The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-03-14

iederate States
BY command Of the Secretary of
War Samuel w Melton, Major aud
A AG
5 g Spsun, present
Pursuant to the foregoing au,hori
~. l fret organized q company 10
Mobile. with headquarters at Stone
Street Redoubts Lieut. Ed Keith as
drill master {; John @ Ransom. A @;
Con Dabney II Maury, department
commander then proceeded to
raise other companies to form q bat
talon of mounted cavalry This
succeeded in perfecting, with j NJ
Tindal as captain of Company A, S
A d Steel az captain of Company B,
III NJ Burke as captain of Company
@ and John Harrison as captain Of
Company D
In the outset this command was
gotten up with the expectation OF
operating under orders of Gen Har.
dee, 40 indicated above But Gen
Hardee Vas transferred to the East.
ern division. which changed the
nature Of The service and opened new
territory for future operations. The
above named companies we're ordered
to TusosloOss. Ala, whore. in Sep
tember, 1868. the command was duly
organized, with 8 g Spann major
The musters role we're formally made
out. copies Of which we're forwarded
to the secretary Of war Tuscaloosa
wss the gateway into Northwest
Alsbsms.
Il was ct T'uscaloosa that the Con
federate States Military Academy
wss established The chief cotton,
wool and shoe and hst factories were
loosted there The iron bridge
across the Black Warrior River con
uected the western and eastern sec.
tioos Of Alaba ma at this point. The
enemy bad made frequent raids ia
thst vicinity and the city was on
several occasions under imminent
dsuger Of beiuE captured. Gen N
B. Forrest ives slstioned at Okolona,
Mics. Gen g J Pillow was stationed
o. Montgomery. Ala. aud l was
stationed O. Tusosloosa. Ala, with
Instructions from Gcp Msury to re
port ready fer duty to both
Gen Forrest and Gen Pillow,
who we're about equally distant from
Tuscaloosa This was promptly
done My command up TO this time
wss known ss Spsnn's battalion of
independent scouts. Gen Pillow oh.
jected to the style as calculated to
mislead and produce confusion. He
therefore advised that the command
should take some numerical desigus
tion. No objection being interposed,
the command was called the 18th
Confederate oavslry. aud forwarded
Gen Pillows recommends dations to s
Cooper, A and ] General. Richmond,
that 10 future Spsnn's battalion of
independent scouts she uld be known
az the 18th Confederate Cavalry, and
il 90 sppesrs in my subsequent
reports
Now that the main forces of
Confederate troops, had been transfer
red to Eastern 6eId of action, ell
North Alabama was conse quently
exposed to Federal raids aud depre.
dstions by deserters and Union
eympathizers who bad organized into
bandits and highway robbers geper.
ally t,.
This battalion had hardly gotten
into fighting trim when q squad of
reconnoi.ering scouts dashed into
camp and reported two Federal raids
heading towards Tuscaloosa. one
under command Of Federal Col
Grierson. and the other under com
mand of Federal Col Strait. Geo
Forrest had received Simultaneous
notice OF their spprosoh and at once
intercepted them vt Sand Mountain,
North Alabama. where be gsined q
"'o"s V'SsOsy WIN Outy oUKut
casualties. himself receiving q wound
iu the heel The 18th battalion, be
ing skillfu'ly deployed along the
Watermelon Road. leading down to
Tuscaloosa from the direction of the
fight rendered efficient service agsi us.
detached squsds Of the enemy. The
thanks Of the city officials. and pro.
fessors of the State cadets. and the
superinteDdents of the various fac.
tories were cordially rendered this
battalion Gen Forests command,
after this engagement, moved to the
front, but this battalion continued 10
Tuscslooss and in the immediate
support of Gen G J. Pillows
orders
Foil the more effectuai execution of
tho duties devolved upon me I issued
several general orders. defining the
OF tho Law OF exemption