Capt George V. Kelley of the 104th Ohio captured the colors of the 1st Alabama

When Quarles’ Brigade reached the Federal line on November 30th, it would not break. Many of the Confederates fell back and as they did several regiments lost their colors. Capt. George V. Kelley captured the colors of the 1st Alabama during the action. The Confederates would lose at least 20 colors at Franklin at the hands of the 23 Corps.

Section 72 Alabama has six identified 1st AL soldiers buried here (plots #61-64, 66 and 73). Section 73 Alabama has seven identified buried (plots #81-88).
There are also 1st AL soldiers buried in Sections 75, 76. In total, there are 19 known 1st AL soldiers buried at McGavock. No doubt some of these men lost their lives as the colors were captured by the 104th Ohio and Captain Kelley.

Picture credit: Portraits of Conflict: A Photographic History of Tennessee in the Civil War, McCaslin, 2007: p. 241.

Resources on the 1st Alabama

• McMorries, Edward Young. History of the First Regiment, Alabama Volunteer Infantry, C.S.A. (Montgomery : Brown Printing Co., 1904 [reprinted, Freeport, NY : Books for Libraries Press, 1970])
• Partin, Robert. “Report of a Corporal of the Alabama First Infantry on Talk and Fighting Along Mississippi, 1862-63,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XX, no. 4 (Winter, 1958), 583-594
• “The pioneer banner : a Confederate camp newspaper,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 211-219 [includes Co. "A" muster roll]
• Rogers, William Warren, “The Escape of Melvin Thornton from Camp Butler, Illinois,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 220-230
• Rumph, Catherine Elizabeth (Hixon), “Reminiscence of Perote in Bullock,” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XX, no. 3 (Fall, 1959), 479-522 [includes, "The History of the Perote Gurds Flag," pp. 504-508]
• Rumph, Langdon Leslie, “Letters of a teenage Confederate,” in Florida Historical Quarterly Review, XXXVIII (April 1960), 339-346
• Smith, Daniel P. Company K, First Alabama Regiment, or, three years in the Confederate service (Philadelphia : Burke & McFetridge, 1885 [reprinted, Gaithersburg, MD : Butternut Press, 1984; contains regimental muster roll])
• Thornton, Harry Innes, “Recollection of the war by a Confederate officer from California,” in Southern California Quarterly, XLV (Sept 1963), 195-218
• Thornton, Melvin, “The Escape of Melvin Thornton from Camp Butler, Illinois” in Alabama Historical Quarterly, XXIII, no. 3-4 (Fall-Winter, 1961), 220-230

Manuscript Resources

• Dent, Stouten Hubert [1st Lt., Co. "B"]. Papers, in Auburn University, Archives and Special Collections Dept., RG 86
• Parker, John M. [Co. "G"] Civil War Letters, 1861-1862 in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, VA, Accession #13240
• Partin, Robert. Papers [includes collected research materials], in Auburn University, Archives and Special Collections Dept., RG 448