Revivals to Revolvers . . . to Die for Commonwealth and Family!: A History of the Second Regiment Kentucky Infantry, Csa

By COL Charles W. L. Hall

Over two thousand men were recruited for this regiment from the counties of Hickman, Fayette, Bullitt, Jefferson, Graves, Franklin, Harrison, Scott, Owen, Bourbon, and Anderson throughout 18611865! The Second Kentucky persevered over three years of unbelievable hardship valorously and under constant threat of death! Honoring all Kentuckians past and present! Part of the real life story is given to us through the memoirs and diary of Colonel Roger W. Hanson, commanding the Louisville Legion, Jefferson County, Kentucky. Every attempt has been made to fully represent our regiment in this book, to include a regiment roster of all officers and men who selfishly served their state, their conscience, and the Confederacy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 5, 2013
• ISBN: 9781466976603

COL Charles W. L. Hall

Colonel Charles W. L. Hall, Ph.D., is an educator, psychologist, and minister and a longtime resident of Mississippi and a Confederate historian by being a practical student of the War for Southern Independence for over fifty years. His great-grandfather was an officer of the Forty-Sixth North Carolina Infantry Regiment, and he himself was past commander of Camp No. 1329, SCV, and awarded the War Service Cross by the UDC and the Southern Cross by the OSC for his preservation efforts on the Franklin Battlefield Restoration. Colonel Hall was a career officer of the US Army’s Adjutant General Corps and is a war veteran of the Cold War, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War, retiring with over thirty years’ service. He has used both his academic training and military experience to bring this Confederate Regiment back to life, AAG.

Book preview

REVIVALS TO REVOLVERS…

TO DIE FOR

COMMONWEALTH

AND FAMILY!

A History of the Second Regiment Kentucky Infantry, CSA

1.tif

(Excerpts from the Civil War Memoirs

of the officers and men of the 2nd Kentucky

Frontier Regiment of Jefferson, Ky)

COL CHARLES W. L. HALL, PH.D.

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© Copyright 2013 COL Charles W. L. Hall, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

All Maps and Tables published with the authorization of the Turner Publishing Company, Paducah, Kentucky.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hanson, Roger W., b. d..

Revivals and Revolvers, To die for the Commonwealth and Family: a history of the 2nd Regiment Kentucky Infantry CSA: the Civil War memories and diary entries of the men of the 2nd Kentucky Regiment / complied and edited by COL Charles W.L. Hall,

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1.     Confederate States of America. Army. Kentucky Mtd Infantry Regiment, 2nd.

2.     United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Regimental histories.

3.     Kentucky—History—Civil War, 1860-1865—Regimental histories.

4.     United States—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives, Confederate. 5. Kentucky—History—Civil War, 1861-1865—Personal narratives. 6. Hanson, Roger W. b.—Diary. 7. Soldiers—Kentucky—Jefferson County—Diary. I. Hall, Charles W.L., 1946-. II Titles.

E546.S58 973.7462’ 00-00000

For Kentucky: CIP

E341.S65 973.762’

British Library Cataloging in Publication Data Available

isbn: 978-1-4669-7661-0 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4669-7660-3 (e)

Trafford rev. 10/31/2013

22855.png

www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

fax: [phone]

Contents

[For "Register of Commissioned Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers,

Second Regiment, "Complete Roster of the Second Regiment, Kentucky

Volunteers, Service of Returning the Second to Kentucky, "Maps

and Tables, Membership in the United Confederate Veterans, List of

Illustrations" see Appendix.]

About the Author

2nd Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A.

Introduction

PART ONE —Hurrah for DIXIE … . !

THE TENNESSEE DEFENSIVE LINE

CHAPTER I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

PART TWO —The Valorous Defense … . !!

THE GEORGIA CAMPAIGN

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Part Three

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

General Footnotes

Bibliography

Map Lists

Table Lists

Table of Illustrations

Dedications

&

Memories… .

In preservation of my children’s Kentucky Southern heritage…

and,

the challenge of my cousin Dale Greenwell, in his successful writing of the 3rd Mississippi Infantry;

In the memory of my dear friend, mentor, compatriot and scholar

The late

Major-General William D. McCain, US Army. Retired.

