1st Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Carter's) - Confederate

Brief History
This regiment was organized in November, 1862, using the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry Battalion as its nucleus. This company was active in the Vicksburg Campaign and was captured July, 1863. By exchanged, it was attached to Waul's Texas Legion, then returned to the regiment. It surrendered with the Army of Tennessee.

For more information on the history of this unit, see:


 * The Civil War Archive section, 1st Regiment Cavalry.

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 – Rhea County
 * Company B – Hamilton County
 * Company C - McMinn County
 * Company D – Rhea County and Bledsoe Counties
 * Company E – Union County and Knox Counties
 * Company F – Claiborne County
 * Company G – Blount County
 * Company H – Jefferson County
 * Company I – Blount County
 * Company K- Jefferson County
 * Company L – Claiborne County
 * Company M – Washington County, Sullivan County and Carter County

The information about the counties is from Tennesseans in the Civil War.

Company A (Captain Keys - many men from Rhea County

Company B (Captain J. B. King) - many men from Hamilton County

Company C (Captain Richard Vandyke) - many men from McMinn County and Monroe County

Company D ( Captain Greer) - many men from Rhea County and Roane County

Company E ( Captain John Jarnagin) - many men from Knox County

Company F (Captain Frank Fulkerson) - many men from Claiborne County

Company G (Captain Wiggs) - many men from Blount County

Company H (Captain Neff) - many men from Jefferson County

Company I (Captain William Wallace) - many men from Blount County

Company K (Captain Richard Swearinger) - many men from

Company L (Captain Blackburn) - many men from Claiborne County

Company M (Captain Ed Gammon) - many men from Washington County

The information above is from Goodspeed's History of Hamilton County, Knox County and Shelby County of Tennessee Vol. 3, Nashville, Tennessee: C. and R. Elder Booksellers, 1974. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 1,504 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 Berrien, 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, (Nashville: J.M. Lindsley &amp; Co. Publishers; 1886). First Tennessee Cavalry histories and memorial rolls start on page 606.  Online at Internet Archive.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War. Brief history with company information and county links.
 * Tennessee 1st Cavalry Regiment (Carter's).


 * William Randolph Carter, History of the First regiment of Tennessee volunteer cavalry in the great war of the rebellion, (Knoxville, Tenn: Gaut-Ogden Co., Printers and Binddres, 1902). Online at Internet Archive.