4th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Neely's) - Confederate

Brief History
This regiment was organized at Germantown, Tennessee, in May, 1861. It ended the war in North Carolina on April 26, 1865.

Transferred from the Provisional Army of Tennessee "to Confederate service August, 1861; reorganized April 25, 1862; consolidated with the 5th Tennessee Infantry Regiment December 1862; formed part of Co. "D", 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry Regiment April 9, 1865; paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1, 1865."

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.


 * Company A - Captain James Sommerville - "Shelby Grays" - Men from Shelby County.
 * Company B - Captain James Fentress - "Pillow Guards" - Men from Hardeman County.
 * Company C - Captain R.P. Bateman - "Wigfall Grays" - Men from Shelby County.
 * Company D - Captian Andrew J. Kellar - "Raleigh Volunteers" - Men from Shelby County.
 * Company E - Captain James H. Deare - "Harris Guards" - Men from Obion County.
 * Company F - Captain R.L. White - "West Tennessee Riflemen" - Men from Gibson County.
 * Company G - Captain John Sutherland - "Lauderdale Invincibles" - Men from Ripley and Lauderdale Counties.
 * Company H - Captain Benjamin F. White - "Tennessee Guards" - Men from Shelby County.
 * Company I - Captain John B. Turner - "Tipton Rifles" - Men from Tipton County.
 * Company K - Captain H.L. Fowlkes - "Dyer Guards" - Men from Dyer County.

The information about the companies is from Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 19 Nov 2011).

Fourth Tennessee (Confederate)

Was organized at Germantown, May 18. 1861.

Pillow Guards (Captain R. P. Neely)

The information above is from The Goodspeed Histories of Tennessee, Vol. 11

(Shelby Grays) Captain Somerville - many men from Shelby County

(Pillow Guards) Captain James Fentress -- many men from Shelby County

Raleigh Volunteers Captain A. J. Kellar - many men from Shelby County

(Harris Guards) Captain J. H. Dean - many men from Shelby County

The information above is from Goodspeed History of Hamilton,Knox and Shelby Counties of Tennessee Vol.3.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,792 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Tennessee in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Tennessee in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Lindsley, John B. The Military Annals of Tennessee: Confederate, First Series; Embracing a Review of Military Operations, with Regimental Histories and Memorial Rolls, Compiled from Original and Official Sources. 1886. Reprint. Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Co., 1974. (FS Library book 976.8 M2L.) Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive. A brief history and memorial rolls of the 4th Tennessee Infantry starts on page 183.


 * Nikazy, Eddie M. Forgotton soldiers : history of the 4th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment (USA) 1863-1865. (Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, c1995),


 * 4th (Neeley's) Tennessee Infantry Regiment, Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 19 Nov 2011).


 * The Fourth Tennessee (Confederate) Regiment, a brief history, (accessed 28 Dec 2011).