The 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment

Brief History

The 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Huntsville, 14 August 1861, with men recruited from Blount, Cherokee, Chilton, Coosa, Jefferson, and Pickens counties. It was ordered to Mobile immediately. It remained there about three months, then was at Pensacola for two weeks. Ordered to Corinth, the 19th was brigaded under Gen'l Gladden of Louisiana, with the 22nd, 25th, and 50th regiments, and after Shiloh, the 17th Battalion, Sharpshooters, and the 39th regiment. At Shiloh, the 19th lost 110 k and 240 w, of the 650 engaged. Gen'l Frank Gardner soon after succeeded to command the brigade, leading it into Kentucky where it did not find the enemy. The regiment retired with the army to fight at Murfreesboro, losing about 151 k and w, about 1/4 of its strength. Thereafter, Gen'l Deas of Mobile succeeded to the command of the brigade, leading it at Chickamauga where it lost heavily, 192 k and w. There were few casualties at Missionary Ridge, and the 19th wintered at Dalton. In the almost incessant fighting from there to Atlanta, the regiment lost heavily in casualties, particularly at new Hope and near Marietta. The brigade, under the command of Gen'l Johnston of Perry, the 19th was badly cut up in the battles at Atlanta on 22 and 28 July. Losses were slight at Jonesboro. At the Battle of Franklin, the 19th lost only a few to battle wounds, but many were captured. It went to North Carolina and was engaged at Kinston and Bentonville, losing heavily in the latter affair. Then consolidated with the 40th and 46th Alabama regiments at Salisbury (with M. L. Woods as colonel and Ezekiel Gully of Sumter as lt. colonel), the 19th surrendered at that place, 76 strong.

Field and Staff

Name: Last, First, Middle Ranks held Rank Out
Comments
Walker, Clifton Adjutant Adjutant  
Baker, R.H. Quartermaster Sergeant Quartermaster Sergeant  
Barron, M.M. Ordnance Sergeant Ordnance Sergeant  
Bradley, Edmund G. First Sergeant Captain/Acting Quartermaster  
Brown, Joseph Chaplain Chaplain  
Davis, Nich Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel  
Kimbrough, George R. Captain Lieutenant Colonel  
Redwood, George E. Surgeon Surgeon  
Richardson, N.D. Surgeon Surgeon  
Toxey, C. Assistant Surgeon Assistant Surgeon  
Tracey, E.D. Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel  
Tracy, Edward D. Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel  
Woods, M.L. Colonel Colonel  
Wheeler, Joseph Colonel Colonel  
Wilson, John Drum Major Drum Major  

 

  • Colonels - Joseph Wheeler of Georgia; promoted. Samuel K. McSpadden of Cherokee; captured at Resaca.
  • Lieutenant Colonels - Edw. D. Tracy of Madison; promoted to brigadier general. Geo. R. Kimbrough of Pickens.
  • Majors - Samuel K. McSpadden; promoted. George R. Kimbrough; promoted. Solomon Palmer of Blount.
  • Adjutants - Clifton Walker of Madison; wounded at Shiloh; transferred to Gen. Tracy's staff. C.G. Hale; wounded at Murfreesboro.

Companies and the Counties from Which they Came

Company
Counties Formed From
Also Known As
Roster
A
Pickens
 Picken's Rough and Ready's
B
Blount
 Blount Continentals (also called Continentals" of Blount)
Roster
C
Jefferson
 Jefferson Warriors
Roster
D
Cherokee
 Curry Guards (also called "Jake Curry Guards")
Roster
E
Cherokee
 Cherokee Guards
Roster
F
Cherokee
 Davis Guards
Roster
G
Cherokee
 Cherokee Mountaineers
Roster
H
Cherokee
 Cherokees
Roster
I
Cherokee
 Cherokee Rangers
Roster
K
Blount
 Blount Guards
Roster

