yesterday's tennessee

HENDERSON COUNTY SHARPSHOOTERS

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

SHARP SHOOTERS

From the WEST TENNESSEE WHIG, Jackson, Tennessee, July 19, 1861:

Messrs. Gates & Cameron: A company known as the "Henderson County Sharp Shooters" was organized in this county on the 4th of July by the election of the following officers:

Captain-Dr. B. H. Brown
1st Lieut.-John M. Taylor
2d Lieut.-David N. Holmet /David N. Holmes/
Brevet 2d Lieut.-J. C. Gooch
Orderly Sergt.-B. F. Andrews
2d Sergt.-S. K. Spain
3d Sergt.-A. C. Taylor
4th Sergt.-Saml. Hemphill
1st Corpl.- M. V. Barnhill
2d Corpl.-Richard Love
3d Corpl.-Jno. Woodrill
4th Corpl.-Wm. T. Gately
Color Sergt.-John J. Barrow

After the organization of the company, Miss Josephine Parker presented the "Sharp Shooters" with a beautiful Confederate flag upon the part of the ladies of Red Mound and vicinity, which was accepted in behalf of the company by Lieut. John H. Taylor.

The citizens subscribed very liberally for the purpose of eguipping said cornpany. We had a splendid dinner and everything went off harmoniously. Henderson is evidently rounding to for the South.

Respectfully,
Sharp Shooter's Friend

In July and August 1861 the Sharp Shooters, along with two other Henderson County companies, gathered at Trenton, Tennessee, along with companies from several other counties and somewhat later another company of Henderson County men joined them; these troops were organized as the 27th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, CSA, September 10, 1861 with CHRISTOPHER H. WILLIAMS as colonel of the regiment; BLACKBURN H. BROWN was appointed lieutenant-colonel and SAMUEL T. LOVE appointed as major. The first full-scale battle these men saw was at SHILOH, April 6-7, 1862 where numerous ones of this regiment were killed. After Shiloh, BLACKBURN H. BROWN became colonel as WILLIAMS had been killed but when the regiment was reorganized in May 1862 A. W. CALDWELL became colonel and WILLIAM FRIERSON became lieutenant-colonel. The regiment was then placed in Brigadier-General GEORGE MANEY's Brigade and although it underwent several organizational changes it remained so until the surrender May 1, 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina. In the meantime these men fought at Perryville, Ky., October 8, 1862; at Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 31, 1862; at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, September 1863; in the Atlanta campaign, summer 1864; at Franklin and Nashville late in 1864, after which the west Tennessee troops were given a thirty day furlough, some returning to service in General Johnston's army, however a few of the men joined the forces of General Richard Taylor and surrendered with him in May 1862. (TENNESSEANS IN THE CIVIL WAR, Part I., by the Civil War Centennial Commission, Nashville, 1964, pages 230-232; "Twenty-Seventh Tennessee Infantry, "by JOHN M. TAYLOR, THE MILITARY ANNALS OF TENNESSE, Confederate, ed. by JOHN B. LINDSLEY, 1886 (reprint 1974), pages 415-429; hereafter cited as Taylor Annals.

From the few extant muster rolls of Company K, 27th Tennessee Infantry Regiment, CSA, and from the Taylor Annals, the following information is given on members of this company. From Captain Blackburn H. Brown's August 17, 1861 muster roll it will be seen that the slate of officers varied somewhat from that published in the WHIG:

BLACKBURN H. BROWN, Captain
JOHN M. TAYLOR, 1st Iieut.
DAVID N. HOLMES, 2nd Lieut.
JAMES C. GOOCH, Brevet 2nd Lieut.
BELZONI F. ANDREWS, 15t Sergt.
SAMUEL K. SPAIN, 2nd Sergt.
ABNER C. TAYLOR, 3rd Sergt.
SAMUEL HEMPHILL, 4th Sergt.
MARTIN V. B. BARNHILL, 1st Crpl.
RICHARD LOVE, 2nd Crpl.
WILLIAM T. GATELy, 3rd Crpl.
JOHN WOODRELL, 4th Crpl.

