Col. R. D. Allison. . . Allison's Tennessee Cavalry Squadron was raised March 1862, at Alexandria, TN., by Col. R. D. Allison, John S. Reece, and Robert V. Wright. Col. Allison and John Reece had previously served with the 24th Tennessee Infantry but had been discharged due to their age.

. . . The three companies that made up Allison's were mostly men from DeKalb Co. TN with a few from the surrounding counties. It was one of the few DeKalb units that actually fought in there home area. During the first half of 1863 it was involved in several small battles and skirmishes in and around Alexandria and Liberty.

. . . While camped near Liberty, the squadron was warned of the approachment of Federal troops from west of town. A guard of ten men was sent to investigate and near Salem church a column of Yankees was spotted. The guards opened fire on the advancing Bluecoats and quickly raced back to camp to warn the rest of the men. The firing had warned the men in camp and they quickly saddled their horses and started the supply wagons toward Snow's Hill, a steep high ground that was easily defended by the often out-numbered Confederates. A running fight ensued. At Dry Creek bridge, Capt. Wright's Co. C. stopped and waited for the Federals. Once in sight they opened fire, stalling the yankkes for a bit, then riding on. Capt. Reece's Co. B. used the same tactic a little ways up the road at the Stanford home. At Ashbury Church, Co. A., was able to hold the enemy long enough for the supply wagons to make it up Snow's Hill. This fight involved over 1000 Federal troops and a total of 75 Confederate troops, with 8 Yankees killed and 1 Confederate wounded. Believing that Allison's Cavalry was the advanced guard of Gen. John Hunt Morgan's command, the Federals did not attempt to pursue the units up the steep ground.

. . . One of the more humorous events of Allison's Cavalry took place at the Battle of the Forks of the Pike. Lieut. Ed Reece told of the incident. "Capt. Jack Reece's company of Allison's Squadron, which was camped near Alexandria, left the camps on Helton Creek, going west toward Wilson County. They were scouting for Yankees. None being discovered, they made a fierce attack on John Barleycorn, intrenched at Isaac Smith's stillhouse, on the road leading north from the present store or post office called Mahome. Turning back toward Alexandria directly, they learned of an engagement going on near the Forks of the Pike, and galloped in that direction. Reaching the scene of the battle, Captain Reece and his troopers took a position in the woods and awaited orders. While there Colonel Allison and the remainder of the squadron arrived. "Captain Reece" said Allison, "you have no buissness here. Withdraw your company." "Colonel Allison" was the reply (captain Reece feeling the stimulus yet over the victory of John Barleycorn) "Company B will remain where it is." "Captain Reece, you are drunk," asserted Allison. "Colonel Allison," snapped Reece "you're a damn liar."

. . . At this the two urged their horses nearer each other and on horseback engaged in a savage fist and skull battle. When both were nearly out of breath, and it was forced upon all that their energies were needed against the common enemy, comrades interfered

. . . In July 1863, Allison's Squadron moved to the Chattanooga area with the Army of Tennessee and in August was placed under Colonel George C. Dibrell, of Forrest's Brigade. With Dibrell the squadron fought the Battle of Chickamauga, where it suffered its heaviest casualties of the war.

. . . In October 1863, the squadron was reported in Major General Joseph Wheeler's Cavalry Corps., and spent the next several months in north Georgia, recruiting.

James Alexander Boyd. . . In August 1864, Allison's Cavalry took part in General Wheeler's raid into Tennessee. General Wheeler, only 27 years old, took his 4500 men north of Atlanta, and within a few days, destroyed 35 miles of railroad track near Marietta and Dalton and burned a bridge over the Etowah. Near Knoxville, Wheeler sent Gen. Williams, with several companies including Allison's, to Strawberry plains to attack a Federal Garrison there. Finding it to strong, they attempted to catch up with Wheeler's main force, but always remained a day or two behind. Moving through Rutherford County, they fought a considerable battle on the Woodbury Pike. The men with Gen. Williams never succeed in rejoining Wheeler's group and eventually went to Saltville, Virginia, where they fought a battle and saved the salt works from enemy capture.

. . . Allison's fought at the Battle of Chatanooga on November 24, 1863, and also the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, 1863. Books on these battles show Allisons in the Order of Battle.

