THE THIRTY-THIRD ALABAMA INFANTRY.

The Thirty-third, organized at Pensacola, in April, 1862, was sent to Corinth soon after the battle of Shiloh. It took part in the Kentucky campaign at the capture of Munfordville, September 17th, and suffered heavy loss at Perryville, October 8th. It was greatly distinguished at Murfreesboro, December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863. The brilliant record of the regiment was again established at Chickamauga, September 19th and 20th, where it lost 133 men. The Eighteenth battalion, Major Gibson, had been attached to the regiment and amalgamated with it, so that henceforth their history is identical, and in this battle perished the gallant leader of the battalion. The roll of honor of the organization is a long and creditable one. The regiment was at Lookout Mountain, November 24th, Missionary Ridge, November 25th, and Ringgold, November 27th. Worn, weary, many of the men barefooted, the regiment never lost its spirit, but fought on to the end with the same undaunted bravery. It wintered in Dalton and took part in all the battles and skirmishes from there to Chattanooga, always in the front. Its gallant Colonel Adams was killed at Atlanta, July 22, 1864. With Hood in Tennessee, the regiment lost heavily, its strength of 285 men being reduced to less than 80. T he regiment was transferred to North Carolina and surrendered at Smithfield. Adjutant Stalworth died at Tupelo; Adjt. A. M. Moore and Capt. William S. Sims were killed at Chickamauga; Capt. William E. Dodson at Kenesaw; Capt. J. D. McKee at Perryville; Capts. John C. Norman and W. E. Cooper in a railroad accident. Among the field officers were Col. Samuel Adams, killed at Atlanta, and Col. Robert Crittenden; Lieut.Cols. Daniel H. Horn, and James H. Dunklin, who was wounded at Chickamauga. Source: Confederate Military History, vol. VIII, p. 160 Stone's River after battle report: Report of Col. Samuel Adams, Thirty-third Alabama Infantry. ESTILL SPRINGS, TENN., January 7, 1863. SIR: In obedience to circular of this date, headquarters Wood's brigade, I have the honor to report that on 24th ultimo I arrived at Triune, Tenn., at which place my regiment was encamped, doing outpost duty. On 26th of same month I resumed command of it. At 1 p.m. on that day may regiment was ordered forward to meet the advance of the enemy. The regiment, in accordance with orders, moved forward about 2 miles from Triune and halted until about 4 p.m., when it was ordered to form line of battle about half a mile in rear of Triune, in which position it remained until 4 a.m., December 27, when it was ordered to form line of battle on the road leading from Triune to Murfreesborough, about 300 yards form the village. At this place until about 9 a.m., when it was ordered to move across the bridge on the turnpike road leading to Shelbyville, about 2 miles from Triune, and form line of battle on the range of hills immediately south of it. At this place it remained until 3 a.m., when it was ordered by Gen. Wood to fall back in rear of his brigade on the Shelbyville turnpike. On night of December 28, it encamped about 1 miles west of Murfreesborough. On December 29, it formed line of battle near the Nashville turnpike, about 1 1/2 miles from Murfreesborough, about 1,000 yards in rear of the line formed by Gen. Breckinridge's command, on the right wing of the enemy. On the night of December 30, it moved across the river to the west wing of the army, and about 12 p.m. encamped on the banks of Stone's River, about 1 1/2 miles from Murfreesborough. Early on the morning of December 31, it was ordered forward, and about sunset attacked the enemy's lines. The enemy were in a thick cedar thicket. Going down, I ordered my regiment not to fire until the enemy could be plainly seen. The Sixteenth Alabama Regiment, which was on the right of my regiment, fired two or three rounds before the enemy in front of my regiment could be seen. When I first saw the enemy he was about 140 yards off, and I immediately gave the command to my regiment to fire. In about ten minutes after the firing commenced the enemy's lines in front of my regiment commenced giving way. I immediately ordered my regiment forward, which order it promptly obeyed, running at a rapid pace and firing as it advanced. It pursued the enemy for about half a mile, when the line became confused by the regiments, both on the right and left, pressing toward the center; it was halted by Gen. Wood and formed. After being formed in order, it moved forward about half a mile, when it was within 200 yards of one of the enemy's batteries, strongly posted in an open field immediately in my front line, in a secure position. I halted the regiment until I ascertained that the battery could not attack, and then moved my regiment back about 75 yards to support one of our batteries on the right of my regiment. This position I held until the pieces were removed, when I ordered my regiment to fall back for the purpose of supplying it with ammunition. About 12 m. my regiment, with