A Proposal to Reactivate Company D
of the
44th Tennessee Consolidated Infantry Regiment
in the WCWA

I. Mission Statement

The 44th Tennessee Consolidated Infantry is a Confederate unit which will portray a late 1863 Army of Tennessee impression. The unit will be a campaign style unit emphasizing light marching order, proper clothing, and extensive drill. First person will be used at events and soldiers are encouraged to take the name of a soldier from the actual unit and portray that soldier at events.

The unit is a full strength unit and will have full gear by Ft.Steilacoom.

The unit will also be an entity where Venture Scouts will reenact to fulfill a living history requirement for the Boy Scouts. The Venture Scouts will run a modern concession stand as a regular fund raiser like the one run at the 1998 CleElum reenactment. Plans are also being made for a period, food, concession booth. All food handlers possess food handling permits.

II. Members

Mark (Silas) Tackitt - commander
Mark Terry
Joe Garrett (47)
Tommy Garrett (14)
Randy Taylor (40ish)
Erica Taylor (16)
Kurtis Taylor (12)
Ian West (16)
Chelsea Stanton (17)
Lacey Stanton (15)
Andy Watkins (16)
Dane Rawlins (40)
David Rawlins (14)
Eric Rawlins (12)
Erin Lee (16)
Matt Parsons (13)
George Watkins (40ish)
Ben Konrady (13)
Chad Force (15)

III. Equipment

As this is a campaign unit, typical camping equipment will not be used. If it cannot be carried, it is not needed. Consequently, there will be no wedge, wall, baker, or sibley tents. Tent flies, ground cloths, and shelter halves will be the norm. There will be no iron grills, coffee pots, or similar impediments around a central camp fire.

Unlike the 1st Arkansas unit, the 44th will maintain a campsite within the battalion camp. The unit's campsite will better resemble a hobo junction than the reenacting camps presently seen in the Pacific Nor'west because there will be little gear in camp and because all gear from camp will be carried into battle. See, authenticity standards for the unit.

At present, there are sufficient leathers and firearms for three soldiers. With the exception of reenactors with their own gear, all leathers and arms will be purchased and owned by the Venture Scout troop to be issued at events as loaner gear. The unit will be holding regular sewing/drill sessions as well as fundraisers to obtain company gear for the Venture Scouts. The troop intends to purchase sufficient gear for ten soldiers.

It is expected that the Venture Scouts will obtain their own individual gear and the loaner gear will be used for new Venture Scouts and other fresh fish.

IV. Mentoring

The 44th requests that the unit be allowed to mentor under the newly formed, but veteran, 7th South Carolina Infantry. The two units intend to act as a division of companies for purposes of camp, battalion drill and battle. Historically, the two units were under Longstreet's command from Chickamauga (Oct. '63) through April, 1864, so the actual units may have camped in close proximity to each other. Factually, these reactivated units are of similar reenacting mindset and will blend well together.

V. Short History of the Unit

A. Basic history

The men who composed the unit were from Coffee County, Tennessee which is located in the south central portion of the State. The county seat is Manchester.

The 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment was organized at Camp Trousdale on 16 December 1861; consolidated with 55th (McKoin's) Tennessee Infantry on 18 April 1862 to form the 44th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry; reorganized on 5 May 1862; field consolidation with 25th Tennessee Infantry in October, 1863; Johnson's Brigade consolidated with Archer's Brigade to form McComb's Brigade; sixty three members surrendered and received paroles at Appomattox Courthouse on 9 April 1865.

First Organization

Field Officers of the 44th Tennessee Infantry

Captains

Consolidated Organization

Field Officers of the 44th Consolidated Infantry

Original Captain of Co. D

B. A unique, contemporary history written by a member of Johnson's Brigade found in the Official Records.

HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
Petersburg, Va., September 20, 1864.

Maj. GEORGE C. BROWN,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., Lieut. Gen. Ewell's Staff, Richmond, Va.:

MAJOR: Inclosed I forward to you a remonstrance from the officers of Johnson's old brigade against consolidation with any other command. The original application of Brigadier-General Archer for the consolidation of Johnson's brigade with his own, which called forth this remonstrance, was sent to Colonel Hughs, about two weeks ago, for his remarks, with instructions to return the paper to these head-quarters. It has not yet been returned, and it is supposed that Colonel Hughs forwarded the paper directly to your office; if it is still in your office please place the inclosed with it and forward them together. If, however, the original application has not reached your office, be kind enough to direct Colonel Hughs to forward it immediately, in order that it may accompany the inclosed remonstrance.

I am, major, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

R. E. FOOTE,
Assistant Adjutant-General.

[Inclosure.]

HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S BRIGADE,
Signal Hill, Va., September 12, 1864.

