Profile of Company "A", organized May 21, 1862, from men detailed as pioneers from the 16th Alabama Regiment, the 44th Tennessee Regiment, the 32nd Mississippi Regiment, and the 3rd Mississippi Battalion. Enlisted men continue to appear on rolls with their original companies through 1862 and sometimes through 1863. They received extra duty pay as pioneers.

Officers assigned by Brig Gen S A M Wood were --

Captain Abner T Hawkins, formerly 1st Lieut, Co D, 7th Alabama Regiment, Huntsville, AL
1st Lieut Thomas M Steger, formerly a student from Hayes Store, Madison County AL
2nd Lieut Andrew Brown, formerly a member of Co K, 7th Alabama Regiment, Waterloo, Lauderdale County AL (born in France)
1st Lieut Richard V Coleman, formerly a student from Shoalford, Limestone County AL (younger brother of Capts Daniel and John H Coleman).

The original company roll for July-August 1862 lists 101 officers and men. Aside from the four company officers, non-coms and privates were assigned as follows -

24 - 16th Ala;
25 - 32nd Miss;
23 - 3rd Miss Battn;
25 - 44th Tenn.

Not counting a hostler named Morris O'Connell (indexed as Connell), a total of 109 officers and men served with this company. 45 came from Alabama, 38 from Mississippi and 26 from Tennessee. 13 of the Alabama soldiers came from Companies H and I of the 3rd Mississippi Battalion, temporary organizations formed of survivors of the 27th Alabama Regt. Most of the regiment had been captured at Fort Donelson TN, Feb 16, 1862.

The final roll dated Nov-Dec 1863 lists 62 officers and men, including 2 officers and 41 men present for duty. Losses --

6 - Died of disease
3 - Died of wounds
8 - Killed in action (2 Perryville, 1 Murfreesboro, 2 Dug Gap GA, 2 Chickamauga, 1 Mission Ridge)
24 - Deserted or dropped from roll
1 - Discharged
1 - Promoted
3 - Transferred

Some of those listed as deserters returned to their original commands without authority. Some of the original companies did not recognize assignments to this company and listed men as deserters.

Enlisted men absent on detail in November 1863 were --

William T Wakefield, 44th TN, acting wagon master, brigade ordnance train;
P G Ussleton, 44th TN, teamster, brigade ordnance train;
John Roden, 16th AL, brigade commissary train;
Waren W Roden, 16th AL, brigade commissary train;
Sgt Herbert A Hill, 3rd MS Battn, division HQ sharpshooter;
John M Wright, 44th TN, wounded, nurse/cook at Rome and Newnan GA hsps;
John Singley, 16th AL, brigade butchery

Present, detailed = Wesley C Woodall, battalion ambulance driver.

A petition dated Feb 9, 1864, Tunnel Hill GA, reads as follows --

We the undersigned Non-commissioned Officers and Privates of Captain Steger’s Company of Sharpshooters, have the honor to request that we be returned to our original commands.

While at Corinth, Miss., we were detailed as Pioneers temporarily. Some time afterwards, by command of the General commanding the Brigade, we were organized, against our will, into a Battalion of Sharpshooters, and descriptive lists ordered to be given; which orders were complied with. We now desire to reenlist for during the war with our original commands, among our relatives and friends, with whom we first came out.

As mentioned in earlier posts, evidently each brigade commander in the division received orders to assemble a company of pioneers. Division pioneers were commanded by Cart Cotesworth P. Head through December 1862. Obviously officers of this company were selected by General S A M Wood and assigned to duty by special orders. Brown had served in an antebelllum militia company raised by General Wood, while Hawkins served as an officer in Wood's 7th Alabama Regiment. Wood may have expedited an early requisition for 100 Enfield rifles (May 21, 1862), at a time when rifled firearms were not easy to acquire.

More on this unit and Company B later --