission must be sought for all profit oriented ventures.