Detailed History

The Nineteenth was organized at Huntsville, August 14, 1861, and at once ordered to Mobile. It remained there about three months, then was at Pensacola a fortnight. Ordered to Corinth, the regiment was brigaded under General Gladden of Louisiana, with the Twenty-second, Twenty-fifth, and Twenty-sixth Alabama regiments, to which the Thirty-ninth was added after the battle of Shiloh. In that battle the Nineteenth received its appalling baptism of blood, losing 110 killed and 240 wounded of the 650 that followed its colors into the action. Gen. Frank Gardner soon after succeeded to the command of the brigade, and led it into Kentucky, where it did not come in collision with the foe. It retired with the army, and fought at Murfreesboro with a loss of about one hundred killed and wounded, about one-fourth of its strength.

Gen. Deas of Mobile succeeded to the command of the brigade, and led it at Chicamauga, where it again lost very heavily. The casualties were few at Mission Ridge, and the Nineteenth wintered at Dalton. In the almost cessant battle from that place to Atlanta, the regiment lost largely in casualties, particularly at New Hope and near Marietta. The brigade being under Gen. Johnston of Perry, the Nineteenth was badly cut up in the battles of July 22 and 28 at Atlanta. It suffered lightly at Jonesboro, but having followed Gen. Hood into Tennessee, the Nineteenth lost severely in prisoners at Franklin, with few casualties. It went to North Carolina, and was engaged at Kinston and Bentonville, losing largely in the latter battle. Consolidated with the Fortieth and the Forty-sixth Alabama regiments at Salisbury (with M.L. Woods of Montgomery as colonel, and Ezekiel Gully of Sumter as lieutenant colonel), the Nineteenth surrendered at that place, 76 strong.

The 19th Alabama Regiment remained three months in camp in Huntsville under the instruction of its able commander, Colonel (later Lieutenant General) Joe Wheeler. In November 1861, the regiment was ordered to Dog River, below Mobile (Camp Memmemger). After two months camping at Dog River, it was ordered to the Navy Yard at Pensacola, Fla.; stationed there a few weeks, was ordered to Corinth, Miss., via Montgomery and Mobile.

At Corinth, the 19th Ala joined General Albert Sydney Johnston's army, concentrating there, preparing for the great Battle of Shiloh, fought April 6th and 7th, 1862. In this fearful, bloody battle, the regiment received its first baptism of blood and lost 219 killed and wounded, amounting to one-third of its aggregate strength. Quoting from Colonel Wheeler's report:

"The Regiment here exhibited an example of cool, heroic courage which would do credit to soldiers of long experience in battle. Subjected as they were to a deadly fire of artillery and a crossfire of infantry, they stood their ground with firmness and delivered their fire rapidly, but with cool deliberations and good effect. ...Exposed as they had been for two nights previous, to drenching rains, without tents and with little covering, they were, of course, somewhat jaded, but at the first sound of the enemy's guns they moved forward with a cheerful alacrity and good order that showed clearly that it was such music as they loved. Under fire almost incessantly the first day, they moved from one position to another as they were ordered, not only with firmness, but with enthusiasm."

Thence, it constituted part of General Bragg's Army of Tennessee; thence via Mobile, Montgomery and Atlanta to Tyner's (near Chattanooga, Tenn.) and camped two weeks. On the 10th of August, 1862, began its march invading Tennessee and Kentucky, and on the 28th of October came out to Knoxville; thence via Chattanooga to Tullahoma and camped a month; thence to Murfreesboro and fought the great battle of Murfreesboro (Stones River), Dec. 30th, 31st, and Jan. 1, 1863, with many killed and wounded. Thence marched to Shelbyville (Duck River) and camped till the 23rd of June, 1863.

The Regiment marched thence to Chattanooga and camped until the bloody Battle of Chickamauga, Sept. 19th and 20th, 1863; engaged in the battle two days and lost heavily in killed and wounded, and followed the retreating Federal army to Missionary Ridge. Remained there until the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Nov. 24th, 25th, and 26th, 1863, and lost many; marched thence to Dalton, Georgia, and camped until May 1864.

