Hayes Lowe
And, even more info! ( very long)
Wed May 30 11:28:20 2001


Capt. Field’s Company appears from Dunbar Rowland to have originally a part of Pope Walker Battalion, then assigned to the 2nd Inf. Batt., and then back to the 8th Conf. Otherwise, there would not have been an opportunity for this company to have been a part of Pope Walker Battalion (as Rowland lists it) since by Dec. 1862 it was no longer a battalion. But, that does not fit with the company history that you give.

Roddey’s company was called the “Tishomingo Rangers” of Pope Walker Battalion. This had no known company letter designation, which fits well with your explanation.

I’m not sure where I got that Faulkner's *Battalion* became Co. B of the 8th Conf. Cav. I’d have to go back through my research on this unit to know for sure. However, it seems clear that this was just a company (it it was from Chambers County, which matches the unit name you give).

Rowland makes this mention in his history of the 4th Batt. Miss. Cav.: “Captain Jeff. Falkner's company burned Cypress Creek bridge, May 30, and was in action between Iuka and Jacinto, June 3 [1862].” He implies that this company was a part of the 2nd Alabama and Mississippi Battalion [prior to becoming the 8th Conf. Regt.].

George Knox Miller states this: “Lieutenant Richard H. Brewer, a native of Maryland, graduated from West Point, resigned from the Cavalry of the United States Army, was made Major, and put in command of a battalion consisting at first of Bowie’s, Falkner’s and a company from East Feliciana, Louisiana, commanded by Captain Cole. “…”Under Brewer the battalion, known officially as Brewer’s Mounted Rangers, discharged outpost duty in Western Kentucky until the fall of Fort Donelson, in Johnston’s rear, forced him to evacuate Kentucky speedily.”… “A few days after the evacuation of Corinth, and while still covering the front far in advance of Tupelo, the cavalry was reorganized. Brewer’s battalion, now reduced to two companies by assignment of Cole’s Louisiana Company to some other regiment, Bell’s Alabama battalion of three companies and Baskerville’s battalion of four Mississippi and one Alabama company, were organized into the 2nd Mississippi and Alabama Regiment" He also gives the following:

The companies comprising the Regiment at the time of its organization were:
 Co. "A" (Talladega) -- A. W. Bowie, Captain (resigned, 30 May 62)
 Co. "B" (Chambers) -- Rev. Jefferson Falkner, Captain.
 Co. "C" (Lowndes County; MS) -- George Abert, Captain.
 Co. "D" (Pickens) -- B. B. McCaa, Captain.
 Co. "E" (Lowndes County, MS) -- Thomas W. Golden, Captain.
 Co. "F" (Chickasaw County, MS) -- I. W. Fields, Captain.
 Co. "G" (Lowndes County, MS) -- Felix W. Flood, Captain.
 Co. "H" (Randolph) -- John Thompson, Captain.
 Co. "I" (Tallapoosa) -- John T. Wright, Captain.
 Co. "K" (Chambers) -- Francis Pickard, Captain.

Capt. McCaa’s descendents claims that this unit (McCaa Rangers) first entered service as “McCaa’s Raiders” formed for the purpose of attacking behind enemy lines. I suspect that this is correct, and that it was an independent guerrilla (did I spell that correctly?) or partisan ranger unit that became attached as a part of Pope Walker Battalion. You’ll note that Rowland attributes this company to Lowndes County, Miss. That is incorrect. It was raised almost entirely (if not completely) in Pickens Co., Ala. McCaa was a Pickens County resident, too, living just north of present day Aliceville. This is supported by Miller’s monograph.

Beall/Bell/Ball: Note that George Knox Miller, Willis Brewer and Dunbar Rowland all give the spelling as Bell. Dr. Ken Jones gives it as Beall, but I don’t know what his source for this is. I’ve seen another source that gives it as Ball.