3rd Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Forrest's) - Confederate

Brief History
This regiment was organized at Memphis, Tennessee, in October, 1861, as an eight-company battalion. In January, 1862, it was increased to regimental size. It confronted the Federals in Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Alabama, and surrendered in May, 1865.

3rd (Forrest's Old) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, also called 18th Battalion, 26th Battalion, Balch's Battalion and McDonald's Battalion.

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.

"This regiment had a very complex history, some 20 to 25 companies being at one time or another attached to it, with numerous changes in company letters."


 * Company A - Captain J.F. Overton, John Crutcher - "The Boone Rangers." Men from Bradenburg, Kentucky.
 * Company B - Captain W.C. Bacot
 * Company C - Captain Charles May, Jeffrey E. Forrest, Augustus Larrantree, John C. Blanton - "The Forrest Rangers."
 * Company D - Captain N.C. Gould - A Texas company.
 * Company E - Captain A.S. Truitt, Thomas W. Hampton
 * Company F - Captain David C. Kelley, James M. Hambrick - "Pope Walker Troopers," "Kelley Troopers," "Madison Cavalry."
 * Company G - Captain M.D. Logan - Men from Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
 * Company H - Captain Henry Milner - An Alabama company.

The above eight companies were formed into a battalion under Lieutenant Colonel N.B. Forrest and Major D.C. Kelley, at Camp Forrest, near Memphis, Tennessee in October 1861. The folowing were soon added:


 * Company I - Captain D.C. Davis - An Alabama company
 * Company K - Captain Charles McDonald - "The Mc-Donald Dragoons"

After the loss of Companies "D" and "I" at Fort Donelson, the following companies were added:


 * 2nd Company D - Captain Jesse A. Forrest, Benjamin H. Adkinson
 * 2nd Company I - Captain C.N. Schuyler, S.R. Brooks

Balch's 18th Battalion of Forrest's Regiment was composed of the following:


 * Company A - Captain S.R. Brooks
 * Company B - Captain A. Larrentree
 * Company C - Captain B.H. Adkinson
 * Company D - Captain Charles McDonald
 * Company E - Captain S.Y. Webb
 * Company F - Captain John Crutcher
 * Company G - Captain William Harrison

McDonald's Battalion of Forrest's Regiment was composed as follows:


 * Company A - Captain P.T. Allin, Thomas H. Pattison
 * Company B - Captain J.G. Barbour
 * Company C - Captain J.C. Blanton
 * Company D - Captain William H. Forrest. Some men from Hardeman County.
 * Company E - Captain N.E. Wood
 * Company F - Captain J. Ferd Rodgers
 * Company C - Captain W.J. Shaw

The companies listed in McDonald's Battalion retained the same company letters in the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, reorganized, and the following companies were added:


 * Company H - Captain J.L. Morphis
 * Company I - Captain T.D. Barefoot (or Barfoot)
 * Company K - Captain Wiley Higgs

The final metamorphosis of the regiment took place in February 1865, when the 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Cavalry Regiment was formed. Additional companies:


 * 3rd Company F - Captain George R. Merritt
 * Company G - Captain P.H. Strickland
 * Company H - Captain C.M. Stewart (or Stuart)
 * Company I - Captain W.T. Carmack
 * Company K - Captain W.A. Bell

These companies were composed of former members of the 12th Tennessee Cavalry, principally from Companies "A", "E", "B", and "F".

The information for the companies listed is from Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 18 Nov 2011). Also see additional information regarding the changing of company letters and organization online.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 2,737 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.  Memorial rolls of the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry begin on page 627.


 * Lundquist, John H. 3rd Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment : a roster of those who served in the regiment, 1862-1865. (Minneapolis, Minnesota : J. Lundquist, c1997),


 * McCammon, Charles S. Loyal Mountain Troopers, the Second and Third Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry in the Civil War : reminiscences of Lieutenant John W. Andes and Major Will A. McTeer. (Maryville, Tennessee : Blount County Genealogical and Historical Society, c1992),


 * Morton, John Watson, The artillery of Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry, "the wizard of the saddle,"  Nashville, Tenn., Dallas, Tex., Publishing house of the M. E. Church, South, Smith &amp; Lamar, agents, 1909.  Online book at Internet Archive, (accessed 26 Feb 2012) and (Bethesda, Maryland:  University Publications of America, c1990),  and (Paris, Tennessee : Guild Bindery Press, 1988),


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


 * Wyeth, John A. (John Allen); Forrest, Nathan Bedford. Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990)