the brigade, was, by order of Gen. Wood, moved forward for about half a mile, when the regiments on the right of my regiment opened fire; but I not being able to see the enemy, ordered my regiment to move forward. When it had advanced about 25 yards, the enemy, who had been lying down, rose and moved rapidly away. At this time my regiment, by my order, commenced firing. I pursued the enemy for about 400 yards to the edge of the wood. The enemy had taken a position in the open field too strong to be taken. On January 1, 1863, my regiment moved forward through an open field to a hospital, about 200 yards from the enemy's lines. In this position it remained about twenty minutes under the fire of the large and small arms of the enemy, and was then ordered by Gen. Wood back to its original position. On January 2, my regiment during the day remained in line of battle in the same position until about 11 a.m., when it was ordered to cross the river and form line of battle near its original position on the right wing of the army. In this position it remained until about 11 p.m., January 3, at which [time] it was ordered to fall back from Murfreesborough. For nine days my men were continually marching, in line of battle, or actually engaged in fighting; very frequently slept in the rain without tents, and during the whole time not of complaint was heard until they learned that they were to fall back from Murfreesborough. In this battle the regiment, with the exception of a very few men, acted very bravery. Many of them, when the regiment was moving forward, utterly regardless of their safety, were at all times far in advance of the line. When I ordered the regiment forward, it always promptly obeyed, and when it was retiring it as promptly obeyed the command "halt." In these engagements Capt. W. E. Dodson, commanding Company C, and Capt. Thomas Seay, commanding Company K, acted with much coolness and bravery, being in all forward movements in advance of the regiment, cheering their men forward. Near the close of December 31, 1862, Capt. Seay fell, severely wounded. Sergeant Maj. Mizell, at his own request, carried a gun into the action on 31st, and took position near the colors. He fell, mortally wounded, in the first charge, in advance of the regiment, cheering the men forward. Corpl. Isaac R. Smith, Company C; Sergeant Stewart, Company H; Private Byrd, Company I; Private Foster, Company E; Private Riley, Company D, each acted with much coolness and bravery during the engagements. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SAM. ADAMS, Col., Cmdg. Thirty-third Alabama Regt. Capt. O. S. PALMER, Assistant Adjutant-Gen. Source: Official Records PAGE 904-29 KY., MID. AND E. TENN., N. ALA., AND SW. VA. [CHAP. XXXII. [Series I. Vol. 20. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 29.] Chickamagua after battle report: Report of Col. Samuel Adams, Thirty-third Alabama Infantry, commanding Thirty-third Alabama and Gibson's Battalion. HDQRS. THIRTY-THIRD ALABAMA REGT., Missionary Ridge, Tenn., October 8, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part that my command acted in the battle of the Chickamauga, on September 19 and 20: Mine was the left regiment of Wood's brigade. On my right was the Sixteenth Alabama Regt.; on my left was Deshler's brigade. Between sundown and dark on the evening of the 19th, I deployed, in accordance with an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood, a company of skirmishers (Capt. Hammett's company) about 150 yards distant, covering my front and connecting with a similar line in front of Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Very shortly after this line was formed I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood, delivered by Capt. Palmer, assistant adjutant-general on his staff, to move my regiment forward and keep in line with the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Capt. Palmer also stated to me that it was Maj.-Gen. Cleburne's order that if a battery of the enemy should appear in my front I should immediately charge and take it. Jackson's brigade was in line of battle in front of and about 100 yards from my line of skirmishers. After my skirmishers had passed Jackson's brigade about 75 yards, they engaged the skirmishers of the enemy and immediately drove them back. After my regiment had passed this point about 75 yards it engaged the enemy's main line. At this point the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. halted. I also halted my regiment. After remaining in this position for a very short time--not more, I think, than ten minutes--I moved my regiment forward and the enemy fell back before it. After moving forward 175 or 200 yards I halted my regiment. At this point Deshler's brigade lapped my regiment by about two companies. I had lost my connection with the regiment on my right. A part of Jackson's brigade had followed closely in my rear and was firing. It was now so dark that his object could be distinguished but a very short distance. My reason for halting was