McNAIRY COUNTY, TN - MILITARY - The Sixth Tennessee Cavalry ============================================================== USGENWEB 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 Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Douglas H. Prather douglas-memphis@worldnet.att.net =============================================================== The Sixth Tennessee Cavalry McNairy County Independent, June 13, 1924 Some time after the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862, Andrew Johnson then Governor of Tennessee, authorized and commissioned Fielding Hurst, of McNairy county, to recruit and organize a regiment, and this regiment was known as the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry. About the first of October in that year companies A, B, C, D, and G, were organized by Col. Hurst. W. K. M. Breckenridge,of Perry county, from the counties Perry, Wayne and Hardin organized companies E, F, and H, and Thomas H. Boswell, of Weakley counties organized companies F, K, L, and M. All of these from the counties named were consolidated under the name of Sixth Tennessee Cavalry. The officers at first were: Fielding Hurst, colonel; W. K. M. Breckenridge, lieutenant colonel; Eldridge S. Tidwell, major; R. M. Thompson, major; Thomas Williams, surgeon; Joseph E. Marvin, assistant surgeon; W. J. Smith, regimental quartermaster; Thos. M. Clayton, regimental commissary; James J. Smith, chaplain; S. L. Warren adjutant; Ben S. Walker, sergeant major; John F. Tidwell, hospital steward; John R. Ray, regimental quartermaster sergeant; John R. Lokey, regimental commissary sergeant. As the war progressed the regimental officers were changed, either by death or resignation, and from time to time the regimental officers were; W. J. Smith, colonel; C. H. Shearer, lieutenant colonel; M. J. Liening and S. L. Warren, majors; L. O. Summers, assistant surgeon; J. H. Thorington, adjutant; R. W. Eskredge, regimental quartermaster sergeant, and W. A. Newsom, regimental quartermaster. The various companies had the following officers during the war: Company A--A. M. Thompson, B. J. Riggs, Samuel Lewis, Captains; James J. Smith, C. H. Deford, Thomas Craugh and Wm. H. Swain, lieutenants Company B--Horry Hodges, E. J. Hodges, captains; Francis M. Tucker, So8. D. Hanna, W. W. Kirby, John Huddleston, lieutenants. Company C--Nathan M. D. Kemp, captain; Wm. T. Smith, Thomas Crangle and James M. Sandes, lieutenants. Company D--Levi Hurst, James L. W. Boatman, captains; Zachariah Northcutt, R. Northcutt, J. P. Gibbs, James L. Hardwich, lieutenants. Company E--John D. Poston, Francis A. Smith captains; William Cleary, lieutenant. Company F--David. L. Dickenson, captain; Edward Hardin, R. O. F. Roswell, John W. Youngblood Lieutenants. Company G--Elijah Robertson, Wm. Chandler, W. C.Webb, captains; J. L. W. Boatman, Wm. F. Balright,Isaac J. Shull, leutenants. Company H--Joseph G. Berry, Risden D. Deford, captains; Calvin Hanna, Nicholas Pitts, Wm. A. Newsour, lieutenants. Company I--Orlando H. Scherer, S. L. Warren, captains; W. J. Campbell, Miles Wood lieutenants. Company K--Thos. H. Boswell, Albert Cook, captains; John W. Barham, James E. McNair, lieutenants. Company L--John W. Moore John H. Edwards, captains, Thomas. B. Wagoner, G. T. Wan, J. N. Julin, lieutenants. Company M--W. C. Holt, Thad C. McMahon, captains; H. L. Neely, James. A. Mangum, lieutenants. Reminiscences of the Early Settlement and Early Settlers of McNairy County, Tennessee by Gen. Marcus J. Wright, originally published in 1881 by the Author and Republished by C.L. Majors, McNairy County Historian, 1968. Pages 31,32 and 33 