East Texas Genealogy: 9th Alabama

Showing posts with label 9th Alabama. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers - Gaines C. Smith

Alabama Department of Archives & History; Montgomery, Alabama; Alabama Census of Confederate Soldiers, 1907 and 1921; Roll: Multiple Regiments (Limestone County #42); Roll Number: 206.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Gaines Chisholm Smith - Civil War extract

Gaynes Chisholm Smith - Company H, Lt. Col., age 32, date enrolled: June 10, 1861, wounded at Gaines' Mill, Captured at Gettysburg.

Gaynes Chislom Smith - (1827-1910) would become the captain of Company H, 9th Alabama Regiment (replacing David Houston), and was later promoted to colonel of the 9th. Smith was captured at Gettysburg and later released. he was born in Giles County, Tennessee, and moved to Limestone County, where he was a farmer, a teacher, a justice of the peace, and a member of the state legislature (Krick, Lee’s Colonels 351). The privates in David Houston’s company had petitioned for Houston’s removal but were unsuccessful. Houston, however, was arrested in early September 1861 for being drunk at recitation, and that incident would lead to his resignation a month later (page 345).

William Cowan McClellan to Matilda McClellan

Army of the Potomac

Campt Centreville. Va.

Dec 10th 1861

Dear Sister

I have just returned from one of the most heart rending scenes ever witnessed by man. I saw two men tied to a post and shot dead. They were of the far famed Tigers. Men who fought Bravely upon the plains of Manassas on the ever memorable .21. of July. The offence for which they were punished was chargeing bayonets on a Lieut(enant). They inflicted upon him two mortal wounds. They were drunk when they committed the crime. There were tried by a regular courtmartial and doomed to be shot. There were dressed in striped pants and red shirts with little red caps on their heads. All of the Tigers wore a similar dress. They were marched up in the presence of fifteen thousand men as boldly as a Tiger ever walked among a flock of sheep. They were then ordered to kneel down by the post they were tied to. The priest then prayed one of the most powerful prayers I ever heard. He pressed the cross to their lips and imprinted a kiss upon them. 12 of their own company were ordered to shoot them. When they had taken their places 10 paces in front of them, the caps were drawn over their eyes, one of them pulled it off, and said I will die looking in the muzzels of those rifles. The command was given, ready, aim, fire. Neither of them flinched until the balls had pierced their Bodys. The Priest then made a very brief and appropriate talk to the Soldiers - telling them that drinking caused the death of those men and Putting an enemy in their mouths to steal their brains away. It will have a good effect upon our army. Nothing of any importance has transpired since writeing a few days ago, some are disposed to think that the enemy have retreated to the Potomac. I believe all idea of an attack at this point has subsided. Quietness again reigns in Camp save now and then a report that is started in Camp that gains admittance into the minds of the credulous. We soldiers all rest satisfied that Beauregard and Johnston couldn’t be outgeneraled by the Feds and we can do the fighting. Gaines Smith is one of the finest looking men I ever saw every step he takes is that of a Military man every look and gesture. Smith is about 6 feet 2 inches high strait as an arrow, Gen. Johnston is also a fine looking man. Gen B. (Beauregard) has nothing very striking in his appearance save his eyes. They flash and sparkle like lightening all the time - searching to penetrate each wink upon which they rest. I frequently get invitations from these gentlemen to visit them at their head quarters. I have always declined doing so upon the plea that I am private. I suppose the caus of their partiality towards me is the close relationship I have existing between Gen. McClellan and my self. My health is tolerably good at this time. I am just getting over a very bad cold and cough. The health of our company is very good at present. Capt Smiths company are as ragged as Beauregards. The weather is very mild here at this time. I am making arrangements to get a swap to Capt Malones co, it will probably be a month or so before I can effect the change. The last letter I received from home was dated Nov. 24, except one tonight. Write soon.

Your Brother,

William C. McClellan Manassas Virginia

page 114

McClellan, William Cowan. Welcome the Hour of Conflict: William Cowan McClellan and the 9th Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: The University of Alabama Press, 2007.

Ninth Alabama - Infantry

Ninth Alabama - (Infantry)

This regiment was organized at Richmond, Virginia, the latter part of May 1861, and moved to Winchester several weeks later. It was there brigaded under Gen. Kirby Smith of Florida, but failed to reach the battle-field of Manassas because of a railroad accident. The regiment lay at Manassas Centerville till March 1862, when it marched to Yorktown.