In May 1864, fighting began around Dalton, the beginning of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's grand retreat from Dalton to Atlanta, 100 miles in about 100 days; was in the battles of Resaca, Cassville, New Hope, Alabama Hill, Kennesaw Mountain, Noonday Creek and Atlanta, July 22nd to 28th and Jonesboro, Ga., Aug. 1864. Thence followed Gen. Hood via Resaca, Dalton, Lafayette, Summerville, Ga., Gaylesville, Gadsden, Summit and Danville, Ala., crossing the Tennessee River at Florence, Ala.; thence to Pulaski, Spring Hill, Columbia to Franklin, Tenn., and was in that terrible battle Nov. 26th, 1864; thence to Nashville and was in that battle December 16th, 1864. The Regiment recrossed the Tennessee River at Bainbridge; thence to Tupelo, Miss., Mobile, Montgomery, Ala.; Columbus, Macon, and Augusta, Ga.; thence via Columbia, S.C. to Charlotte, Kingston, Goldsboro, to Bentonville, N.C., the last real battle of the war.

Thence via Smithfield, Raleigh, Greensboro to Saulisbury, N.C., where it surrendered, April 26th, 1865, when, after four years of untold sacrifice, patient endurance, and heroic struggle, under the most trying conditions in all history of the time, their army, without resources, but still devoted patriots; yielded to vastly overwhelming numbers of the Northern army. Only 76 members of the regiment were present at the surrender.

As to the soldierly conduct of the command, the 19th Alabama Regiment furnished the Confederate service its peerless Lieutenant General Joe Wheeler, one of the world's most famous cavalry commanders; its gallant and chivalric Tracy, a Brigadier General without a superior; and its ever true and faithful leader, Col. George R. Kimbrough, commanding the last year of the war.