. . . The last company reports from the Squadron were dated December 31st 1864, at Robertsville, South Carolina. Lieut. B. L. Ridley, in a journal entry dated March 27th 1865, stated: "This afternoon went with General Stewart to the depot, where we found Colonel Allison, a Tennessee Cavalryman, on his way westward with the body of his son, who was killed a day or two ago near Goldsboro trying to rescue some ladies from the clutches of the enemy." In the reorganization of Gen. Joe Johnston's Army, the Squadron was reported, on April 9th 1865, as part of Lieut. Gen. Wade Hampton's Cavalry Corps., and surrendered and was paroled as part of this Corps.

Rosters


Company A

Colonel R. D. Allison
Captain John H. Allison
1st Lieut. James A. Nesmith
2nd Lieut. James N. Eaton
3rd Lieut. James W. Foutch
Sgt. J. A. Atwell
Sgt. J. L. Reasonover
Sgt. J. E. Robinson
Sgt. J.W. Boyd
Cpl. James B. Gregston
Cpl. Ab Drury
Cpl. W. J. Eaton

Pvt. R. D. Allison
Pvt. J. W. Allen
Pvt. William Allen
Pvt. George Ashe
Pvt. William Askew
Pvt. J. A. Boyd
Pvt. William Corley
Pvt. David Crook
Pvt. Robert Caskey
Pvt. John Cartwright
Pvt. William Carr
Pvt. William Carr
Pvt. Daniel Driver
Pvt. A. Davis
Pvt. Hardin Denny
Pvt. J. H. Foutch
Pvt. J.W. Floyd
Pvt. E. Gann
Pvt. Joesph Gann
Pvt. Freeling H. Hayes
Pvt. J. A. Higdon
Pvt. Horace M. Hale
Pvt. Leander B. Hale
Pvt. F. W. Hobson
Pvt. John Johnson
Pvt. Gus H. Johnson
Pvt. James W. Keaton
Pvt. R. W. Keaton
Pvt. Jake H. King
Pvt. R. A. King
Pvt. W. R. King
Pvt. H. D. Lester
Pvt. S. M. Leftwick
Pvt. L. C. Lincoln
Pvt. James C. Malone
Pvt. N. J. Petty
Pvt. W. F. Powell
Pvt. Irving Parsley
Pvt. Ben Robinson
Pvt. James M. Turney
Pvt. H. J. Wills
Pvt. Pleas C. Adams
Pvt. C. A. Bailiff
Pvt. G. W. Adkins
Pvt. M. Byford
Pvt. Monroe Bailiff
Pvt. P. Dedman
Pvt. M. L. Dedman
Pvt. J. H. Gann
Pvt. Thomas Malone
Pvt. R. W. Tubb
Pvt. W. S. Webster
Pvt. W. M. Walker
Pvt. J. D. Wheeler
Pvt. James Mullinax
Pvt. D. L. Braswell
Pvt. James Rigdon
Pvt. H. J. Wills
Pvt. Newton Petty
Pvt. Shade L. Davis
Pvt. Patterson Dedman
Pvt. John H. Gann
Pvt. Michael Gann
Pvt. W. H. Gann
Pvt. Nathan Gann
Pvt. Denham Bethel
Pvt. D. L. Russel















Company B

Captain J. S. Reece
1st Lieut. D. Brien
2nd Lieut. J. M. Floyd
3rd Lieut. L. P. Rutland
Sgt. T. W. Yeargin
Sgt. T. R. Foster
Sgt. James Jones
Sgt. Britton Odom
Sgt. Ed Reece
Cpl. J. J. Cutler

