Pam --

There is no evidence for your great great uncle Jesse Thomas Reaves ever being in Confederate service. Frequently graves are marked with erroneous information. It appears that someone found that a man named Jesse Reeves served in the 10th Alabama Regiment and didn't think that more than one man by that name lived in Alabama during the war. The man who served in the 10th Alabama Regiment lived in St Clair County and surrendered with Lee on April 9, 1865. The inscription for your ancestor is wrong.

The state legislature reorganized the Alabama miiltia in 1863. New companies formed during the summer and fall of 1864. By law 1st Class Militia was limited to service within its home county. The militia had been called up in late March 1865 upon the approach of Wilson's cavalry. Shortly before the Wilson's men occupied Montgomery, General Dam Adams disbanded the militia and sent them home.

Confederate veterans were usually not impressed with state militia. While awaiting the advance of Wilson's troops from Selma in early April, and Alabama captain commented on the Lowndes County militia in camp near Benton AL. They had been thrown into a panic by report of a movement nearby which turned out to be a planter moving his slaves to a safer location. "Trifling cowards hallowing for their horses," he wrote. "They want to see fighting done but are unwilling to do it themselves."

A fragmentary record of a cadet named J Reeves exists in the class of 1864, University of Alabama. University records usually provide much more substantial information. Normally University records would tell us who his parents were and where he lived and other particulars. I regret that there isn't more on this cadet.