Alan J Pitts
Companies being refused.....
Thu Feb 22 16:22:23 2001


We've all heard stories about troops being turned away in 1861. In an attempt to document Alabama companies and when gthey were submitted, I've been unable to identify a single instance in which men were turned away for lack of arms. Arming troops seems to have been a secondary issue; even as late as Murfreesboro, Confederate commanders committed regiments to attack when substantial numbers did not carry muskets.

There are numerous examples of companies offering service for twelve months and being declined. Evidently the War Department realized in the summer of 1861 that there were too many twelve-month organizations and not enough for "the war". Quite a few captains were turned down when they could not pursuade significant numbers of their men to enroll for the longer term. O'Neal's 26th Alabama took forever to organize for that reason.

• Coalfire Guards — Hayes Lowe, Sun Feb 25 13:44
• Smith's 3rd Battalion from Fayette, Marion &c — Alan J. Pitts, Mon Feb 26 11:01