UNIT HISTORIES
33RD ALABAMA INFANTRY
The 33rd Alabama Infantry Regiment was officially organized and outfitted at Pensacola, Florida in April 1862. After dismounting heavy artillery from obsolete Fort McRee, the regiment was sent to Corinth, Mississippi, arriving just after the Battle of Shiloh. It’s baptism under fire occurred at Perryville, Kentucky in October of 1862 where it captured a battery, but suffered heavy casualties, including every field officer.
The next month the Army of Tennessee was organized, and the history of this great army is the history of the 33rd. The regiment was placed in General Patrick Cleburne’s Division, and contributed to his reputation of possessing the best assault troops in the Army of Tennessee. The 33rd drove the enemy before it in Hardee’s dawn assault at Murfressboro; it prevailed against the 6th Indiana (the Federal unit we portray) at Chickamauga; it helped hold the flank at Missionary Ridge; it helped bring the Federal pursuit to a bloody end at Ringgold Gap; it piled up the enemy dead at Pickett’s Mill and Kennesaw Mountain; it suffered through forced marches in stifling heat; and it charged the numerically superior enemies breastworks in several battles before Atlanta.
The colors of the 33rd, which was one of five different flags carried during the war, waved proudly over all these many battlefields, always with honor, until it was captured amid fierce fighting with gun butts and bayonets at the bloody Battle of Franklin, Tennessee on November 30, 1864. Afterward, and before the Battle of Nashville, the remnants of the 33rd were consolidated with other decimated Alabama regiments to continue the struggle for independence. Only a hand full were left to face the unbearable reality of surrender in North Carolina in 1865. In fact, it is believed that the 33rd Alabama did not participate in General Johnston’s official surrender, but simply disbanded and went home.
Organization
The 33rd was organized at Pensacola, Florida on April 23, 1862. The 18th Infantry Battalion was merged into the 33rd in January, 1863. The 33rd was consolidated with the 16th and 45th Infantry regiments from January to April, 1865. The 33rd was last consolidated with the 1st, 16th, and 45th infantry regiments at Smithfield, North Carolina on April 8, 1865 while serving under the command of General Joseph Johnston. The 33rd disbanded before the official surrender, and was, therefore, not present when General Johnston surrendered his army to General William T. Sherman at Durham Station, North Carolina on April 26, 1865.
Assignments
Hawthorn's Brigade, 3rd Corps, Army of the Mississippi, Department #2 (June - July 1862)
Hawthorn's Brigade, Hardees' Division, Army of the Mississippi, Department #2 (July 1862)
Wood's Brigade, Hardee's Division, Army of the Mississippi, Department #2 (August 1862)
Wood's - Lowery's Brigade, Buckner's - Cleburne's Division, 2nd Corps, Army of Tennessee (November 1862 - November 1863)
Lowery's Brigade, Cleburne's Division, Hardee's Corps, Army of Tennessee (November 1863 - April 1865)
Battles
Munfordville (September 17, 1862) Perryville (October 8, 1862) Murfreesboro (December 31, 1862 - January 3, 1863) Chickamauga (September 19 - 20, 1863) Chattanooga Siege (September - November 1863) Chattanooga (November 23 - 25, 1863) Ringgold Gap (November 27, 1863) Atlanta Campaign (May - September 1864) New Hope Church (May 25 - June 4, 1864) Kennesaw Mountain (June 27, 1864) Atlanta Siege (July - September 1864) Atlanta (July 22, 1864) Ezra Church (July 28, 1864) Jonesboro (August 31 - September 1, 1864) Franklin (November 30, 1864) Nashville (December 15 - 16, 1864) Carolinas Campaign (February - April 1865)
6TH INDIANA INFANTRY
The 6th Indiana was the first volunteer regiment mustered in to Federal service from Indiana during the Civil War. The 1st through 5th Indiana Infantry regiments had seen service during the Mexican War and were disbanded after that war. There were actually two 6th Indiana Regiments. The first one was mustered in for 3 months service, while the other was for 3 years.
3 Months Service
Organized at Indianapolis, Indiana, April 22-27, 1861. Left state for Grafton, West Virginia, on May 30. Attached to Kelley's Command. Saw action at Phillipi, June 3, 1861 as part of Morris' Indiana Brigade, Army of West Virginia. Took part in the West Virginia Campaign, July 6-16. Fought at Carrick's Ford, July 12-14. Took part in the pursuit of Garnett's forces, July 15-16. Mustered out on August 2, 1861. Total casualties: 3 (by disease).
3 Year Service
Organization:
Attached to 1st Brigade, McCook's command, at Nolin, Ky., October - November 1861. 4th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, November - December 1861. 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of the Ohio, December 1861 - September 1862. 4th Brigade, 2nd Division, 1st Corps, Army of the Ohio, September 1862 - November 1862. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, Right Wing 14th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, November 1862 - January 1863. 3rd Brigade, 2nd Division, 20th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, January 1863 - October,1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 4th Army Corps, Army of the Cumberland, to October 1863 - September 1864.
Service and Battles:
Regiment organized at Madison, Ind., and mustered in September 20, 1861. Ordered to Louisville, Ky., September 20. Duty at Muldraugh's Hill till October 14. Moved to Nolin River, Ky. Duty at Bacon Creek and Green River till February, 1862. Marched to Nashville, Tenn., February 14-March 3, 1862. March to Duck River, thence to Savannah, Tenn., March 16-April 6. Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., April 6-7. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., April 29-May 30. Duty at Corinth till June 10. March to Iuka, Miss., thence to Tuscumbia, Florence, Huntsville and Stevenson, Ala., June 10-July 5. Expedition to Tullahoma July14-18. March to Pelham July 24, thence to Altamont August 28. Reconnoissance toward Sequatchie Valley August 29-30. March to Louisville, Ky., in pursuit of Bragg, August 30-September 26. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1-15. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there till December 26. Advance on Murfreesboro December 26-30. Battle of Stone's River December 30-31, 1862, and January 1-3, 1863. Duty at Murfreesboro till June. Middle Tennessee (or Tullahoma) Campaign June 23-July 7. Liberty Gap June 24-27. (Guard Ammunition Trains through Liberty Gap.) Occupation of Middle Tennessee till August 16. Passage of the Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga (Ga.) Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga (September 19 - 20, 1863) Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., September 24-November 23. Reopening Tennessee River October 26-29. Brown's Ferry October 27. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23-27. Orchard Knob November 23-24. Missionary Ridge November 25. March to relief of Knoxville, Tenn., November 28-December 8. Operations in East Tennessee December, 1863, to April, 1864. Atlanta Campaign May 1 to August 22. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton May 8-13. Battle of Resaca May 14-15. Adairsville May 17. Near Kingston May 18-19. Near Cassville May 19. Advance on Dallas May 22-25. Operations on line of Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona Hills May 25-June 5. Pickett's Mills May 27. Ruff's Station, Smyrna Camp Ground, July 4. Chattahoochie River July 5-17. Pace's Ferry July 5. Peach Tree Creek July 19-20. Siege of Atlanta July 22-August 22. Ordered to Chattanooga, Tenn., August 22. Mustered out September 22, 1864. Expiration of term. Veterans and Recruits transferred to 68th Indiana Infantry.
The 6th Indiana Infantry Regiment lost during service 9 Officers and 116 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Officers and 140 Enlisted men by disease. Total 267.