Pvt. W. W. Adams
Pvt. N. B. Bradley
Pvt. W. C. Craddick
Pvt. David Curtis
Pvt. J. P. Doss
Pvt. M. B. Dunn
Pvt. Pack W. Florida
Pvt. Tilman H. Foster
Pvt. J. Ervin Foster
Pvt. T. J. Finley
Pvt. R. B. Floyd
Pvt. L. H. Fite
Pvt. Sam George
Pvt. C. A. Hollinsworth
Pvt. D. H. Hale (teamster)
Pvt. W. H. Jackson
Pvt. Wiley Jones
Pvt. W. H. Luckey (bugler)
Pvt. W. C. McGann
Pvt. George Neal
Pvt. Robert Neal
Pvt. Ervin Newsome
Pvt. L. F. Porterfield
Pvt. Oliver W. Roberts
Pvt. William Shanks
Pvt. J. C. Trammel
Pvt. J. B. Tarpley
Pvt. J. B. Thompson
Pvt. G. W. Vantrease
Pvt. Thomas Warren
Pvt. Newt Warren
Pvt. David Wallace
Pvt. Isaiah White
Pvt. John Willoughby
Pvt. J. R. Witt
Pvt. Columbus Yeargin
Pvt. G. W. Lanier
Pvt. Henry Lanier
Pvt. James Pope
Pvt. G. H. McGann
Pvt. T. J. Coleman
Pvt. I. C. Stone
Pvt. William Hullet
Pvt. James Jones
Pvt. R. H. Newsom
Pvt. Sim Adamson
Pvt. Henry Bell
Pvt. William Adamson
Pvt. J. H. Burton
Pvt. Hiram Carter
Pvt. W. J. Covington
Pvt. J. C. Estes
Pvt. William Foster
Pvt. James S. Foutch
Pvt. Bartley L. James
Pvt. A. A. J. Jennings
Pvt. J. M. Jones
Pvt. Thomas King
Pvt. Calaway Neal
Pvt. J. R. Newsom
Pvt. J. B. Pendleton
Pvt. J. J. Rich
Pvt. Presley Stroud
Pvt. O. B. Staley
Pvt. Jacob Vantrease
Pvt. John Washer
Pvt. Nathan Walden
Pvt. G. Hutchinson
Pvt. Fayette Henley
Pvt. Nelson Bryant
Pvt. J. W. Buckner
Pvt. B. J. Bethel
Pvt. Henry George
Pvt. Sam Huggins
Pvt. A. J. Lanier
Pvt. J. T. Lawrence
Pvt. Dan McKee
Pvt. Monroe Malone
Pvt. John Marks
Pvt. S. T. Porterfield
Pvt. J. J. Porterfield
Pvt. S. A. Rickett
Pvt. Lander Jackson
Pvt. Thomas Estes
Pvt. John Shores
Pvt. J. R. Smith
Pvt. Ed Winn
Pvt. Henry Bell
Pvt. G. C. McGann
Pvt. Hiram Curtis
Company C

Captain R. V. Wright
1st Lieut. A. W. O. Baker
2nd Lieut. Orson B. Wright
3rd Lieut. W. V. Harrel
Sgt. John A. Jones
Sgt. W. A. Yeargin
Sgt. John Heflin
Cpl. William Hubbard
Cpl. John A. Mooneyham

Pvt. L. J. Allison
Pvt. George Beckwith
Pvt. William C. Bradford
Pvt. J. C. Bailey
Pvt. Mose Blythe
Pvt. A. M. Cantrell
Pvt. C. F. Cantrell
Pvt. G. C. Flippin
Pvt. John Gilley
Pvt. James Hawkins
Pvt. Dr. Fayette Knight
Pvt. William Mooneyham
Pvt. James Jones
Pvt. James Hines
Pvt. J. D. Martin
Pvt. W. S. Patey
Pvt. J. B. Palmer
Pvt. W. B. Price
Pvt. John Reeves
Pvt. Thomas Spears
Pvt. George Springfield
Pvt. Sam Hooper
Pvt. Jonas Whitley
Pvt. C. M. Thompson
Pvt. J. T. Thompson
Pvt. Ziska Uveldar Thompson
Pvt. Garrett Clay
Pvt. B. F. Batts
Pvt. W. D. Yeargin
Pvt. Bethel Batts
Pvt. John A. Farmer
Pvt. Thomas Howard
Pvt. William Harper
Pvt. Charles Harris
Pvt. W. W. Minton
Pvt. George Nichols
Pvt. P. Simpson
Pvt. C. Vanderpool
Pvt. Jeff Braswell
Pvt. John A. Mooneyham
Pvt. J. H. Baird
Pvt. A. M. Carter
Pvt. H. D. B. Anderson
Pvt. T. C. Bradford
Pvt. R. Barbee
Pvt. C. Barbee
Pvt. John Bowman
Pvt. John Batts
Pvt. J. T. Quarrels
Pvt. Isaac Cooper
Pvt. Jerome Barton
Pvt. Bill Bone
Pvt. Cain Adams
Pvt. John Parkerson
Pvt. Lito Hullet
Pvt. Alex Stanley




























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