31st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (A. H. Bradford's)

Brief History
The 31st Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (A. H. Bradford's)was assembled in October, 1861, at Camp Trenton, Gibson Couty, Tennessee. It had 21 disabled at Missionary Ridge and in December, 1863, totalled 157 men and 137 arms. It was included in the surrender on April 26, 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 - Captains Egbert E. Tansil, B.J. Roberts - "The Western Stars." Men from Weakley County.
 * Company B - Captains Caleb McKnight, james G. House - Men from McNairy County.
 * Company C - Captains C.M. Cason, W.B. Clayton, J.K.P. Randolph - Men from McNairy County.
 * Company D - Captains A. H. Bradford, L. Houk, John R. Wills - Men from Haywood County.
 * Company E - Captains B. Robertson, A.T. Gay, D. H. Blankenship - Men from Gibson County.
 * Company F - Captains F.E. P. Stafford, J.T. Jacocks - Men from Madison County.
 * Company G - Captains W.Y. Baker, Samuel Sharp, W.R. Ramer - Men from McNairy County.
 * Company H - Captains Jonathan Luton, George W. Bright - Men from Decatur County.
 * Company I - Captains Thomas L. Bell, W.V. Sims - Men from Weakley County.
 * Company K - Captains John Elliott, John A. Hatler, George C. Thomas - Men from Weakley County.

Company A (Captain B. J. Roberts)

Company I (Captain Thomas Bell) (later William Simmons)

Company K (Captain John Elliott) (later John Hatler)

The information above is from The Goodspeed History of Tennessee, Vol.12.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,605 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. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2L.) Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive. A brief history and memorial rolls of the 31st Tennessee Infantry begin on page 459.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 22 Oct 2011).


 * COMPANY E 31ST TENNESSEE INFANTRY REGIMENT GIBSON CO., TN, submitted by Joe W. Stout, (accessed 22 Oct 2011).


 * The Thirty-first Tennessee (Confederate, West Tennessee) Regiment, a brief history, (accessed 29 Dec 2011).