Major Stanford L. Warren furnishes the following interesting particulars in regard to the 6th Tennessee (Federal) Cavalry : After the battle of Shiloh and the retreat of the Confederate Army south, Fielding Hurst, of McNairy county, was commissionedd by Andrew Johnson, Governor of Tennessee, to recruit and organize this regiment. By the 1st of October, 1862, he had succeed in recruiting and organizing companies A, B, C, D and G W . K. M.. Breckenridge, of Perry county, had also been recruiting for a regiment on the east side of the Tennessee river, in the counties of Hardin, Wayne and Perry, and had organized companies E, F and H. Thomas H. Boswell, of Weakly county, had also been recruiting, and organized companies F, K, L, M. These companies being consolidated, completed the organization of the 6tb Tennessee cavalry, with the following named officers : Fielding Hurst Colonel W. K. M. Breckenridge Lieutenant Colonel. Eldridge S. Tidwell Major R. M. Thoinpson " Thomas Williams Surgeon. Joseph E. Morvin Assistant-Surgeon. W. J. Smith Reg. Q Master. Thomas M. Clayton Reg Com. James J. Smith Chaplain. S. L. Warren Adj. Ben. S. Walker Sergeant Major. John F. Tidwell Hosp. Stewart. John R. Ray R.Q.M . Sergeant. John A. Lokey R. Com. Sergt. This organisation was changed materially during the war by death, resignation and otherwise, so that at the close of the war the organization was as follows: W. T. Smith Colonel. 0. H. Scheorer Lieutenant - Colonel. Mack J. Liening Major Stanford L. Warren " L. 0. Summers Assistant-Surgeon. John H. Thorington Adjudant. Richard W. Eskredge R. C. Sergeant. William A. Newson Reg. Quart. Master. Company A. Had during the war the following officers; A. M. Thompson Captain. B. J. Riggs " Samuel Lewis " James J. Smith 1st Lieutenant. C. H. Deford 1st " Thomas Craugb 2d " Wm. H. Swaim 2d " Company B. Harry Hodges Captain Elijah J. Hodges " Francis M. Tucker 1st Lieutenant. Samuel D. Hanna 2d " John Hudelleston 2d " Company C. Nathan M. D. Kemp Captain. Wm. T. Smith lst Lieutenant. Thomas Craugle 1st " James A. Sandes 2d " Company D. Leoi Hurst Captain. James L. W. Boatman " Zachariah Norcott lst Lieutenant. James R. Norcott 1st " John P. Gibbs 1st " James L. Hardwich 2d " Company E. John D. Poston Captain. Francis A. Smith " William Cleary 2d Lieutenat. Company F. David J. Dickenson Captain. Edward L. Hardin 1st Lieutenant. R. 0. F. Roswell 1st " John W. Youngblood 2d " Company G. Elijah Roberts Captain. Wm. Chandler " Wm. C. Webb " J. L. W. Boatman 1st Lieutenant. Wm. F. Balright 2d " Isaac J. Shull 2d " Company H. Joseph G. Berry Captain. Risden D. Deford " Calvin Hanna 1st Lieutenant. Nicholas Pitts 2d " Wm. A. Newsour 2d " Company I. Orlando H. Scherer Captain. Stanford L. Warren " William J. Campbell 1st Lieutenant. Miles Wood 2d " Company K. Thomas H. Boswell Captain. Albert Cook " John W. Barham 1st Lieutenant. James F. McNair 2d " Company L. John W. Moore Captain. John H. Edwards " Thomas B. Waggoner 1st Lieutenant. George T. Wan 1st " James N. Julin 2d " Company M. William C. Holt Captain. Thad. C. McMahon " Hugh. L. Neely 1st Lieutenant. James A. Mangan 2d " CONFEDERATE TROOPS. Every effort has been made to obtain lists of Confederate organizations from this county, but without success. It is thought that the various companies and battalions organized in this county for Confederate service would reach something like two regiments. Alphonso Cross and Dew M. Wisdom each raised and commanded companies of infantry ; the former in the 154th Tennessee regiment, the latter in the 13th Tennessee. Col. A. N. Wilson commanded a battalion of cavalry from McNairy.