Gen. J. H. Forney of Calhoun succeeded to the command of the brigade, and was relieved by Gen. Wilcox in January. The regiment was under fire at Yorktown, with slight loss. It participated in the battle of Williamsburg, but the loss was not severe. At Seven Pines it was held in reserve, and did not suffer. It was now brigaded with the Eighth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Fourteenth Alabama regiments, still under Gen. Wilcox. At Gaines’ Mill the regiment sustained severe loss, and was rent and torn by the wall of fire at Frazier’s Farm. With the army it took up the line of March for Maryland, and was under fire but not actively engaged at the second Manassas. It was part of the investing force at Harper’s Ferry, and hastened from there to the field of Sharpsburg, where it lost 8 killed, 42 wounded, and 9 missing. The Ninth wintered on the Rappahannock, and was underfire, with few casualties, at Fredericksburg. Its brightest renown was won at Salem, where it bore the brunt of a successful assault, and lost very heavily. The regiment moved into Pennsylvania, and sustained severe loss at Gettysburg where the brigade had 781 killed and wounded. The fall and winter were passed in camp, near Orange C. H., and the Ninth participated in the fierce struggles at the Wilderness and at Appomattox, with severe loss in each battle. Gen. Sanders of Greene then took command of the brigade. The fighting was almost continuous for several weeks, culminating in the terrible repulse of the invading army at the second battle of Cold Harbor, in which the Ninth shared without severe loss. From June till the end - nine weary months - the regiment was in the trenches of Petersburg, or engaged in the majority of the numerous and bloody battles that relieved the monotony of the last, long, and desperate collision of the great rival armies that had so long struggled on Virignia soil. A remnant of the Ninth surrendered at Appomattox, the brigade having been in commond of Gen. W. H. Forney of Calhoun for some months. Of 1138 men on its rolls, about 200 fell in battle, over 175 died of disease, and 208 were discharged or transferred.

Field and staff.

Colonels - Cadmus M. Wilcox of Tennessee; promoted. Samuel Henry of Marshall; resigned. Horace King of Morgan; wounded at Gettsyburg.

Lieutenant Colonels - Samuel Henry; promoted. Edward A. O’Neal of Lauderdale; transferred. Gaines Smith of Limestone.

Majors - E. A. O’Neal; promoted. Jere Williams of Jackson; resigned. James M. Crow of Lauderdale.

Adjutants - John Burtwell of Lauderdale; transferred. John Featherston of Limestone; transferred to line. James W. Wilson; killed at Sharpsburg. William Holcombe of Limestone; captured at Petersburg.

CAPTAINS, AND COUNTIES FROM WHICH THE COMPANIES CAME

Mobile - F. H. Ripley; resigned. W. C. Murphy; wounded and captured at Williamsburg; killed at Salem. A. H. Hays.

Jackson and Marshall - Jere Williams; promoted. Blake Moore; resigned. Elias Jacobs; wounded at Gettysburg; retired. Patrick Seward; captured.

Limestone - Thomas H. Hobbs; killed at Gaines’ Mill. John Featherston; wounded at Gettysburg.

Butler - E. Y. Hill; killed at Gaines’ Mill. Thomas Mills; resigned. Matthew Patton.

Lauderdale - D. W. Gillis; killed at Williamsburg. John Chisholm; captured at Gettysburg; died at Fort Delaware. B. F. Taylor; wounded at Sharpsburg; captured at Petersburg.

Lauderdale - J. Butler Houston; resigned. William C. Reeder; resigned. James M. Crow; wounded at Gaines’ Mill; promoted. Wm. J. Cannon.

Marshall - James L. Sheffield; resigned. John Rayburn; killed at Sharpsburg. A. W. Ledbetter; wounded at Salem and Petersburg.

Lawrence - James M. Warren; resigned. M. G. May; wounded at Sharpsburg.

Morgan - Horace King; promoted. Wm. Todd; retired.

Limestone - David Houston; resigned. Gaines Smith; captured at Gettysburg; promoted.

Brewster, Willis. Alabama, Her History, Resources, War Record, and Public Men: From 1540 to 1872. Montgomery, Ala: Barrett & Brown, Steam Printers and Book Binders, 1872.

injury at Gettysburg

No. 44--(30) Mentioned by Gen. Dan Tyler, U.S. A., Maryland Heights, June 25, 1863. (288) Wilcox's brigade, Anderson's division, Third corps, Gen. A. P. Hill, army of Northern Virginia, Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. (332, 343) Casualties at battle of Gettysburg, 3 killed, 55 wounded. (619-621) Report of General Wilcox: "Capt. G. C. Smith, severe wound through the body (entitled to promotion to lieutenant-colonel). Capt. J. H. King (entitled to promotion to colonel) had a finger shot off. Private Brundridge severely wounded." He gives special praise to Captain King and Captain May on second day.

Taken from: http://www.civilwarhome.com/9alainf.htm