Tom Elmore
5th Alabama Battalion
Sat Oct 14 22:58:15 2000


Jim,

I have always understood that the entire 5th Alabama battalion was deployed as skirmishers, meaning that they were in advance of the brigade until contact was made with the enemy, in which case their individual soldiers normally would have fallen in with whatever regiment of the brigade overtook them. In other words they would not have fought as a cohesive unit in the main battle line. However, I am aware of a source that indicates the 5th Ala Bn moved off the right flank of Archer's brigade in a general southerly direction to clear out Union skirmishers around the Harman dwellings. If so they still would not have fought in the main battle line of Archer's brigade.

Sincerely,
Tom Elmore