Alan J. Pitts
Re: Flag of 55th Alabama Infantry Regiment
Fri Jun 29 11:58:47 2001


Regular board readers might recall R. Hugh Simmons and his web page on the 12th Louisiana. For everyone else, allow me to present Mr. Simmons as a historian who has acquired quite a wealth of knowledge on this famous regiment. Those of us having an interest in Alabama commands will recall that the 12th Louisiana served in a brigade with five Alabama infantry regiments:

27th Alabama
35th Alabama
49th Alabama
55th Alabama
57th Alabama

Mr. Simmons presents a theory on his site about a flag now (should I say 'once'?) on display in Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans. The flag is represented as that of the 12th Louisiana; Mr. Simmons believes otherwise. He has reasons to believe that it may be properly identified as the flag of either the 55th or 57th Alabama. I'll let him explain.

Here's the URL:

http://www.voicenet.com/~hsimmons/12LA%20WEB%20Site/Flags.htm

Any other opinions?

Here's the organization chart on the company in question:

From Norwood's 6th Alabama Infantry Battalion

Company “A” of Jackson County

Capt. Joseph Henry Jones. Formerly Captain of Company “I”, 42nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. Reelected September 27, 1862. Later served as Major of the 55th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

Organized at Camp Cheatham near Clarksville, Tennessee, November 13, 1861, this unit became 1st Company “I” of the 42nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. It later became Company “I” of the 55th Alabama Infantry Regiment.

From the 55th Alabama Infantry Regiment
Company “I” of Jackson County

Alexander Sisk. Formerly 1st Lieutenant of Company “A”, 6th Alabama Infantry Battalion. Dropped from the rolls for prolonged absence without leave, June 9, 1864.
A. L. Wheeler. Appointed Captain of consolidated Company “C”, 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment, April 9, 1865. Surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, May 1, 1865.

Organized at Camp Cheatham near Clarksville, Tennessee, November 13, 1861, it became 1st Company “I” of the 42nd Tennessee Infantry Regiment. This command later became Company “A” of the 6th Alabama Infantry Battalion. Survivors surrendered as part of Company “A” of the consolidated 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment.