The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-19
by homas M. Owen.
No. 23.

the companies from Mobile Montgomery, Lowndes, LOW Coosa and Macon a c counties of bama, and Provisional Confederate Gov efnment, and hurried to the rendezvous l It Montgomery where they were formed as the 3d Alabama Infantry. Its organ ization was as follows: 1st, Mobile Cadets. Mobile. Capt. K. A 2nd. Mobile Rifles. Mobile. Capt. l.. T. Woodruff. ad. Washington Light Infantry. Mobile. Capt. Archibald Oracle. Jr. 4tn, Tuskegee Light Infantry, Tuske- gee. Capt. W. G. Swanson. 5th. Southern Rifles. Union Springs, Capt. Richard H. Powell. 9th, Gulf City Guards, Mobile. Capt. 7th. Montgomery True Blues. Mont st% Mef1opcan Gap G. Guaads Capt r. Winston Hunter. sth Wetumpka Light Guards. Wetump- ka. Capt. Edward $. Ready. 10th, Lowndes Beauregards, Capt. M. ' Ford Bonham. In obedience from the Adiutant Gen eral of the State of Alabama an cleo tlon was held for Field Officers. with the Jones M Withers, Colonel. Mobile. .Tennent Lomax. Lieutenant-Coionel.I Montgomery. Cullen A. Battle. Major. Tuskegee.. Second Lieutenant Charles Forsyth. Mobile Cadets. appointed Adjutant NIl 5. MOrelanO. MODlle IdOels. dp- pointed Sergeant Major. When these companies had been formed into Regiment. it was turned over to the Provisional Confederate Government. and the following Staff Officers appoint ed:
 F. A. Sample, Surgeon. Montgomery.
 Paul c. Lee, Assistant Surgeon. Mont- John W. A. Sanford Captaln and A Q. M, Montgomery.
 B. L. Wyman, Captain and A. C. S., Montgomery.
 From Montgomery the Regiment was ordered to Lynchburg. Va. one of the military rendezvous of the Confederate into service May 1, iS6l and after ret maining there a few days was sent to Norfolk, which was then thought would be the main point of attack. el The regiment was selected for this duty because most of the companies forming it had been old organizations, and was thought. to be better prepared to take the field than regiments from the State which had not the same nucleus to build around. As a matter of history it is proper to say that 1t was the first Reg inicnt from Alabama that started for the theatre of war. Subsequent developments did not jus tify the expectations formed by the Gov roint of attack, although Norfolk, with It's magn icent works. navy yards, ships end splendid docks, mace it more th2E reasonable to suppose that the Federal Government would lose no time or means to wrest so important point from the Confejeracy
 ders to proceed to Norfolk with glad and cheerful feelings, ambitious all were then to be first to strike for ilIe sacred cause which the sacrifice of so many noble and gallant spirits has since made doubly dear to every Southern heart.
 to be disappointed Weeks and months rolled on, and yfS no active service. The enemy concentrated on the line of the Potomac. and the tide of battle, which short time previous seemed destined to lash it's furieS against this devoted and unfortunate city, Was soon turned to the banks of this magnificent stream.
 It will not be amiss to state here that the Regiment during this time was un- de the command of Lieut.. Col. l-omax, Colonel Nithers, very soon after his ar- rival. having been assigned to the con- mand of q brigade, consisting of the 1St Virginia, Colonel Malone, tsince Briga- |, dier and Maior-GeneraD. 18th Virginia Colonel Weissiger. and his own regiment. the Sd Alabama.
 Although a state of inactivity prevailed, as far as field operations were concerned, the time was not lost, or spent useleSsly. Constant and hard drilling. under the supervision of the accomplished Lomax. was the order of the day, and the twelve months of anxious attention on his part, to the training and drill of his men. laid the foundation for the reputation which the 3d Alabama subsequently won on lCtlVe ana DlDOuy DeluS.
 In July, Colonel Withers having been appointed Brigadier General. and ordered to Mobile. an election was held for field officers, with the following result; Ten Iieutenant-C Colonel; Charles Forsyth Major. and Lieut. Isaiah Wilson. of the Southern Rifles, Was appointed Adjutant.
 In April. 1862. the Regiment. at its re- organization. reelected all of it's Field Officers. Lieut.. s. B. Johnson. Tuskegee Light Infantry was appointed Adjutant. i..t,f Lieut.. T. P. Brown, NJ C.. Captain and A. c. NJ. vice Saptaln Sanford resigned.
 4 division in Captains Andrews and Bonhams companies, part of the former transferred to artillery service), having occurred, d new company formed, and named in honor of the gallant com mander of the Regiment the 'LomaX Sharp Shooters" under Captain Bonham, Capt Cornelius Robinson, Jr., taking charge of the "Lowndes Beauregards. D John R Simpson was elected Captain Co. B. Gulf City Guards, vice Wm Hart well resigned. About the same time the "Dixie Eagles" Capt. J. w. D. Jelks of Union Springs, was attached to the Regiment Captain Jelks was the father of Governor Wm. D. Jelks. the Governor
 After repeated memorials. signed by both officers and men, 10 he transferred to Manassas and the Peninsula. move ments indicated that the hour of inact- ivity had passed. and that the Regiment must soon take its place by the side of those who had toiled and suffered on the long and weary marches from the Po- tomae to Richmond and Yorktown On fbe 5th day of May 1S62 orders were iwued for the evacuation of Norfolk, and although anxious for active service there was not d man who did not leave inc city with heavy heart, Knowing as they did that the kind and hospitable neople who had entertained them so handsomely in health, and watched with such tender care over their sick beds. must soon be subjected to the taUnts ana insults of enemies
 The Regiment was moved to Suffolk, and Weldon. and afterwards to Peters, hurg where 1t remained only a few d1ys, It was then sent to Drewry's BIuf. to support the batteries at that noint which were threatened by the en- emys gunaoats,
 Several companies were deployed as -borDshooters on the banks of the James
 nd contributed no little in harrassing end driving the enemy from their guns Hurried to the scene of action tents and all comforts to which the men had ,sr gccustOmtd left behind. and their evnnslrc for the first time 10 rain and ba6 weather. produced vast deal of intoass. In less than a week the Reg Sment was reduced by disease to less than one-half of it's actual strength.
 T'hree days before the battle of Seven Dimes the Regiment was ordered to Rich mond. and on the lst day of January
 acaj\ed it's first lesson in the horrors of war Held in the second A1e Sat ,5rday the list of May), aA $ reserve ,be men soon saw that the i.eXt m1n- tmr must initiate them into ancs en- tircly different from those oE-the past