Alan J. Pitts
Re: Francis Marion Dearing
Sat Mar 31 12:08:38 2001


I'm pleased you were able to use that information. Unless you already have it, i can provide the information about the deaths of the other two Dearing men next week.

Jobe Dearing must have had his own reasons for leaving that company and joining another. We'll probably never know. At any rate, two other companies were forming in Cherokee County at the time. Both of these later merged to form Co. "K", 55th Alabama Regiment. Here's what I have on them:

Company J of Cherokee County Shorter Guards

Robert J. Wright. Formerly Captain of Company B, 16th Alabama Infantry Battalion.

This company organized at Goshen, Alabama, January 13, 1862, mustering at Camp Johnson, Nashville, Tennessee, January 30, 1862. It became Company B of the 10th Alabama Infantry Battalion. Companies J and K combined about September 1, 1863, to form new Company K. Officers assigned came from this company. Survivors surrendered with Company C of the consolidated 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Company K of Cherokee County Cherokee Warriors

William McG. Randle. Formerly Captain of Company D, 16th Alabama Infantry Battalion. Surrendered at Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 4, 1863, and paroled there, July 6, 1863. Served as Captain of Company A, 2nd Detachment of Paroled Prisoners through June 30, 1864; returned to the regiment after September 22, 1864. Captured at Franklin, Tennessee, November 30, 1864. Released at Johnsons Island, Ohio, May 19, 1865.

Accepted in Confederate service on January 20, 1862, this company mustered at Cedar Bluff, Alabama, eight days later. It then became Company D of the 10th Alabama Infantry Battalion. Companies J and K combined about September 1, 1863, to form new Company K. All officers assigned came from Company J. Survivors surrendered with Company C of the consolidated 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

As you can, both were originally part of Clifton's 10th Alabama Battalion. It formed at Camp Johnston near the state penitentiary at Nashville, Tennessee, February 12, 1862. It included four Alabama companies that had enlisted for twelve months service and rendezvoused there some time earlier. Members always called their unit the 4th Alabama Infantry Battalion, but that number had previously been assigned to another Alabama unit.

Armed with Tennessee rifles and bayonets, the troops manned defenses at Fort Zollicofer on February 13, 1862. They left Nashville six days later when General Albert Sidney Johnstons army evacuated the town. Stopping briefly at Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this force continued its retreat on February 28, 1862, passing through Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, and Fayetteville, Tennessee, on the way to Decatur, Alabama. Cliftons command began arriving in camp near Burnsville, Mississippi, on the evening of March 21, 1862. Here General Breckinridges command reorganized as the Reserve Corps of the Army of the Mississippi.

On March 25, 1862, the battalion was strengthened by the addition of a scratch command of Alabamians who had served with the 42nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. These men had either not been present when that regiment surrendered at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, February 16, 1862, or had escaped after the garrison lay down its arms. Isaac Henry, formerly Captain of Company H, 42nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment, was chosen to lead this unit.

On April 4, 1862, Breckinridges Reserve Corps broke camp at Burnsville to attack unsuspecting Federals in their camps around Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. Colonel Robert P. Trabue, Colonel of the 4th Kentucky Infantry, led the brigade to which this battalion was attached. Of the first days battle, Trabue noted, "Major Clifton, commanding Alabama battalion, detached from me early on Sunday, did not again come under my notice, but is said to have done his duty." Although Clifton and his men were again ordered away during the second day at Shiloh, Trabue praised their conduct: "Many officers also of the Deering Martin, Sat Mar 31 12:28