Alan J. Pitts
Positive ID....cavalry, not infantry
Mon Mar 19 23:47:36 2001


To put it bluntly, the story about being with the 4th Alabama is utterly bogus. Someone knew he was from Madison County, served in the 4th Alabama, and leapt to the wrong conclusion. There's no one by that name in the 4th Infantry files, and those records are VERY complete. If a name isn't in the 4th Inf. Regt. files, you can bet the man never served with that unit.

Fortunately for you, there's a military record under the name 'George Gibson' in the 4th Cavalry which matches a very informative pension application by 'George M. Gipson'. You should request a copy from the ADAH; it's full of detailed family information. He filed for a pension on April 10, 1920 as a former member of Russell's (not Roddey's) 4th Ala. Cav. Regt. The story about the captain Sanford rings true; this was late in the war and since Gurley's and Whitman's companies were both from Madison County, they would have been glad to divy up this group of volunteers.

In the pension he says he enlisted at Maysville Ala. in December of 1864. At that time the Federals had given up Huntsville during Hood's Tennessee campaign, and Confederates were in the area recruiting. His Federal parole states that he volunteered on Oct. 15, 1864, which may be the date he joined Capt. Sanford's group out in the brush. Note that he calls himself a volunteer rather than a conscript.

The military record says he surrendered on April 2, 1865 and took the oath of allegiance at Chattanooga TN on May 4, 1865. The parole describes him as five feet eight inches tall, resident of Madison County, dark complexion, hazel eyes and brown hair. In the pension he claims to have been paroled at Macon Georgia, but this may not have been possible since he was never captured during the war.

Russell's 4th Ala. Cav. Regt. had been part of Wheeler's cavalry, but Wheeler scattered much of his command trying to reach the south bank of the Tennessee River after his disasterous raid in Aug.-Sept. 1864. This regiment never served with Wheeler again. Survivors of the regiment (and new recruits) gathered at Montevallo Ala in March 1865 and placed under command of Gen. Abram Buford. They fought Wilson's command from Benton to Montgomery and thence to the Georgia line at Girard. After Wilson's men broke though Confederate defenses at COlumbus GA, Buford rode westward across the state to join General Forrest, followed by a few men of the 4th and 7th ala. cav. regts. who later surrendered with Forrest's cavalry at Gainesville Ala.

Be sure to request that pension!







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