History of the 42nd Alabama Infantry, CSA, Conecuh, Fayette, Marion, Mobile, Monroe, Pickens, Talladega, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/statewide/civilwar/al42ndinf.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file is copyrighted and contributed by: Deborah Gabriel ==================================================================== July 2001 Military History: Civil War Unit: Forty-Second Alabama Infantry FORTY-SECOND ALABAMA INFANTRY (Part I) Compiled & written by John F. Walter, Institute for Civil War Research, April 1984 and revised July 1996 Submitted by Deborah Gabriel, gabrieldeborah@netscape.net , July 1, 2001 with the permission of John F. Walter: Thank you very much for requesting permission. I know of others who have not bothered and it is refreshing to receive this type of request. Yes, you certainly do have my permission for this use. John F Walter Institute for Civil War Research Email on July 1, 2001 Items with brackets () were added by Deborah Gabriel (Companies in the Forty-Second came from Monroe Co., Pickens Co., Conecuh Co., Talladega Co., Fayette Co., Marion Co., and Mobile Co., AL. After his enlistment Private Elijah Gabriel (Gable, Gaberal) from Randolph Co., AL was placed in Company K of the 42nd Alabama Infantry. He was captured at Resaca, Georgia and died as a POW at Camp Douglas in Chicago, IL. Elijah Gabriel is buried in the Confederate Mound of Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, IL). Forty-Second Alabama Infantry The Forty-Second Alabama Infantry was organized at Columbus, Mississippi, during May, 1862. A substantial number of the officers and enlisted men of the unit were veterans of various twelve-month terms of service units. Slightly more than seven hundred officers and enlisted men were mustered into service as members of the regiment. The nickname, or local designation, of one of the regiment's companies has been identified. This is shown below. "E" known as the McCulloch Avengers ("A" from Monroe Co., AL) ("B" from Pickens Co., AL) ("D" from Pickens Co., AL) ("E" from Conecuh Co., AL) ("F" from Fayette Co., AL) ("G" from Talladega Co., AL) ("H" from Monroe Co., AL) ("I" from Mobile Co., AL) ("K" known as the Bull Mountain Invincibles, Marion Co., AL) Like almost all Civil War units the Forty-Second Alabama Infantry was often known by an alternate designation derived from the name of its commanding officer. Names of this type were used by or for this regiment are shown below. John W. Portis' Infantry Thomas C. Lanier's Infantry William C. Fergus' Infantry Robert K. Wills' Infantry Robert Best's Infantry Allen B. Knox's Infantry George W. Foster's Infantry William D. McNeill's Infantry Upon being mustered into service the regiment was ordered to Tupelo, Mississippi. There it served on Provost duty until joining the Army of West Tennessee in October, 1862. Subsequently it served in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana until it surrendered when Vicksburg fell on July 4, 1863. After being exchanged and paroled the regiment was assigned to the Army of Tennessee. In August, 1864, the regiment moved to Mobile, Alabama, where it served in the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. Returned to the Army of Tennessee in early 1865, the unit served in that army for the remainder of its career. The list below shows the specific higher command assignments of the unit. Aug. 1, 1862 Provost Duty, Tupelo, Mississippi, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana Oct. 1, 1862 Moore's Brigade, Maury's Division, Price's Corps, "Army of the West", Army of West Tennessee Jan 31, 1863 Moore's Brigade, Maury's Division, Second Military District, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana April 1, 1863 Second Brigade, Maury's Division, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana July 4, 1863 Moore's Brigade, Forney's Division, Army of Vicksburg Aug. 29, 1863 "Exchange Camp, Demopolis, Alabama" Moore's Brigade, Forney's Division, Army of Vicksburg Sept. 30, 1863 Moore's Brigade, Cheatham's Division, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee March 19, 1864 Baker's Brigade, Stewart's Division, Hood's Corps, Army of Tennessee July 1,. 1864 Gibson's Brigade, Clayton's Division, Hood's Corps, Army of Tennessee July 18, 1864 Gibson's Brigade, Clayton's Division, Lee's Corps, Army of Tennessee Aug. 15, 1864 Baker's Brigade, Liddell's Division, District of the Gulf, Department Of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana March 15, 1865 Baker's Brigade, Clayton's Division, Lee's Corps, Army of Tennessee The Forty-Second Alabama Infantry participated in a number of various type engagements during its career. These are identified below. Battle, Corinth, MS Oct. 3-4, 1862 Engagement, Hatchie Bridge "Davis Bridge", Big Hatchie, Metamora, TN Oct. 5, 1862 Retreat to the Hatchie River, MS Oct. 5-12, 1862 Operations on the Mississippi Central R.R. from Bolivar, TN to Coffeeville, MS "Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign" Oct. 31, 1862-Jan. 10, 1863 Skirmishes, Forty Hills and Hankinson's Ferry, MS May 3-4, 1863 Siege, Vicksburg, MS May 18-July 4, 1863 Assault, Vicksburg, MS May 19, 1863 Assault, Vicksburg, MS May 22, 1863 Surrender, Vicksburg, MS July 4, 1863 Siege, Chattanooga, TN Sept. 24 - Nov. 23, 1863 Campaign, Chattanooga, TN and Ringgold, GA Nov. 23-27, 1863 Engagement, Orchard Knob, Indian Hill, TN Nov. 23, 1863 Assault and Capture, Missionary Ridge, TN Nov. 24-25, 1863 Atlanta Campaign May 1-Aug. ?, 1864 Demonstration against Rocky Faced Ridge, GA May 8-11, 1864 Combat, Buzzard's Roost Gap (Mill Creek), GA May 8-9, 1864 Battle, Resaca, GA May 14-15, 1864 Engagement, Adairsville, GA May 17, 1864 Operations on the line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and Battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills, GA May 25-June 5, 1864 Combat, New Hope Church, GA May 25, 1864 Operations about Marietta and against Kenesaw Mountain, GA June 10 - July 2, 1864 Combats about Pine Hill, GA June 11-14, 1864 Combats about Lost Mountain, GA June 15-17 1864 Combat Noyes' Creek, GA June 19, 1864 Combat, Kolb's Farm, GA June 22, 1864 Assault, Kenesaw Mountain, GA June 27, 1864 Operations on the line of the Chattahoochee River, GA July 5-10, 1864 Battle, Peach Tree Creek, GA July 19-20, 1864 Battle, Atlanta, GA July 22, 1864 Siege, Atlanta, GA July 23 - Aug. 1, 1864 Battle, Ezra's Chapel, GA July 28, 1864 Operations in Mobile Bay against Fort Morgan and Gaines, AL Aug. ?-23, 1864 Campaign of the Carolinas Jan. 26 - April 26, 1865 Battle, Averysborough "Taylor's Hole Creek), NC March 16, 1865 Battle, Bentonville, NC March 19 - 21, 1865 Surrender, Bennett's House, Durham Station, NC April 26, 1865 Records indicate that the Forty-Second Alabama Infantry had been detached from the main body of the Army of Tennessee in early April 1865. The unit was on duty guarding the Yadkin River Bridge when it received the news of the surrender. Nothing has been found in either official or unofficial sources to show how many members of the unit were still with it when it finally laid down its arms.