After Shiloh, the company's officers:

JOHN M. TAYLOR, Captain
NEIL A. SENTER, lst Lieut.
JAMES C. GOOCH, Brevet 2nd Lieut.
OSCAR L. SHELBY, Orderly Sergt.
JAMES W. KENNEDY, 2nd Sergt.
GEORGE R. CRAVENS, 3rd Sergt.
M. C. HUTCHISON, 4th Sergt.
RICHARD LOVE, 5th Sergt.
ELIJAH LEWIS, lst Corpl.

MEMBERS OF COMPANY K

ADOLPHUS G. ANDREWS, enhisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; absent on furlough summer of 1862.

ALBERT B. ANDREWS, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; prornoted to 1st Lieut.; wounded at Perryvllle, Ky., Oct. 8, 1862. At Perryville, "Capt. Kizer ... remarked, ‘Look at Lieut. ANDREWS, as he throws his sword in the air; how gallantly he fights!' Poor lieutenant it was his last fight." (Taylor Annals, page 425) "Nine days after the fight /Perryville/ Lieut. Andrews died. "(Taylor Annals, page 426)

BELZONI F. ANDREWS, age 30, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; detached as recruiting officer.

GEORGE P. ANDREWS, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted later.

WILLIAM ALLEN, age 18, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861; no further record.

WILLIAM APPLEBY, age 18, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861; no further record.

JOHN J. BARROW, age 29, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; killed at Shiloh "when fighting gallantly", April 7, 1862.

THOMAS W. BARROW, age 23, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; died March 1, 1862.

JOSEPH E. BARNHILL enlisted Aug. 13, 1861, Trenton; promoted to 2nd Lieut., May 12, 1862; missing in battle near Murfreesboro, Tenn. late in 1862.

MARTIN VAN BUREN BARNHILL enlisted Aug. 16, 186l, Trenton; no further record.

A. M. BELL enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; absent on furlough 1862.

HENRY W. BREAZEAL, age 29, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862 "when fighting gallantly."

MONTGOMERY G. BELL, age 16, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; no further record.

WILLIAM BARNES, age 30, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; died of typhoid fever, March 7, 1862.

RICHARD L. BLAIR enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; wounded at Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862; taken off company's roll.

BLACKBURN H. BROWN, age 32, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; became lieutenant colonel, Sept. 10, l86l; wounded at Shiloh, April 1862; became colonel of the regiment briefly, April-May 1862.

JAMES A. BROWN, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; on detached duty as recruiter in 1863; elected 2nd Lieut., June 2, 1862; resigned May 1864.

EDMUND G. BUTLER, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; "desered cowardly at first fire at Shiloh, April 6, 1862, claimed to be shot."

HENRY H. CARTER, enlisted Sept. 27, 1861, Trenton; deserted at Bacon Creek, Sept. 9, 1862.

WILLIAM COFFMAN, age 35, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted in April 1862.

HOWARD COLE, age 24, enlisted August 7, 1861, Trenton; wounded at Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862 and "died a few days after." (Taylor Annals, page 426)

JAMES CAFFREY enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

WILLIAM JAMES CAMPBELL, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; discharged in spring of 1862.

HENRY COZZORT enlisted July 31, 1861, Trenton; killed at Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862.

MUKINS COZORT, age 24, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; taken prisoner and later parolled.

GEORGE R. CRAVENS, age 24, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to sergeant, May 12, 1862; absent, sick in Chattanooga hospital summer of 1862.

ELI DICKERSON, age 22, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; absent later in 1862.

JOHN R. DONNELL enlisted Sept. 16, 1861, Trenton; died March 6, 1862.

ELVIS DUKE enlisted Oct. 9, 1861, Trenton; deserted and stricken from rolls in 1862.

JOHN DUNSON enlisted Sept. 16, 1861, Trenton; died March 25, 1862.

JOHN WESLEY FESMIRE enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; wounded at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; absent from service later.

THOMAS J. FOSTER, age 32, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

LEVI FORRESTER, age 22, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; later deserted.