Adjutant-in-Chief, Sons of Confederate Veterans;

and

My fellow friends & compatriots of the

The Orphan Brigade SCV Camp

Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky

1980-1982;

The Confederate Veterans, ladies and children

of the Great State of Kentucky.

and

In the memory of our beloved

Confederacy . . . !

130271969802740640.jpg130271971046462240.jpg

This story is a memorial to the men,

and their yet untold story of devotion and sacrifice in

Following units:

Baldwin’s Second Brigade

Fort Donelson Bucker’s Division

Department of Western Kentucky

Hanson’s Brigade

Breckinridge’s Division

Breckinridge’s Reserve Corps;

J. H. Lewis’ Brigade

Breckinridge’s Division

Hardee’s Army Corps;

ARMY OF KENTUCKY

Department of Western Kentucky

(Staging Area)

ARMY OF TENNESSEE, CSA

(Field Operations)

General Albert S. Johnston

General Braxton Bragg

General Joseph E. Johnson

H I S T O R Y

OF THE

SECOND REGIMENT

KENTUCKY MOUNTED INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS

IN THE

WAR FOR SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE

Complied and Edited By:

COL CHARLES W.L. HALL, Ph.D.

Confederate Historian

Jackson, Mississippi

Printed by the Confederate Press

About the Author

au.TIF

Colonel Charles W.L. Hall, Ph.D. is an

Educator, Psychologist, Minister and

A longtime resident of Mississippi;

a Confederate historian,

by being a practical

student of the War for Southern

Independence for over fifty years.

His Great-grand father an Officer of the

46th North Carolina Infantry Regiment;

As Past Commander of Camp #1329, SCV

was awarded the UDC War Service Cross,

and the OSC’s Southern Cross

for preservation efforts on the

Franklin Battlefield Restoration.

A Career Officer of the Adjutant General Corps

and a veteran of the Cold War, Vietnam War

and Gulf War—retired from the U.S. Army with

over thirty years service.

COL Hall used both his academic

training and his military experience

in the editing of this book.

A.A.G.

10.tif

                              

10.1.tif

Traditional

REGIMENTAL COLORS with HONORS

Second Kentucky Infantry of Volunteers

17 July 1861* - 7 May 1865*

2.tif

Symbols of the Confederate Army in the Field

Army of Tennessee

Breckinridge’s Corps                   The Battle Flag               Hardee’s Corps

3.tif

SECOND REGIMENT KENTUCKY INFANTRY

(MOUNTED) VOLUNTEERS

Military Campaign Credits:

I.     BATTLE OF FORT DONELSON (Tn)

II.     BATTLE OF MURFREESBORO (Tn)

III.     BATTLE OF CHICKAMUGA (Ga)

IV.     BATTLE OF MISSIONARY RIDGE (Tn)

V.     BATTLE FOR ATLANTA (x3) (Ga)

VI.     BATTLE OF SAVANNAH (SC)

2nd Kentucky Infantry, C.S.A.

1861 Army of Mississippi     1863 Army of Tennessee     1864 (-) Army of Tennessee

Albert Johnston Army     Braxton Bragg’s Army     Joseph Johnson’s Army

Fort Donelson Buckner     Breckinridge’s Res. Corps     Hardee’s Army Corps

Baldwin’s Brigade     Breckinridge’s Division     Breckinridge’s Division

     Hanson’s Brigade     J.H. Lewis Brigade

SECOND REGIMENT KENTUCKY INFANTRY VOLUNTEERS

Field and Staff—Headquarters, Camp Boone, Clarksville, Tennessee

Colonel James M. Hawes (17Jul61), Commander***

*Lieutenant-Colonel Robert A. Johnson (17Jul61), Executive Officer

*Major James W. Hewitt (17Jul61)

COMPANY A Mounted Rifles

*Captain James W. Moss (1861) Ky County***

COMPANY B Breckinridge Mounted Rifles

*Captain Robert J. Breckinridge (1861) Ky County

COMPANY C Mounted Rifles

Captain Philip Lee (1861) Ky County ***

COMPANY D Mounted Rifles

*Captain Lewis S. Slayden (1861) Ky County

COMPANY E Mounted Rifles

*Captain Stephen F. Chipley (1861) Ky County

COMPANY F Mounted Rifles

*Captain Harvey McDowell (1861) Ky County***

COMPANY G Hamilton Guards

*Captain John S. Hope (1861) Ky County

COMPANY H Mounted Rifles

*Captain Aston Madeira (1861) Ky County

COMPANY I Mounted Rifles

Captain Gustavus Dedman (1861) Ky County**

COMPANY K Mounted Rifles

Captain John W. Owings (1861) Ky County

COMPANY L Mounted Rifles

*Captain Benjamin Deshea (1861) Ky County

* killed                              Transferred ***                              resigned **

