Duck River Riflemen – Co. G, 24th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
This roster of officers and men of Co. G, 24th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry, “Duck River Rifles,” was taken largely from an original report, on pieces of Confederate paper written with Confederate ink, which was faded by 1904. The roster was made at the c lose of the war and so does not include all the names of the soldiers who served in Co. G. I have added other names when discovered. The roster was, in 1904, in the hands of Capt. R. W. Tindall of the Leftwich Community and was made accessible to Judge Fr ank H. Smith, who published it in The Daily Herald.
Capt. J. M. Billington’s company was made up from men from the eastern part of Maury County and the western part of Marshall County. The company was organized at the old Napier Hole on Flat Creek, just north of Bear Creek Pike. After drilling at Napier Ho le, they traveled to Columbia, by rail to Nashville and then to Murfreesboro, where they went into quarters at Camp Anderson, three miles from town. The Duck River Riflemen became Co., G, 24 TN Volunteer Infantry when the 24th was officially organized on 24 August 1861. At Shiloh, Co. G lost nine men killed by the first fire from the Federal soldiers before they could return fire. Despite nine slain and 16 wounded in this devastating start, the company, under Gen. Cleburne, Capt. Billington and Col. Peeb les, moved forward and took the Federal encampment.
Officers Capt. James M. BILLINGTON ( 5 Sep 1827 – 30 Aug 1885), resigned April 1862 (Capt. Billington commanded the company at Shiloh with great credit to himself and his men. He resigned at Tupelo when his health began to fail. A reunion of the company was planne d for his birthday on 5 Sept 1885 at his family home near Rally Hill; the men gathered that day for the reunion, but Billington died and his funeral was held instead. He was buried in Billington Cemetery.)
1st Lt. J. Lon SECREST, killed at Perryville on 8 Oct 1862
2nd Lt. William M. SHIRES (1841 – 1916), resigned April 1862, living near Old Lasea in 1904. He is buried in Shires Memorial Cemetery.
2nd Lt. Joel L. HARDISON, born 2 Aug 1835, was killed at Murfreesboro on 31 Dec 1862. He is buried in Morton Cemetery.
2nd Lt. (Brevet) B. Frank ROWLETT, discharged 1862
1st Sgt. David M. HARDISON, living near Old Berlin in 1904
2nd Sgt. Robert W. TINDALL, living at Leftwich in 1904
3rd Sgt. John E. HARDEMAN, living in Texas in 1904
4th Sgt. Jasper W. DILLEHAY (dead in 1904)
5th Sgt. Sam W. DAIMWOOD (living near Columbia in 1904)
1st Cpl. James A. DOUGHERTY (living near Chapel Hill in 1904)
3rd Cpl. William A. COLLINS (living near Franklin in 1904)
- Privates ALDRIDGE, Sam Booker (Samuel Brooks?), 11 May 1839 – 5 Dec 1914), was living near Caney Springs in 1904
- BAIN, Franklin M., discharged for disability, went to Arkansas
- BARHAM, died at Fulton, KY
- BENNETT, Jacob, wounded at Shiloh, living in Arkansas in 1904
- BIGGERS, John L., wounded at Shiloh, captured at Nashville, died in Texas about 1883
- BLACK, David S., living near Columbia in 1904
- BLACK, Sidney, died in Maury County
- BROWN, Robert, living near Kedron in 1904
- CHEEK, Calvin Modrell, mortally wounded at Resaca, 15 May 1864
- CLARK, James, wounded at Shiloh, living in Marshall County in 1904
- CLARK, Joseph, died in Maury County
- CLARK, Robert D., living in Hickman County in 1904
- CLARK, Thomas, died in Maury County
- COLLINS, William A., wounded at Shiloh, not on Smith’s list
- DAIMWOOD, George C., wounded at Shiloh, living near Columbia in 1904
- DAIMWOOD, Sam W., Sgt., wounded at Shiloh, not on Smith’s list
- DANIEL, T. Anderson, wounded at Shiloh, living near Bethesda in 1904
- DAVIS, John (or John ORVIS), on detached service as Divison Teamster, living near Smyrna in 1904
- DEAN, Joseph, lost in retreat from Bowling Green, KY, 1862
- DERRYBERRY, Andrew Jackson, killed at Shiloh at the first fire; he was “shot through the heart.”
- DERRYBERRY, John H., died on way home to Maury Co. in 1864. He was so ill from dysentery that he could not continue the trip. His comrades saw to it that he had a decent burial in an orchard in East Tennessee. They robbed a supply train for money to pay a kind lady who had taken care of him and provided his coffin and declared it “the last official act of the Duck River Riflemen.”
- DERRYBERRY, Joseph L., living near Caney Springs in 1904
- DOUGHTERY, James A., Capt., wounded at Shiloh, not on Smith’s list
- DOUGHTERY, Thomas N., living near Chapel Hill in 1904
- DOUGHTERY, William L., wounded at Shiloh, living in West Tennessee in 1904
- DOWELL, Major E., Jr., killed at Shiloh at the first fire; “shot through the breast.”
