2nd Regiment, Alabama Infantry

Brief History
2nd Infantry Regiment [also called Magnolia Regiment] was organized at Fort Morgan, Alabama, during April, 1861. Its members were raised in Calhoun, Pickens, Franklin, Monroe, Clarke, Mobile, and Jackson counties. The regiment formed the garrison at Fort Morgan, serving as infantry and artillery, until March, 1862, when it was ordered to Fort Pillow in Tennessee. Here it disbanded because its term of service had expired.

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.

Companies by County and Captains:


 * Company A - Captain Daniel P. Forney, many men from Calhoun County
 * Company B - Captain Thomas C. Lanier, many men from Pickens County
 * Company C - Captain G. W. Foster, many men from Monroe County
 * Company D - Captain A. R. Lankford, many men from Clarke County
 * Company E - Captain John Goodwin, many men from Franklin County
 * Company F - Captain John B. V. Lafever, many men from Mobile County
 * Company G - Captain W. C. Fergus, many men from Mobile County
 * Company H - Captain E. H. McDonald, many men from Mobile County
 * Company I - Captain G. G. Watson, many men from Mobile County
 * Company K - Captain A. M. Saxon, many men from Jackson County

The list of Captains and the Counties which they came from is found on the Alabama State Archives Website.

The list of the Companies with their captains is found in Report of the Alabama History Commission to the governor of Alabama, December 1, 1900. ; page 338.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,438 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.