Introduction

There are no more survivors of the Second Kentucky Mounted Volunteers (the Regiment thereof). Their heroic deeds and adventurous exploits have been buried in the archives and libraries of last resort, much like the volunteers in gray who were interned along the dusty roads and byways across the battlefields of the Southern Confederacy, a legacy paved in victories, defeats, and finally in surrender! They returned home beaten and wore on the outside, but victorious on the inside from a higher morale plain of satisfaction—knowing that they had given there very best, and yet, they had served honorable, but in their mind they remained un-surrendered in their cause.

I the author have been interested in the War for Southern Independence since I was a young child, that interest was reinforced by the excitement of the Centennial 1960-1965, and finally brought to fruitarian through my own family’s genealogical research. My interest in the Second Regiment of Kentucky Volunteers (Infantry), was crystallized when the late President-Major General William D. McCain, University of Southern Mississippi, ask me to form a Son’s of Confederate Veterans camp in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (a camp had not existed here since the 1950’s).

At this time General McCain was serving also as the Adjutant-in-Chief, Son’s of Confederate Veterans, headquartered at USM, and operated the Mississippi Division, Headquarters Camp #584 (of which I was a member in good standing since being credentialed in December 1972, while serving in the United States Army at Fort Ord, California).

I thought it a challenge and undertook to raise the Hattiesburg SCV Camp #1329. Some years later, having success with organizing this camp, I applied lessons learned upon returning to Louisville, Kentucky for a Master’s program at the University of Louisville. I set about organizing the Louisville SCV Camp #1342, the Orphan Brigade (the Second Kentucky Mounted Regiment of Volunteers a unit of this command), of the Kentucky Division, Department of the Army of Tennessee SCV. Prior to the actual chartering of the Camp, I been aware of this unit history as a youth and heard the local folklore of these men. I discovered that Jefferson County was among the areas in the South where in was known that brother fought brother and families were split over the war! While researching the Confederate Archives at the Folsom Club and U of L, and later the Kentucky State Archives & History in Frankfort, I further discovered that an infantry company had been organized of the men in Jefferson County of the City of Louisville. The unit was known as Company B and named the Breckinridge Mounted Rifles, after their first elected commander—Captain Robert J. Breckinridge in 1861, and accepted for state service.

During the month of January 1861, the Kentucky State Legislature passed an act, for the expansion of the Kentucky State Guard and other military forces. Early recruitment was under taken by the state guard, state militia and patriotic citizens. Southern sympathizers undertook to organize a new regiment for the Confederacy; that would eventually be formed from north-central Kentucky counties of Anderson, Bourbon, Bullitt, Fayette, Franklin, Graves, Harrison, Hickman, Jefferson, Owen and Scott, and to be trained in Camp Boone near Clarksville, Tennessee in the Summer of ’61.

Upon the initial organization of the regiment in camp, and the completion of area recruitment of nearly 1,050 men to fulfill personnel requirements of 10 infantry companies and regimental headquarters field & staff; training of the regiment could begin in earnest. The Second was mustered into Confederate Service, at Camp Boone, Clarksville, Tennessee and assigned to the command of the General A. S. Johnston’s Army.

Upon the receipt of orders, the men and officers of the 2nd Kentucky were jubilant and full of anticipation of the battle glory’s to come—when they would finally met the dam Yankee on the field of contest and honor! The knew there patriotism and fidelity would lead to a triumph victory. The regiments movement from Clarksville, Tennessee was timely and occurred without incident, arriving at Fort Donelson for encampment. The regiment was detailed to perimeter defenses and guard details in and around the town of Dover, Tennessee.

During 1861 and early 1862, the war was well under way in Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Louisiana. As of this time, the Confederacy had not as yet under taken any major campaign, the present emphasis was a war plan based on defensive posture—in other words waging a border war, buying time to muster available men and material from the interior states. The War and Naval Departments of the Confederacy needed time to