Unit Chronology
  • 1861
    • 08/14/61 Camped at Adam Hall's place, Huntsville
    • 08/21/61 Moved to Camp Jones, Huntsville
    • 09/14/61 Made part of Gen. Leroy. P. Walker's Brigade with the 14th, 17th and 18th Ala. Regiments
    • 09/25/61 Moved to Camp Bradford (Blue Springs), Huntsville
    • 11/11/61 Depart for Camp Moore on the Dog River, below Mobile, winter quartered at Camp Memmemger.
    • 12/01/61 Gen. Walker, at Pensacola, assigned to Gen. Withers.
  • 1862
    • 01/02/62 19th Ala. finally receives arms
    • 01/27/62 Brig. Gen. Walker relieved at Mobile, assigned command at Montgomery, Ala
    • 02/01/62 The 19th is reassigned under Gen. Withers' command at Mobile.
    • 02/13/62 Left Camp Memminger, Mobile to navy yard 8 miles south of Pensacola, Fla
    • 03/09/62 Reassigned to the Army of the Mississippi, under Gen. A. H. Gladden. Brigaded with 1st Alabama Battalion and the 25th Regiment.
    • 03/30/62 Moved to Advanced Camp, McNary County, Tenn.
      04/6-7/62 Battle of Shiloh (Pittsburgh Landing), Tenn.
      In Army of the Mississippi, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston commander, killed 1st day, replaced by Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, in the 2nd Corp, Gen. Braxton Bragg commander, in the 2nd Division, Gen. Withers commander, in the 3rd brigade, Gen. J. K. Jackson commander.
      Associate commands: 17th and 18th Alabama Regiments, an Alabama battalion, an Arkansas battalion, the 2nd Texas, and Girardy's Battery.
      In this fearful, bloody battle the regiment received it's first baptism of blood and lost 219 killed and wounded, amounting to 1/3 of its aggregate strength. The 19th captured a stand of colors during this battle.
    • 04/09/62 Under Gen. John C. Breckenridge at Mickey's, Tenn.
    • 04/28/62 Under Gen. Frank Gardner at Corinth, Miss., Brigade with 22nd, 25th, and 26th Alabama Regiments, 1st Louisiana Regiment, and Robertson's Battery.
    • 05/10/62 Skirmish: Farmington, Miss. - Under Col. Wheeler with part of 19th and 22nd Ala. Regiments.
    • 05/28-29/62 Skirmish: Bridge Creek, Miss. - Under Col. Wheeler commanding 1st Brigade with detachments of 19th, 21st, and 26th Ala. Regiments with about 200 men from some Miss. Regiments.
    • 06/30/62 Under Gen. Withers' reserve corp at Saltilo, Miss. in the 1st Brigade, Gen. Frank Gardner commander, Brigaded with 22nd, 25th and 39th Alabama Regiments, a company of sharpshooters, and Robertson's Battery.
    • 07/27/62 Start move to Chattanooga, Tenn.
    • 08/08/62 Arrived at Chattanooga, Tenn.
      08/29/62 Gen. Bragg moves toward Kentucky. Gen. Zachariah C. Deas takes command of the brigade; Gen. Gardner being ordered to Port Hudson before the Kentucky campaign began.
    • 09/17/62 Battle of Munfordsville, Ky. - Deas' brigade aided in capture of this town.
    • 10/28/62 Back in Tennessee after Kentucky Campaign, camped near Knoxville.
    • 11/13/62 Gen. Bragg , intending on joining forces with Gen. Breckenridge, pushes his forces toward Murfreesboro, Tenn.
    • 11/14/62 Gen. Bragg positions his forces at Tullahoma, Tenn.
    • 12/12/62 19th Ala. found camped near Murfreesboro, Tenn.
    • 12/30/62 Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River), Tenn.
      Gen. Deas not present. The 19th is under the command of Col. John Q. Loomis (wounded on 31st) then under Col. John G. Coltart, brigade commander. Highly commended by Gen. Cheatham & Gen. Withers.
  • 1863
    • 01/01-03/63 Battle of Murfreesboro (Stone's River), Tenn. Battle ends. The Army of Tennessee retreats.
    • 01/18/63 Camped near Shelbyville, Tenn. (Duck River)
    • 04/01/63 Camped at Tullahoma, Tenn., Gen. Deas brigade commander, Col. McSpadden commander of 19th
    • 06/23/63 Start Move to Chattanooga, Tenn.
    • 07/04/63 Arrive at Chattanooga, Tenn.
    • 07/31/63 Col. J. G. Coltart, brigade commander; Col. McSpadden, commander of 19th.
    • 09/19/63 In Gen. Polk's Corp, Gen. Thomas C. Hindman's division
