23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's)

Brief History
The 23rd Regiment, Tennessee Infantry (Martin's) was organized at Camp Trousdale, Sumner County, Tennessee, in August, 1861. At Chickamauga, on April 9, 1865, there were 4 officers and 52 men at the surrender.

For more information about the 23rd Regiment Infantry and its history, see:

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

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.

The regiment originally had 10 companies, but was consolidated into eight companies after the Battle of Shiloh, with some changes in company letters, and still further changes in letters were made at the reorganization. The company lettering at the reorganization, with such information as is available as to prior letters, is shown below.


 * James G. Armstrong, 1st Co. "A". Consolidated with "B" April, 1862. Men from Maury County.
 * Henry B. Haynie, John G. Lowe, William S. Bowman, 2nd Co. "A", formerly 1st Co. "G". Men from Smith County.
 * George T. Blakemore, William A. Vernon, William B. J. Moore, Daniel W. May, Co. "B", formerly "B". Men from Lawrence County.
 * Robert Cantrell, Leroy J. Magness, G. W. Hicks, Erastus E. Foster, William D. Reinhardt 2nd Co. "C", formerly 1st Co. "E". Men from DeKalb County.
 * Mathias Martin, Micajah Payne, George Alexander Cortner, 2nd Co. "D", formerly 1st Co. "I". "The Erwin Guards." Men from Bedford County.
 * James F. Neill, James A. Ridley, W. A. Williams, N. R. Allen, John L. Elkins, 2nd Co. "E", formerly 1st Co. "K". Men from Bellbuckle, Bedford County.
 * William S. Lowe, 1st Co. "F". Consolidated with "H" April 1862. Men from Rutherford County.
 * William Crisp Blanton, James K. P. Lytle, 2nd Co. "F", formerly 1st Co. "C", called "A" in April, 1862. "The Scudder Rifles." Men from Unionville, Bedford County, some from Marshall County.
 * William H. Harder, John W. Harder, 2nd Co. "G", formerly 1st Co. "D". Men from Perry County.
 * M. M. Brien, Jr., William A. Ott, John Coffee New, Co. "H". Men from Cannon, Bedford, and Coffee Counties.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,766 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.


 * Immel, Mary Blair. Beneath these stones : the story of the Confederate prisoners in Lafayette, Indiana. (Covington, Indiana : Cardinal Corner Publications, c1998),


 * 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 23rd Tennessee Infantry begin on page 397.


 * Sumner County, Tennessee In the Civil War, by Edwin L. Ferguson, (accessed 22 Oct 2011).


 * 23rd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment Descendants Association, (accessed 22 Oct 2011).


 * The Twenty-Third Tennessee (Confederate) Regiment, a brief history, (accessed 29 Dec 2011).