Alan J. Pitts
Re: Question about 2nd and 27th AL
Thu Jun 21 10:19:45 2001


The 2nd Alabama Regiment was a twelve-month organization and disbanded at Fort Pillow TN on March 31, 1862. Realizing that twelve month enlistments would soon be up, the Confederate Congress passed a law to encourage men who enlisted for twelve months to reenlist for three years or the war. A number of men enrolled in the 2nd Alabama took advantage of these provisions and left the regiment before it disbanded.

This case is a little curious because the 27th Alabama also organized for twelve months. Without looking at the service records involved, I'd suspect this man received an unconditional discharge from the 2nd Alabama and enlisted in the the 27th Alabama after it that regiment surrendered at Fort Donelson. Members not involved in the surrender formed two ad hoc companies which were attached to the 3rd Mississippi Battalion as Cos. "H" and "I". Another company joined the battalion and it reorganized as the 45th Mississippi. To make things a bit more confusing, this command was sometimes called the 33rd Mississippi. Men from Cos. "H" and "I" rejoined the 27th Alabama after survivors were released from Northern prisons in September of 1862.

The 27th Alabama subequently served in Buford's Brigade in Mississippi, which transferred to the Army of Tennessee as Scott's Brigade in 1864.

Alabama Confederate service records (and some others) are available at the library in Birmingham if you are interested.