    • 09/19-20/63 Battle of Chickamauga, Ga. Under Gen. Longstreet, in Deas' brigade on the right of Gen. Longstreet's line
    • 11/24-26/63 Battle of Missionary Ridge, Ga.
    • 12/31/63 Lieut. Col. George R. Kimbrough, commander of Regiment in winter quarters with Deas' brigade, 2 miles south of Dalton, Ga. next to Gen. Stevenson's division.
  • 1864
    • 03/01/64 Gen. Joseph E. Johnston replaces Gen. Bragg as commander of the Army of Tennessee
    • 04/30/64 The 19th is in Hood's Corp., Hindman's Division, Deas' Brigade, under Col. McSpadden
    • 05/8-12/64 Skirmish: Rocky Face Line, Ga. little engagement
    • 05/14-15/64 Battle of Resaca, Ga.
    • 05/19/64 19th found in camp at Cassville, Ga.
    • 05/25-06/04/64 Battle of New Hope, Ga. 19th found in Hardee's command on the right of the road, Hood in center, and Polk on the left.
    • 06/08/64 19th found at Marietta, Ga.
    • 06/15/64 Skirmish: Noonday Creek, Ga.
    • 06/16/64 Skirmish: Alabama Hill, Ga. near Marietta Ga.
    • 06/27/64 Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Ga.
    • 06/30/64 Col. J. G. Coltart, brigade commander. Lieut. Col. George R. Kimbrough commander of 19th after Col. McSpadden's capture at Resaca
    • 07/04/64 Gen. Johnston pulls back to Chatahoochee River.
    • 07/08/64 Gen. Johnston moves south of Chatahoochee River.
    • 07/18/64 Gen. John Bell Hood replaces Gen. Joe Johnston at commander of the Army of Tennessee.
    • 07/20/64 Gen. Hardee attacks Gen. Thomas's Army of the Cumberland after crossing Peachtree Creek.
    • 07/19/64 Moved to trenches around Atlanta.
    • 07/21/64 Gen. Hood sends Gen. Hardee towards Gen. McPherson's Army of the Tennessee near Decatur, Ga.
    • 07/22/64 Skirmish at Augusta Railroad, Ga. Gen. Hood tries to turn the union's left along this railroad north of Atlanta. The 19th is part of a brigade that captures two stands of colors.
    • 07/23-28/64 Atlanta, Ga. Constant skirmishing and cannonading in the trenches.
    • 07/28/64 Battle of Lick Skillet Road (Ezra Church), Ga. near Poor House Gen. John C. Brown, division commander. In Gen. George. D. Johnston's brigade (formerly Deas') on the right, with Gen. Brantly on the left, Gen. Sharp in the center, and Gen. Manigault in reserve.
      Gen. Johnston wounded, replaced by Col. Coltart wounded, replaced by Col. B. R. Hart of the 22nd Ala. Regt. wounded, replaced by Lieut. Col. H. T. Toulmin. 19th's colors captured after being planted on Union breastworks.
    • 07/30/64 Gen. Patton Anderson commands Gen. Hindman's division; the 19th is in Deas' brigade
    • 07/31/64 Gen. George D. Johnston, brigade commander; Lieut. Col. Harry L. Toulmin commander of 19th.
    • 08/12/64 Gen. Stephen D. Lee, commander of the Corp.
    • 08/13-27/64 Battles of Atlanta, Ga. Constant skirmishing and cannonading in the trenches.
    • 08/30/64 Gen. Hardee takes command of his and Gen. S. D. Lee's Corp.
    • 08/31/64 Battle of Jonesborough, Ga. Gen. Anderson replaces Gen. Hindman. The front line of the division consist of Sharp, Deas, and Brantly with Manigault in reserve. The 19th is in Gen. Deas' brigade, Lieut. Col. Kimbrough commanding the regiment. Gen. Lee's corp, with Gen. Deas' brigade & 19th move back to Atlanta
    • 09/01/64 Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson takes command of Gen. Patton Anderson's division
    • 09/02-03/64 Fall back to Lovejoy Station
    • 09/12-14/64 Gen. Hood's army moved to Palmetto, Ga. where President Davis reviews the troops.
    • 10/02/64 Start of Nashville campaign. Route: Dalton, Resaca, Lafayette, Summerville, Ga.; Gayesville, Gadsden, Summit, Danville & Florence, Ala. Camped at Shoal Creek, near Florence, Ala.
    • 10/30/64 Two brigades of Johnson's division (including the 19th) attack Gen. John T. Croxton's Federal troops near Brainbridge driving the federal from the Huntsville and Florence road near Judge Posey's.
    • 11/05/64 Gen. Croxton attacked again at Shoal Creek and forced to retire.