to rectify my line and to avoid being fired into by the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. on my right and Jackson's brigade in my rear. Shortly after halting I perceived from the flash of the arms that there was fire in my front directed toward the enemy. This, I afterward learned from some prisoners taken at this point, was one of the enemy's lines firing into another. While I was investigating this matter some of my center companies fell back about 100 yards. This was caused, as I learned from the officers commanding the companies, by some person giving the command to "fall back," and stating that it was my order. I immediately brought these companies again forward and moved my regiment forward about 75 yards. Here I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood, by Capt. Palmer, to move my regiment to the right and connect with the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. After doing this I received an order from same officer to deploy a company as pickets, about 300 yards distant from my line, so as to cover my front and connect with a similar line in front of the regiment on my right. This line I afterward doubled, and rested for the night. My loss had been 3 killed and 33 wounded. I took 33 prisoners. On the morning of 20th, my position in the brigade was not changed. Deshler's brigade was on my left. About 10 a. m. I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to move my regiment forward and keep it in line with the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. After advancing about a half mile obliquely, most of the time to the right in to the left, the Sixteenth Alabama Regt., under a heavy fire of grape and canister and shell, halted. Ten or 15 paces in advance of this position I moved my regiment before halting it. During most of the time that I remained in this position my regiment was under a very heavy fire of grape, canister, and shell. I had here 7 men wounded. After I had remained here an hour or an hour and a half, I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to move forward and keep in line with Sixteenth Alabama Regt. Previous to this time Deshler's brigade had moved to the right. Brown's brigade was near me on the left. After moving forward about 200 yards I received a general volley of small-arms from the enemy's line. At this point the Sixteenth Alabama Regt. halted. On a line with it halted my regiment. Here my company of skirmishers that had covered my front in the whole advance came in, having driven the enemy's line of skirmishers back to the main line. Near my line in front was a fence covering my whole regiment except the right company. The enemy's line of battle was distant about 275 yards behind barricades. In this position I was subjected to a very severe enfilading fire from the right. In front a low hill protected me. Shortly after I halted, Brown's brigade came up on my left, and supporting it and very near in its rear was Clayton's brigade, the right regiment of which lapped my whole regiment. I moved forward my regiment with these two brigades about 100 yards to the crest of the hill in my front. At this point most of both brigades fell back, carrying with them many of my men. I continued to advance until I reached a house on the western side of the Chattanooga road, about 75 yards from the enemy's line. This house caught fire about the close of the engagement and burned down. At this point I found myself with but 60 or 70 of my own men and but very few, if any, of the other two brigades. With this squad of men and my colors I fell back to the ravine where I had previously halted. After I had remained here half an hour engaged in collecting my stragglers, I received an order from Brig.-Gen. Wood to rejoin the brigade, which was 700 or 800 yards farther in the rear. In this engagement I lost 16 killed and 133 [wounded]. About an hour before sundown I was ordered by Brig.-Gen. Wood to support Semple's battery. In this position I remained until dark, and during this time I was not under fire. In both of these engagements both my men and officers, with a few exceptions, acted well. Some, both of officers and men, acted very gallantly. I desire to mention the names of Capt. Dodson, Company C, and Capt. Hammett, Company D, among those who were most distinguished for coolness and bravery. The adjutant of my regiment (A. M. Moore) was killed on the 19th, and Maj. J. H. Gibson, Gibson's battalion, was mortally wounded on 20th, and has since died. Both of these were brave and efficient officers, and in their death the country has sustained much loss. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SAM. ADAMS, Col., Comdg. 33d Alabama Regt. and Gibson's Batt. [Capt.] O. S. PALMER, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.

Source: Official Records PAGE 165-51 KY., SW. VA. TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII. [Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]

Alabama 33rd Infantry (Confederate)

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