Maj. Gen. B. R. JOHNSON,
Petersburg, Va.:

The application of Brigadier-General Archer for this brigade to be transferred to his command having been submitted to us, we, the undersigned, in behalf of the officers and men of this command, respectfully beg leave to enter our solemn protest against consolidation with or transfer to any brigade. The members of this command, to a man, are opposed to any arrangement by which they may lose their identity as a brigade. We have existed as an organization, known as Johnson's brigade, now exceeding two long years. We have fought on many battle-fields and undergone innumerable hardships together. Officers and men have vied with each other to make Johnson's brigade second to none in the armies of the Confederate States. After the battles of Shiloh and Perryville, where we lost over one-half of our original numbers, we entered Tennessee and recruited to a very large brigade before the battle of Murfreesborough. On that memorable and ensanguined field the brigade acted a conspicuous part, being in Cleburne's division and on the extreme left of the enemy. There we lost 672 officers and men. Even after this heavy loss we again recruited the command to almost the maximum number required by law. At Hoover's Gap we suffered severely, Stewart's division, of which we formed a part, being the only troops confronting the enemy at that point and Johnson's brigade bringing up the rear of the army to Chattanooga. After the demoralization of the retreat from our own State and a campaign in East Tennessee and North Georgia, we again met the enemy on the glorious and ever-memorable field of Chickamauga. Here, as you are aware, our losses were very heavy, being over one-half of the entire command. About 23d of November, 1863, we left the Army of Tennessee to re-enforce General Longstreet at Knoxville. We arrived in time to take part in that engagement. At Bean's Station the command composed one-third of the force in your successful attack and rout of a greatly superior enemy, numbering about five to one. The whole winter of 1863 was a series of active operations. The troops of this command were kept constantly on outpost duty and suffered immensely, both from exposure and lack of supplies, never remaining stationary or in quarters but for a few days at a time. We were taken from that scene of action about 1st of May, 1864, and brought to Richmond, Va., where we arrived just in time to confront the enemy at Port Walthall and Fort Clifton. It will be remembered that a detachment of men from this brigade, under Lieut. F. M. Kelso, manned the guns at Fort Clifton, and resisted successfully the advance of five of the enemy's gun-boats, sinking one and disabling and repulsing the others. At Drewry's Bluff, on 16th of May following, our losses were heavy, both in officers and men.

On 15th, 16th, 17th, again on 30th of June and 1st of July, we were engaged in battles before Petersburg, Va. Our losses were augmented, including valuable officers. This brigade has lost twelve field officers killed and three permanently disabled from field service. Seven of these field officers were killed in the fights around Richmond and Petersburg in the present campaign. On every field Johnson's brigade has shown uniform valor, gaining laurels of which they are justly proud. Would it not be injustice to consolidate such a command and cause it thereby to lose its identity? To say the least, would it not be ungrateful? When our absent members, who are not permanently disabled and prisoners of war, shall return, we will muster, as shown by our reports, over 1,650 officers and men. Should we be so fortunate as to again enter our beloved State, we pledge ourselves to recruit the command to its maximum number in six weeks. We know that this can be done without resorting to conscription, for Johnson's brigade is well and favorably known and mainly composed of men living south of Murfreesborough.

We have made this statement to you in justice to ourselves and the brave men we represent, trusting that you will use every endeavor to prevent our being swallowed up by any other command. We feel our indebtedness to you in a great measure for our present standing, and believe that you will take that interest in your old brigade which will defeat this measure. If we are allowed to remain as a separate organization and continued in the Department of Richmond until it becomes generally known throughout the South, we believe that there are Tennesseeans enough within our lines, "refugees from home," to swell our ranks to a respectable number. We hear daily of men in the enemy's lines desirous of joining us, but what chance have they at present? It is true that it may be urged that the transfer proposed is to be only temporary, but experience has shown that those temporary annexations do, after a lapse of time, by general assent, become permanent. Should this transfer be ordered in the face of the present strong opposition to it the most unhappy results may be anticipated, the energies of the officers would become paralyzed, and the spirit of the men broken.

Very respectfully,

JOHN M. HUGHS,
Colonel, Commanding Johnson's Brigade.

WM. H. FULKERSON,
Major, Commanding Sixty-third Tennessee Regiment.

U. C. HARRISON,
Senior Captain Seventeenth Tennessee Regiment.

HORACE READY,
Lieut. Col., Comdg. Seventeenth and Twenty-third Regiments.

R. B. SNOWDEN,
Lieut. Col., Comdg. Forty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Tennessee.

J. E. SPENCER,
Senior Capt. and Acting Major Forty-fourth Tennessee Regiment.

[Indorsement.]

HEADQUARTERS JOHNSON'S DIVISION,
September 19, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded.

There can be no doubt that the sentiments of the officers and men of this brigade are strongly opposed to a combination with any other brigade, however worthy or distinguished. This arises in part from experience resulting from the consolidation of regiments, and in part from a desire to preserve its identity in connection with its past history, its honorable deeds on fields that will be memorable in all future ages, the toils, privations, and heroic deeds, as well of the living as of the venerated dead, the memories of whose virtues hallow the very name it bears, unworthy though that name be. The men and officers still hope to return in triumph to their native State, and none but they can perhaps appreciate the unspeakable pride they will have, bearing there a distinct name and organization with all the glorious associations of the past. Though I may be excused for peculiar sentiments of regard for this brigade, I believe, in recommending that the combination proposed be not authorized, I but pointedly subserve the real interest of the Confederacy and the public good.

B. R. JOHNSON,
Major-General.

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Last updated 6 December 1999 at 0630 hrs.

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