The Alabama in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Barbiere's Cavalry Battalion
In Response To: Re: John Lewis Frazier ()

I'm really no raising any question about this man's identity, but rather trying to answer question you may have about Barbiere's Cavalry Battalion. Sometimes they're called "Reserves" even though most officers and men would not have qualified. Senior Reserves were expected to be men between the ages of forty-five and fifty. Not being forty-five years of age until 1866, John L. Lewis would have been just under the lower age limit.

One other point. Confederate Junior and Senior Reserves were authorized by a law passed by Congress on Feb. 17, 1864. The company enrolled by Capt. Truss could not have been organized for reserve duty because it organized several moths before the law, Sept. 4, 1863.

Companies on duty with the Conscript Bureau like this one were not supposed to include able-bodied men who could have been in actual combat units. Conscript Bureau companies like this one were recruited for what we would call military police duties today. Barbiere's Cavalry Battalion may not have had a flag, most of its companies don't seemt to have worn regular Confederate uniforms or equipment, and serviceable firearms would have been scarce among them.

As I mentioned, one of my ancestors beloned to the same company. These were not picture-book Confederate soldiers.

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John Lewis Frazier
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Re: Barbiere's Cavalry Battalion
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Re: John Lewis Frazier
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