Alan J. Pitts
Re: Hilliard's Legion etc.
Thu Jun 28 13:18:28 2001


Not always that simple. There were field consolidations of companies and regiments, such as the 32nd/58th Alabama and the 27th/35th/49th Alabama, usually late in the war. A few units were broken up and men "blended" with others, such as Blount's Battalion, officers being sent home and men being distributed throughout the 18th Alabama after Shiloh This action was protested and eventually reversed in early 1863. Members of the 1st and 27th Alabama regiments who didn't surrender in the winter of 1862 formed ad hoc companies and continued in service until the main body of those commands wee exchanged a few months later.

There are numerous examples of single companies being disbanded and the men reassigned. Towards the end of the war units below minimum strength were consolidated by law. The Army of Northern Virginia surrendered before this law could be implemented; consolidations took place in the Army of Tennessee about two weeks before Johnston surrendered his forces. General Forrest consolidated his cavalry corps during the winter of 1865 but I'm not at all sure what legal basis existed for his actions.

As for Hilliard's Legion, it was broken up on Nov. 25, 1863, and all companies assigned to new commands. None of the companies assigned to Hilliard's Legion were disbanded. For instance, Company "F", 2nd Battalion, Hilliard's Legion became Company "C", 59th Alabama Infantry Regiment on the date given above. Here's a summary on that company and its captains:

Company “F” of Coosa County “Dr. Kelley Guards”

William T. Stubblefield. Appointed Major July 18, 1862, to rank June 25, 1862.
Lewis H. Crumpler. Promoted Captain July 18, 1862, to rank June 25, 1862. Later served as Captain of Company “C”, 59th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Organized at Rockford, Alabama, March 28, 1862, officers and men mustered at Montgomery, Alabama, April 18, 1862. They later became Company “C”, 59th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

After Hilliard's Legion was dissolved, it had the follwoing history:

Company “C” of Coosa County “Dr. Kelley Guards”

Lewis Henry Crumpler. Formerly Captain of Company “F”, 2nd Battalion, Hilliard’s Alabama Legion. Wounded December 14, 1863, at Bean’s Station, Tennessee. Appointed Major January 5, 1865, to rank May 16, 1864.

Organized at Rockford, Alabama, March 26, 1862, officers and men mustered at Montgomery, Alabama, April 18, 1862. They served as Company “F”, 2nd Battalion, Hilliard’s Alabama Legion.

Officers and men surrenderd at Appomattox Courthouse VA April 9, 1865.

In order to answer the original question about when and why a member of one command was reassigned to another, we would have to look at the service records.