5th Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (McClellan's) - Confederate

Brief History
Also called 1st Battalion, also 4th Battalion

This regiment was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, in May, 1862, with six companies. In May, 1862, merged into the 2nd (Ashby's) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.

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 S.W. Eldredge - "The Lancers" - Men mostly from Bradley County with some from Polk County.
 * Company B - Captain C.C. Spiller - Men mostly from Hamilton County with some from North Alabama.
 * Company C - Captain H.C. Gillespie - Men from Knox, Union, and Claiborne Counties.
 * Company D - Captain Henry C. Legg - Men from Hawkins and Hancock Counties.
 * Company E - Captain William C. Holland - Men from Blount County.
 * Company F - Captain David McClellan - "The McClellan Group" - Men from Sullivan County.

The information about the counties is from Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 18 Nov 2011).

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 681 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.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 18 Nov 2011). Brief history and organization.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, Spiller's Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, (accessed 23 Dec 2011). History.


 * Confederate Military Rosters Online, 5th Cavalry Battalion, Company B, (accessed 26 Feb 2012). "The McClellan Group."   Transcribed by Ted Urbanski.


 * Civil War Records, Bradley County, Tennessee, (accessed 26 Feb 2012). Resources available at the Cleveland Public Library Military Records of Union and Confederate Soldiers from Bradley County (microfilm), Confederate Regiments: 5th (McClellan's) Tenn. Cavalry Battalion.