JAMES MADISON FRIAR, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

WILLIAM FRIERSON enlisted Nov. 4, 1861, Camp Trousdale; promoted to lieutenant colonel, May 12, 1862; captured at Lexington, Tenn., May 12, 1863 and imprisoned at Alton, Ill. and exchanged June 12, 1863.

W. H. FRANKLIN enlisted Oct. 15, 1861, Trenton; deserted and stricken from rolls.

PHILIP D. CEARLEY enlisted Aug. 20, 1861, Trenton; taken prisoner, Aug. 10, 1863; died Sept. 15, 1863 from dysentery at Camp Douglas, Ill. and body was buried in grave 705 in Chicago, Ill. cemetery.

DAN N. GASTON enlisted Dec. 12, 1861, Columbus, Ky.; discharged December 6, 1863.

WILLIAM PORTER GOODWIN enlisted Aug. 13, 1861, Trenton; deserted, spring 1862.

WILLIAM A. B. GATELY, age 40, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

WILLIAM T. GATELY enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

JAMES C. GOOCH, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; resigned July 1, 1862. "After the reoganization he raised a company... and joined Gen. Forrest's cavalry command... He was bold and daring.... "(Taylor Annals, page 423)

WILLIAM MILTON GOOCH, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted "cowardly at first fire at Shiloh, April 6, 1862" and "is now with the enemy." (Sept. '62)

JEREMIAH (Jerry) GOODWIN, age 19, enlisted Aug. 7. 1861, Trenton; died June 1, 1862.

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON HART, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; wounded badly at Shiloh, April 7, 1862; absent from service.

JOHN HEMPHILL, age 25, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

SAMUEL HEMPHILL, age 27, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

DAVID N. HOLMES, age 29, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to 1st Lieut., April 7, 1861; died May 1, 1862.

JAMES A. HAMILTON, age 18, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; discharged June 1862.

JOHN BANKS enlisted Jan. 15, 1862; died March 13, 1862.

JAMES IRVIN HESTER enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted "cowardly at first fire at Shiloh, April 6" and "now with the enemy. "(Sept. 1862)

JAMES G. HIPKINS, age 24, enlisted Aug. 16, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

FRANCIS MARION HOUSE enlisted Aug. 16, 1861, Trenton; wounded badly at Shiloh, April 7, 1862; absent from service later.

K. C. HUTCHISON, age 19, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to sergeant,

May 12, 1862; no further record.

ROBERT JAMISON, age 21, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; died April 7, 1862, Corinth, Miss.

JOHN JOHNSON, age 19, enlisted Aug. 17, 1861, Trenton; killed at Shiloh, April 7, 1862 "when fighting gallantly. "

A. R. JOWERS enlisted Jan. l, 1862, Bowling Green, Ky. ; deserted spring 1862.

JAMES JEFFRIES JONES enlisted Dec. 19, 1861, Lexington, Tenn. ; taken prisoner at Cat Creek, Nov. 26, 1863; described as 5'10"; 34 years old.

JAMES KELLY, age 27, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; died May 27, 1862, Corinth, Miss.

JAMES WILLIS KENNEDY, age 24, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted at Bacon Creek, September 19, 1862.

ELIJAH W. LEWIS enlisted Sept. 27, 1861, Trenton; promoted to corporal, May 12, 1862; no further record.

JOHN LINDSEY enlisted Aug. 16, 1861, Trenton; wounded badly at Shiloh, April 7, 1862; absent from service later.

JAMES LIZENBY, age 17, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted at Bacon Creek, September 19, 1862.

RICHARD LOVE, age 17, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to sergeant, May 12, 1862; wounded at Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862; disabled thereby; captured Selmer, Miss., July 9, 1863 and took oath to U. S. July 21, 1863 and released.

SAMUEL T. LOVE enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to major, Sept. 10, 1861; shot to death at Paducah, Ky., April 17, 1862. At Shiloh Love, "a gallant and affable gentleman, true soldier and grand officer, fell pierced in the neck by a shot. He was left on the field, captured by the Federals and died at Paducah. "(Taylor Annals, page 422)

MADISON GREEN McMURRY, age 35, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; detailed as hospital nurse for a time; taken prisoner at Cat Creek, Nov. 26, 1863; parolled at Harrodsburg, Ky. late in 1862 or early 1863. "I remember one tall soldier of my own company, GREEN McMURRAY — who invariably rose up six feet two inches, took deliberate aim and fired. When remonstrated with and told to fire from a kneeling position, he replied, 'Well, captain, I'm for a fair thing. '"(Taylor Annals, page 420)

SAMUEL MEALS, age 18, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; absent "being physically and mentally unqualified. "

JOHN McGILL, age 22, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; died August l, 1862, Tupelo, Miss.

