THE FORTY-SEVENTH ALABAMA INFANTRY

The Forty-seventh regiment was organized at Loachapoka, May 22, 1862. Later, in June, the regiment arrived in Virginia and was brigaded, under General Taliaferro, with the Forty-eighth Alabama and several Virginia regiments. It was in Stonewall Jackson's "own division. " The regiment received its "baptism of fire" at Cedar Run, August 9th, where Captain Menefee was killed, and nearly onehalf of the effective force of the regiment wounded more or less severely, 12 being killed outright. At Second Bull Run, August 30th, the regiment again suffered severely. It fought at Chantilly, September 1st; at Harper's Ferry, September 12th to 15th and at the battle of Sharpsburg it did not lose its record for hard fighting and heavy loss. It was at Fredericksburg, December 13th, and wintered on the Rappahannock. In January, 1863, the Forty-seventh and Fortyeighth were transferred to Law's brigade, Hood's division, Longstreet's corps, with the Fourth, Fifteenth and Forty fourth Alabama. The early part of the spring, the regiment, under Longstreet, was operating around Richmond and Suffolk. July found it in the thickest of the fight at Gettysburg, where 4 officers out of 21 were killed, and the casualties embraced one-third of its effective force. Transferred with Longstreet's corps to the army of Tennessee, it took a prominent part at the battle of Chickamauga, September 20th and at Knoxville, November 17th to December 4th. In early spring, Longstreet's corps was sent back to the army of Northern Virginia in time for the battle of the Wilderness, May 5 and 6, 1864; and at Spottsylvania, May 7th to 12th with a return, as usual, of severe losses. General Perry was made brigadier, with the same organization as above, Captain Clower commanding regiment when it was paroled at Appomattox. Capts. A. C. Menefee was killed at Cedar Run, Jos. Johnson at Gettysburg, and Jas. H. Sanford at the Wilderness; Lieut. George W. Gammell was killed at Sharpsburg, and William Grimmett at Second Bull Run. The field officers were Cols. James M. Oliver, James W. Jackson and Michael J. Bulger; Lieut.-Col. L. R. Terrell, killed on the Darbytown road, and Majs. John G. Johnson and J. M. Campbell, the latter killed near Richmond. Source: Confederate Military History, vol. VIII, p. 201 Gettysburg after battle report: Report of Maj. James M. Campbell, Forty-seventh Alabama Infantry, July 2-4. August 7, 1863. Sir: A report of the part my regiment took in the fight at Gettysburg: Before our line was formed, three companies were detached from my regiment, and placed in rear of our right, to guard a road. These companies remained on this part of the field, almost constantly skirmishing with the enemy, until we fell back on the morning of the 4th, when they rejoined their command. The other seven Companies went into the fight in line with the brigade. There was some confusion in these companies, owing to the fact that in the charge the lieutenant-colonel expected the colonel to give all necessary commands, and the colonel remained so far behind that his presence on the field was but a trammel on the lieutenant-colonel. The colonel having been left behind, and the lieutenant-colonel (fighting most nobly) killed,* I took command of the regiment, and, after the first repulse of the brigade, in obedience to orders, I deployed a part of my men on the right of the brigade, where they remained until the close of the fight. After the firing ceased, in obedience to orders from Col. [James L.] Sheffield, commanding brigade, I threw my regiment out as skirmishers on our right, where they remained until morning. Out of the 21 officers, 4 were killed on the field. All of these (the 21) acted well. The colonel and adjutant are not included in this number. About one-third of the whole number of men were killed and wounded. J. M. CAMPBELL, Maj., Comdg. Regt. Note: * Lieut. Col. M. J. Bulger was not killed. On July 16, 1863, he became colonel, vice James W. Jackson, resigned. Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 27. Part II. Reports. Serial No. 44 Chickamagua after battle report: Reports of Col. Martin L. Stansel, Forty-first Alabama Infantry. HDQRS. FORTY-FIRST REGT. ALABAMA VOLUNTEERS, Chattanooga, Tenn., September 27, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part borne by this regiment in the battle of the 19th and 20th instant, near Chickamauga Creek, Ga.: On the morning of the 19th, our brigade was drawn up in line of battle on the west bank of the creek, on the extreme left of the army, in support of Cobb's battery and a section of the Washington Artillery, where the enemy were massed in strong force, and, after a most spirited artillery duel between ours and the batteries of the enemy of about an hour's duration, in which this regiment lost 2 men severely wounded, we were ordered up to the extreme right of the army, as were also the other brigades of Gen. Breckinridge's division. We moved up to the right during the evening and night, and early on Sunday morning [the 20th], we were drawn up in line of battle about 400 yards in front of the enemy's line. Soon after, our line moved forward and drove the enemy from their position, and a short distance beyond the three left companies of my regiment and the company of Capt. Ogden, which had been deployed as skirmishers in the early morning, and which had rallied on the left, came upon the enemy's breastworks, concealed in a thick undergrowth, and, owing to the galling fire from the front and the heavy enfilading fire to which they were exposed, they seemed to waver. Here Gen. Helm ordered me from the center to the left to move these four companies forward, and the other companies moved forward under command of Maj. Nash. Upon going to the left, and that many of them had already been killed and wounded, and in order to extricate them from their perilous position I moved them out by the right flank, and rejoined the balance of the regiment as soon as possible, which I found halted about 100 yards from where I left them. At about 5 p. m. we were with our brigade, constituting the center battalion in the final charge upon the fortifications above alluded to occupied by the enemy, when they were completely routed from their works and driven back for miles, resulting in a great victory to our arms. In this battle many of the officers and men of this regiment demeaned themselves with marked gallantry, a fact which is amply corroborated by our large list* of killed and wounded herewith forwarded, marked Exhibit A, and to many of them the highest commendation is due. The names of Maj. Nash, Capt. Eddins, and Adjutant Leland, and the officers in command of companies, deserve especial mention. First Lieut. A. Hawkins, of Company D, fell bravely leading his men on the works of the enemy, and Sergt. Maj. Ira G. Tarrant fell nobly discharging the duties of his position. The cool and fearless conduct of Color Sergt. Clark Richey deserves honorable mention for the manner in which he bore the regimental colors through the shock of battle. Maj. J. G. Nash acted as lieutenant-colonel, and Capt. B. F. Eddins, of Company F, as major, Lieut.-Col. Trimmier being absent sick. This regiment went into battle with 325 men, and our casualties were: Killed, 27; wounded, 120; missing, 11. Total, 158. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, M. L. STANSEL, Col., Comdg. Regt. Capt. FAYETTE HEWITT, Assistant Adjutant-Gen., &c.

Source: Official Records PAGE 207-51 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII. [Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]

Alabama 47th Infantry (Confederate)

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