Alan J. Pitts
1st Alabama vs. 1st Ala.Tenn.Miss.
Sat Feb 10 19:56:25 2001


If I understand your question, you wanted to understand the relationship between the 1st Ala. Inf. Regt. and the 1st Ala.Miss.Tenn. Regt. Col. Alpheus Baker of the 1st Ala.Tenn.Miss. had been a captain in the old 1st Alabama. There was no relationship other than that coincidence.

The 1st Alabama was a mostly veteran unit based on a twelve month regiment on duty at Pensacola, Fla., since March 1861. The regiment had reorganized in February 1862, many officers and men reenlisting for two-year terms. They had manned heavy guns in the bay forts and had acquired a good reputation in that arm. When General Polk ordered this command to Island Ten, he wired ahead, "I am sending you the First Alabama. They are Bragg's best artillerists."

The 1st Ala.Miss.Tenn. Regt. had been organized at Fort Pillow on Dec. 27, 1861. The War Department originally recognized this unit as the 39th Tennessee. When the authorities realized that Col. Baker's command included several companies from states other than Tennessee, it was redesignated 4th Confederate Inf. Regt. After being captured at Island Ten and exchanged several months later, the regiment was broken up, Alabama companies going into the 54th Ala. Inf. Regt. As you will see in other posts, members always referred to the original regiment by its more cumbersome name, the 1st Ala.Miss.Tenn.