Dates:June 7, 1861 - Organized, Jackson TennesseeMoved to Union City Tennessee for Instruction, comprised of 10 companies with 744 men armed with flintlock muskets. Among the recruits were men from the state of Illinois and other northern states. August 1861 - Accepted into confederate service at New Madrid, MO, Reported in Cheatham's Brigade, during this initial period, 3 companies separated for Island No. 10 but were later reunited at Columbus, Kentucky in September, 1861. 24 October, 1861 - Regiment reported in Polk's Corps, Brig. General Pillow's Division, Walker's Brigade including 2nd, 13th, and 15th Tennessee Infantry Regiments and Captain M.T.Polk's Battery. 7 November, 1861- Battle of Belmont, the first major engagement of the western theater, where the 15th Tennessee was among reinforcements, sent by General Leonidas Polk, that were ferried across the river to assist a force of Confederates who had been pushed back. Their newly arrived force assisted in effecting a route of the Union forces under Brig. Gen. U. S. Grant.. December 1861 - R.C. Tyler became LtCol and succeeded James H. Taylor in command. The Regiment remained in Columbus until March 1862. 9 March 1862 - Regiment reported in Colonel Preston Smith's Brigade, during this period, Columbus was evacuated and the Regiment moved to Corinth MS. 6-7 April, 1862 - The Regiment, assigned to Cheatham's Division, Brigadier General Bushrod Johnson's Brigade, composed of Blythe's 44th Mississippi, 2nd, 15th, and 154th Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and Polk's Battery, took part in the Battle of Shiloh where Lt Col. Tyler was seriously wounded and Major Hearn took command of the regiment. The 15th was reported to have lost nearly 200 men killed or wounded, participating in action against positions held By Brig. General William Tecumseh Sherman's Division. 8 October, 1862 - The Battle of Perryville - Attached to General Braxton Bragg during the invasion of Kentucky, the 15th Tennessee participated in the Battle of Perryville, where they contributed to the successful assault against the Union left as part of Donelson's Brigade, (Cheatham's Division) consisting of the 8th, 15th, 16th, 38th, and 51st Tennessee Regiments, and Carne's Battery. In this battle, the 15th lost 34 men killed and wounded. In the late fall of 1862, the 15Th, now reduced in numbers, was removed for service, acting as provost guard at Tullahoma TN until April 1863. The Regiment was not reported as being engaged at Murfreesboro, however at least one company did participate in that action. By June, with a reduced force of 140 men, the unit was consolidated with the 37Th Tennesse under the command of Col. Robert Tyler . They were assigned to Brigadier General William B. Bate's Brigade, where they participated in the engagement at Hoover's Gap, June 24-26. 19-20 September - The Battle of Chicamauga,, the 15th/37th consolidated was attached to Bate's Brigade, Stewart's Division, Buckner's corps. On the 20th they were attached to Longstreet's corps where their Brigade, under General William B. Bate took part of the right wing of Longstreet's assault across the Lafayette Road near the Poe House, suffering a loss of 30 percent of the Brigade, and 50 percent to the 15th/37th consolidated Regiment. Of the 230 men engaged, the unit was left with 109. All but three field officers of the brigade were wounded. In November, Bate took command of Breckenridge's Division, Breckenridge's Corps and Colonel Tyler was now the brigade commander with Major Wall in command of the 15th/37th. At this time the Brigade consisted of the 37th Georgia Regiment, 4th Georgia Battalion Sharpshooters, 10th, 15th/37th, 20th, 30th Tennessee Regiments, and 1st Tennessee Infantry Battalion. In the Battle of Missionary Ridge the Division, posted on the crest of the ridge, suffered losses of 857 killed wounded or missing including the wounding of their Brigade commander, Col. Tyler. The Brigade was later referred to as Tyler's Brigade although the command was passed to Brig. General Thomas Benton Smith. The regiment went into winter quarters at Dalton, GA where they transferred from Breckenridge Corps to Hindman's Corps, and later transferred to Hardee's Corps participating in the battles of the Atlanta Campaign and Hood's invasion of Tennessee. By the time they were active in the battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864, they were commanded by Captain Dwyer, under Major General John C. Brown, Brigade Commander. The 15th/37th had earlier consolidated with the remnants of the 2nd, 10th, 20th, and 30th Tennessee Regiments creating one unit. Tyler's Brigade was now made up of the 4th Georgia Battalion, 37th Georgia, and the now consolidated Tennessee Regiment. After the Battle of Franklin, the Brigade was listed in Bate's Division, Cheatham's Corps. The 15th participated in the Battle of Nashville as part of Shy's command in December 1864. As of March 31, 1865, Tyler's Brigade, was commanded by Captain H. Rice and was made up of the 4th Georgia Sharpshooters Battalion, the 37th Georgia, 2nd/20th/30th/37th and the 10th/15th Tennessee Regiments, with the 10th/15th commanded by Lieutenant P. Lavin. On April 9, 1865, in their final consolidation, the 15th became Company C of the 4th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry which consisted of: 2nd/3rd/10th/15th/18th/20th/26th/ 30th/32nd/37th/45th Tennessee Infantry Regiments, and the 23rd Tennessee Infantry Battalion under the command of Colonel Anderson Searcy, Palmer's Brigade, which surrendered, and was paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina, May 1, 1865. References: "Out of the Shadows" Civil War Times Illustrated Jan/Feb 1995 "Tenesseans In The Civil War", "Journal Of East Tennessee History", Harvey Mathes |
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