Henry Seale
40TH Ala. Clarifacations
Sun Dec 10 14:52:33 2000


Hayes, You are correct in that men from the 7 companies of the 40TH were paroled at Vicksburg and also that there were a very few men also from the 3 companies, A,D,and I that composed "Stone's Battallion" that were not with the regiment at the time of the investment of Vicksburg. These men for one reason or another were not sent on the expedition up the Sunflower River. They may have been in the hospital or temporarily assigned to other duties when their respective companies were sent on this expedition. It must be remembered that these 3 companies were not permanently detached from the regiment, they were sent on a "reconnisence in force" and were expected to return shortly when they completed their assignment. They did not start operating as a separate command until they were cut off from the rest of the regiment by the investment of Vicksburg. They then reported to Gen. Jos. E. Johnston and were temporaily assigned to Ector's Brigade.

As to the belt plates that you mentioned marked "Vicksburg Alabama Sharpshooters" I am very suspect as to their authenticity. I assume that they have this inscription from the manufacturer. If so, I am certain that they are fake as no belt plates were manufactured in or around the city and the siege had not become of any great prominence to grant any noteriety upon the defenders until the siege was well underway. If the siege was underway, then no fancy novelty belt plates could have been sent into the city, nor would they as if anything could be sent in, food and ammunition, etc. were much more important than novelty belt plates. As a matter of note, Lt.Gen. Pemberton was critically short of percussion caps and many attempts, a few successfull, to smuggle some to him were made. If however, some soldier had scratched this on the back of his belt plate, then I could believe that. You did not state that these supposed plates were represented as artifacts of men that served with the 40TH. As there were several Alabama units involved in the Vicksburg siege, without further evidence, assuming these plates are authentic, it would not be prudent to assume that they are attributed to the 40TH. Could you send me more information about these plates? I would like very much to see a detailed decription of them.

As to the 40TH being also consolidated with the 37TH into the 19TH, I am very interested in what information that you may have on this. I strongly suspect that there was another unit that was merged into the 19TH as I have found a good number of men that were surrendered with the 19TH that had not been with the 40TH that had no documented records other than being in the 19TH at the time of the surrender of Gen. Johnston. I understand that a lot of records were missing from the Atlanta Campaign time period and Hood's Tennessee Campaign (which fortunantly the 40TH missed out on), but it is unusual for a soldier not to have something such as a listing on a muster roll in his compiled service record especially if he had the rank of sergeant or corporal.

As to the formation of the regiment at Mobile and not Speed's Mill, Pickens County(where the "Pickens Planters"-Company B was organized)I refer you to the writtings of Captain Samuel H. Sprott of Company A (originally 3RD Sergeant at the organization)who in detail discusses the regimental organization in a series of newspaper articles that appeared in "Our Southern Home" written in January and February 1899 that state that the first 5 organized companies were assembled at the fair grounds at Demopolis. They were then ordered to Mobile were they were quartered in an old cotton warehouse "about April 18,1862". In a few days after the arrival of the rest of the command they were moved to an old factory site on the Dog River called Cantonment Walter (Mobile area)." The regiment was soon after completed by the addition of the following companies: Co.F..., Co.G...,Co.H...,Co.I...,Co.K..." Capt. Sprott goes on to detail the particulars of the various companies being organized into a regiment, assignment of various regimental staff






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