JAMES KIRK, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted July 1862 during the "night of retreat from Tupelo. "

GLADDIN S. MILAM enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

GEORGE W. MILLER, age 17, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; no further record.

GRANVILLE PARISH, age 19, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; badly wounded at Shiloh, April 6, 1862.

B. J. HICKS POPE, age 26, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; died April 1, 1862.

PAUL C. RAINEY, age 26, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted "cowardly at first fire at Shiloh, April 6, 1862, now with the enemy. " (Sept. 1862)

ALLEN READ enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted April 7, 1862.

THOMAS RIDINGS, age 17, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; discharged Dec. 6, 1862.

THOMAS RILEY enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; detailed as nurse at Perryville; captured at Perryville, Jan. 6, 1863; sent to Vicksburg, Miss., Jan. 14, 1863 to be exchanged.

NEIL A. SENTER enlisted Aug. 20, 1861, Trenton; discharged May 28, 1862.

JAMES W. SCOTT, age 21, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; killed at Shiloh, April 7, 1862 "when fighting gallantly. "

OSCAR SHELBY, age 18, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; elected orderly sergeant, May 12, 1862; 2nd lieut., June 5, 1863; detached as a recruiter 1863; captured near Nashville, Dec. 17, 1864; released from Ft. Delaware, Md. prison, June 17, 1865. Description:5'11", fair complexion, blue eyes.

F. M. SMITH enlisted Oct. 5, 1861, Trenton; deserted April 1862 "pretended of being wounded which was false. "

ALSEY SPEIGHT, age 31, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; deserted April 1862. LEMUEL A. STANFORD, age 23, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; deserted April 1862.

SAMUEL KINCHEN SPAIN, age 25, enlisted Aug. 7, l86l, Trenton; deserted June 1, 1862 during the march from Corinth to Tupelo, Miss.

S. G. STRATTON enlisted Nov. 2, 1861, Columbus, Ky. ; died April 10, 1862, Corinth, Miss.

ABNER C. TAYLOR, age 21, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

HENRY C. TAYLOR enlisted Aug. 15, 1861, Trenton; deserted summer 1862.

JOHN M. TAYLOR, age 23, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; promoted to 1st lieut., then captain (May 12, 1862); wounded at Perryville, Oct. 8, 1862; on detached service in Pillow's command; he had been wounded three times, including the shattering of his right thigh bone from which injury he ever afterwards limped; arrested at Danville, Ky., May 5, 1863; prisoner at Camp Chase, Ohio, May 8, 1863 and exchanged May 13, 1863; surrendered with General Richard Taylor's command;. May 12, 1865. Description: 5'6", fair complexion, blue eyes.

B. T. TODD enlisted Sept. 27, 1861, Trenton; died March 25, 1862.

THOMAS K. VEACH, age 50, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861; no further record; probably resigned due to age.

S. H. WALKER enlisted Aug. 12, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

BENNET W. WARNER enlisted Oct. 3, 1861, Trenton; killed April 6, 1862, Shiloh, "when fighting gallantly. "

LEROY WARNER, age 23, enlisted Aug. 7, 186l, Trenton; killed at Shiloh, April 7, 1862 "when fighting gallantly. "

JOSEPH W. WHITE, age 22, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; deserted spring 1862.

JOHN WOODRELL, age 24, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862 "when fighting gallantly. "

THOMAS WOODRELL, age 20, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; absent on sick leave.

WILLIAM WOODRELL, age 22, enlisted Aug. 7, 1861, Trenton; last record of him, summer 1862.

Other works by Jonathan K. T. Smith can be found at the Madison County Records Repository at TNGenWeb.