    • 11/20-27/64 March resumes for Columbia, Tenn. via: Pulaski, Spring Hill, then to Franklin, Tenn.
    • 11/29/64 Gen. Hood crosses Duck River with Gen. Cheatham's and Stewart's Corp and Gen. Johnson's division, including the 19th Ala., of Lee's Corp. Command bivouacked along the pike, letting Gen. Schofield's army pass to Franklin.
    • 11/30/64 Battle of Franklin, Tenn.
      The 19th is in Johnson's division on the left, in Deas' brigade, under Col. Kimbrough. Gen. S. D. Lee reports, " The brigades of Sharp, Brantly (Both Mississippians) and Deas (Alabamians) particularly distinguished themselves. Their dead were mostly in the trenches and on the works of the enemy, where they nobly fell in desperate hand-to-hand conflict."
    • 12/02/64 Nashville reached. Lee's corp is in the center across the Franklin Pike.
    • 12/15-16/64 Battle of Nashville, Tenn.
      On the 15th, the 19th Ala. is in Deas' brigade. With the division it moves from right to left to support Gen. A. P. Stewart, who is being attacked by Gen. George H. Thomas.
      On the 16th, Gen. Johnson with the 19th Ala. is on the left of Gen. Stevenson, who is left of Lee's corp which is across the Franklin Pike. Gen. Johnson captured with part of his command. Hood's army is routed and retreats via Franklin, Columbia, Pulaski to Brainbridge.
    • 12/27-28/64 The retreating army crosses the Tennessee River.
  • 1865
    • 01/06/65 Army arrives in Tupelo, Miss.
    • 01/20/65 Start of move from Tupelo, Miss. to the Carolinas, via: Mobile, Montgomery, Ala., Columbus, Macon, Augusta, Ga., thence to Columbia, SC
    • 01/30/65 Deas brigade, at Green's Cut, is reassigned to Gen. G. W. Smith, by order of Gen. D. H. Hill.
    • 02/05/65 The 19th is at Binnaker's Bridge near Branchville, SC
    • 02/07/65 The 19th is relieved from Binnaker's bridge by Col. Johnson, who is commanding Stovall's brigade. They are moved to Holman's Bridge.
    • 02/09/65 Deas moves HQ to Duncan's Bridge.
    • 02/10/65 Deas moves to where the Columbia Rd. crosses the North Edisto river.
    • 02/23/65 Lee's corps, commanded by Gen. Stevenson, is near Charlotte, NC
    • 03/08-10/65 Kingston, NC Gen. Hill is in command of Lee's corps, Col. Coltart in command of Hill's division (formerly Johnson's) and Col. Toulmin in command of Deas' brigade. On the night of the 10th the army falls back through Goldsboro to Bentonville, NC
    • 03/19-20/65 Battle of Bentonville, NC, Deas' brigade (commanded by Col. Toulmin), with Palmer's, Stovall's, and Jackson's constitutes the first-line.
    • 03/22/65 The army falls back to Smithfield, NC
    • 03/31/65 The 19th is commanded by Maj. Solomon Palmer.
    • 04/09/65 Army reorganized. The 19th and 40th Ala. are consolidated, with M. L. Woods as Col. and Ezekiel S. Gulley as Lieut. Col. Attached to Brigadier Gen. E.W. Pettus' brigade.
    • 04/09/65 Gen. R. E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia.
    • 04/10/65 Army of Tennessee moves from Smithfield to Raleigh, then Gen. Pettus' brigade was sent to Greensborough, NC to protect President Davis and the cabinet.
    • 04/12/65 Gen. Pettus sent to Salisbury by rail to stop an enemy raid on stores there, driving the enemy off. The 19th and 40th Ala. (consolidated) was sent to guard the town, where Col. Kyle was made commandant.
    • 04/17/65 Negotiations begin for the surrender of Army of Tennessee under Gen. Johnston to Gen. Sherman.
    • 04/19/65 Suspension of arms agreement reached.
    • 04/26/65 Surrender terms agreed upon.
      05/04/65 Brigade started the move from Salisbury to Charlotte, NC, and thence to Union Point, Ga. At Union Point, GA, the brigade was disbanded, ending the career of the 19th Alabama Regiment.

After four years of untold sacrifices, patient endurance, and heroic struggle, under the most trying conditions in all history of the time, their army, without resources, but still devoted patriots, yielded to vastly overwhelming numbers of the Northern Army.

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