1st Battalion, Alabama Cadets

Brief History
"By August 24, 1863, nineteen companies had organized for local defense service at Mobile, Alabama. Two of these, the “Pelham Cadets” and the “Maury Rifles”, were composed of teenagers exempt from regular service because of their age and entered active service on November 22, 1863. These two companies joined the 1st Mobile Regiment as Companies “B” and “K. Confederate Congress passed a law calling on seventeen-year olds to enroll as Junior Reserves. The “Pelham Cadets” and “Maury Rifles” were detached to form the 1st Alabama Cadet Battalion on April 4, 1864. Members of this battalion usually served as provost guards, until the city was evacuated by Confederate forces on April 11, 1865. Survivors were paroled at Gainesville, Ala., May 10, 1865..

The official name for the Pelham Cadets was the Alabama 1st Battalion Cadets.

"Units of the Confederate States Army" by Joseph H. Crute, Jr. contains no history for this unit.

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 "Pelham Cadets" - of Mobile County, formerly Company B of 1st Mobile Regiment (Local Defense) detached to form 1st Alabama Cadet Battalion on April 4, 1864


 * Company B "Maury Rifles" - of Mobile County, formerly Company K 1st Mobile Regiment (Local Defense) detached to form 1st Alabama Cadet Battalion on April 4, 1864.

Information on these companies is found on history-sites.com web site.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 509 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 'Alabama 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.


 * Alabama in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Alabama, 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.