- DOWELL, Major E., Sr. (may be Major B.F. Dowell), 3 Apr 1822 – 20 Sep 1884, discharged for disability, buried in Williams Cemetery (no Confederate marker)
- EDWARDS, Edom, discharged for wounds at Shiloh, died on Bear Creek
- EDWARDS, William, discharged for disability, living at Chapel Hill in 1904
- EVANS, Sid, wounded at Shiloh, captured, and died in prison two months later
- ERWIN, William, moved to Obion County
- EVINS, James, killed at Shiloh at the first fire, “shot throught the brain”
- EVINS, Joseph Dean, lost in retreat from Bowling Green, KY, 1862
- FITZGERALD, E., killed at Shiloh, at the first fire; “shot in the head”
- FULLER, James, killed at Shiloh
- GRAHAM, William, living in Lamar Co., Texas in 1904
- HARDISON, David M., wounded at Shiloh, not on Smith’s list
- HARDISON, George W., wounded at Franklin, died at Hillsboro, TN
- HARDISON, James, died from measles at Camp Trousdale, Oct 1861
- HARDISON, Martin V., wounded three times, once at Shiloh, living near Hardison’s Mill 1904
- HARDISON, Sam T., Dr., inclined to Cavalry 1865; banker in Lewisburg 1904
- HARDISON, William Duncan ( 31 Jan 1839 – 7 Aug 1932), captured twice, living near Rock Springs 1904, buried Charles Hardison Cemetery
- HARDISON, William Joshua (17 Jul 1842 – 14 Oct 1861), contracted measles, sent home to die, buried Joshua Hardison Cemetery, not on Smith’s list
- HARMON, Holland, discharged for disability Jan 1862
- HARMON, Tom, wounded at Shiloh, living at Dabbletown in 1904
- HARRIS, Edmond, discharged 1862, died at Hardison’s Mill
- HINSON, Merrill, died from wounds at Shiloh
- HOSFORD, Thomas, killed at Shiloh; Thomas took his oath standing in a creek so the enlister Dr. Parks would not take note of how short he was (and young). He was the last man sworn in and one of the first to die on the field at Shiloh.
- HOSFORD, William, died in Hickman County (Gen. Cheatham remarked “he was the best soldier in the Army.”)
- JACKSON, David A., Jr., wounded at Shiloh, killed at Pulaski, Dec 1864 (Pvt William A. Derryberry, his boyhood best friend and relative, said David, who had already lost the use of one leg at Shiloh, was shot dead by Federal soldiers searching the battl efield near Pulaski, killing all the wounded who moved. William was lying wounded beside his friend and saw David shot in the head when he moved in his semi-consciousness.)
- JACKSON, David A., Sr., discharged 1862, died in 25th District, Maury County
- JOHNSON, John, discharged for wounds at Shiloh (shot through both hips)
- JONES, Davy Crockett, living in the Tugas Bend in 1904
- JONES, Robert, discharged for disability, living near New Lasea in 1904
- JONES, Samuel, died from measles at Camp Trousdale, Oct 1861
- JONES, Thomas H., a boy discharged 1861, living near Sowell’s Mill in 1904
- JONES, Willis A., killed at Murfreesboro, placed on Confederate Roll of Honor at Richmond
- KING, Pole, wounded at Shiloh
- LEE, William T., wounded at Murfreesboro, dead in 1904
- LOVETT, William J., wounded at Shiloh, not on Smith’s list
- MACKAY, A. B. (Wood), born abt 1947, teamster, discharged for disability, died at Beechland in 1903
- McFADDEN, wounded at Shiloh, went to Lamar Co., Texas
- MARTIN, John, discharged for disability
- MAYFIELD, Porter, wounded at Shiloh, died in Marshall County
- MOORE, Austin, died at Flat Creek about 1890
- NEATHERLY, Jeff, killed at Shiloh (This was Jeff Weatherly)
- NICHOLSON, Charles G., killed at Franklin
- NICHOLSON, John M., died in Maury County
- ORR, Thomas Addison, killed at Shiloh at the first fire, “shot through the breast”
- PINKLETON, George W., wounded at Shiloh, lost at Missionary Ridge
- REED, Newton, killed at Shiloh at the first fire, “shot in the head”
- RUMMAGE, George W., Sgt., wounded at Shiloh, killed at Atlanta
- SECREST, Sam, died from measles at Camp Trousdale, 9 Oct 1861
- SECREST, W. H., living near South Berlin in 1904
- SHARP, Thomas A., wounded at Shiloh, died in Maury County
- SHARP, William A., living near Old Lasea in 1904
- SHIRES, Christian N., living in Obion County in 1904
- SHIRES, Ira, Sgt., wounded at Shiloh, killed at Perryville
- SHIRES, Jacob, captured at Missionary Ridge, living near Match in 1904
- SHIRES, Peter, went to Washington Territory
- SHIRES, William M., (Feb 1841 – 1916), captured at Missionary Ridge, living near Rally Hill 1904, buried Shires Memorial Cemetery
- TINDALL, Hazard Cappon, wounded at Missionary Ridge, died 20 Feb 1864
- TINDELL, William Henry Harrison (26 Mar 1841 – 12 May 1921), buried Jackson Cemetery #2, not on Smith’s list
- UNDERWOOD, George W., discharged Oct 1861, living near Match 1904
- WEATHERLY, Jeff, killed at Shiloh at the first fire, “shot in the breast”
- WILLIAMS, Hiram M., lost at Shiloh, never heard of again?
- WRIGHT, Franklin J., wounded at Shiloh, went to Texas
- WRIGHT, Hanson M., died at Madison, GA Hospital July 1864
Source: The Civil War in Maury County, Jill K. Garrett and Marise P. Lightfoot
Notes of Judge Frank H. Smith
Notes of Joseph R. Derryberry taken from grandfather, Pvt William A. Derryberry