Alan J. Pitts
Re: Another point in the favor of the 25th Batt.
Wed Jun 20 11:15:08 2001


Your point is well taken; however, I'm unaware of any Confederate unit turning away recruits at this stage of the war. Johnston's would be a good candidate to review, since there are rolls for that unit.

Other possibilities include Musgrove's Battalion in the Marion-Fayette area, Lowe's 13th Alabama Regiment between Talladega and Guntersville, and Gilbert's Battalion north of the Tennessee River. Also Capt. May's company from Lewis' Cav. Battalion in Marshall County. There may be others.

Federal provost marshall's records for north Alabama probably include numerous references to unorganized bands claiming to be in Confederate service. Johnston's men were routinely identified as guerillas, and certainly many others were as well.

Here's an example. During the late summer of 1864 a group of Tennesseans led by a man named Blackwell executed a group of Federal they had captured near Fayetteville. An energetic search for Blackwell and his men obliged them to seek safety south of the Tennessee River. There a Confederate lieutenant from the 17th Tennessee came across them while on a recruiting mission and was killed. Blackwell eventually set up shop at Montevallo that autumn, representing himself as an officer with authority to round up deserters and conscripts. Possibly acting in concert with Capt. West's home guard, Blackwell killed about twenty civilians near present-day Jemison and Clanton AL around Christmas of 1864. They disappeared when Montevallo became an assembly point for Gen. Buford' command in March of 1865.

Hopefully the man in question didn't join Blackwell's band. I'm sure many of you know other stories like this which ought to be collected and published.