Hayes Lowe
Guns and Guards
Wed Feb 7 10:40:12 2001


I didn't intentionally choose the term "gun", but by chance I think that its use here is more correct than rifle! There were very few rifled flintlocks! These were most likely smoothbore long guns. ; )

Yes, I have seen another roll for the Selma City Guards, but for the life of me I can't remember where! I thought that it was in the microfilm, but as you pointed out, there seems to be only seems to be a listing there for Lockett's Company. The first roll that I saw was specifically labelled "Selma City Guard"...not Lockett's Company, Alabama City Guards, or Talladega City Guards. It was only fairly recently that I made the association between Selma City Guards and Lockett's Company. Maybe its in Roll 505, Misc. Units.

There was also a company called Mobile City Guards, which might be the same unit as called Mobile City Troops in the microfilm. Then there's Montgomery Guards, Capt. Darby's Company Auburn Home Guards (Volunteers), Capt. Toomer's Company Local Defense and Special Service aka "Chunchula Guards" I haven't done any research on this unit.

Now consider this: we know that the prison guards at Tuscaloosa were called the "Tuscaloosa Prison Guards" and/or "Capt. Freeman Guards". Could it be that the City Guards were guards for prisoners held by the Provost locally? If there is any consistency in the use of the term "Guard", it would seem to suggest this.

• Alabama City Guard — Alan J. Pitts, Wed Feb 7 12:05