Scott Drew
17th Alabama Color Bearer Conflict
Mon Jun 18 23:33:44 2001


Yes, you're correct. The 17th was indeed assigned for about 1 1/2 years to the defences of Mobile. The 17th "only" fought at Shiloh, Farmington and the seige of Corinth before going to Tupelo then Mobile. Arriving in north Georgia in APRIL 1864 (OR - Series I -Vol 32 - Part III - pages 866-872 - Tables of Organization) the 17th then "only" fought the Atlanta campaign, Franklin, Nashville, and the Carolina campaign.

As to the conflict in re an Ensigns assignment: I don't make 'em up, I just report 'em. I attempted to clearly soft pedal the family lore aspect by plainly identifing it as such. The remainder is taken from two items published in the "Greenville Advertiser" and the quote in my first posting quite accurate. It MAY indeed be incorrect, but I'm wondering how it could be published and read by other vererans who knew the facts and would have surely have raised holy hell with the paper if they had mis-represented such a thing. There WAS a time when the press had integrity, especially a small town paper where everyone knew everyone else and their life stories. I make no claims other than to report the documentation published.