43rd Alabama Infantry Regiment

Confederate Regiments & Batteries * Alabama

The 43rd Alabama Infantry was organized at Mobile, Alabama in April of 1862 and surrendered in April of 1865 at Appomattox Court House. The regiment lost about 100 men killed or morally wounded and 226 died of disease during the Civil War.

1862
April Organized at Mobile, Alabama under Colonel Archibald Gracie (West Point Class of 1854), Lieutenant Colonel Young M. Moody and Major John J. Jolly.
July Moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee and assigned to General Kirby Smith.
September-October
Kentucky Campaign
October 8
Battle of Perryville

The regiment was not engaged.
November 4 Colonel Gracie was promoted to brigadier general. Lieutenant Colonel Moody was promoted to colonel.
December The regiment wintered at Cumberland Gap. It numbered about 600 men.
December 16 Major Jolly was promoted to lieutenant colonel and Captain Robert Hart of Company B was promoted to major.
1863
late June Assigned to General Bragg at Tullahoma.
July Returned to Tennessee.
July 20 Major Hart resigned.
July 21 Captain Thomas M. Barbour of Company D was promoted to major.
early September Fell back from Knoxville in the face of Burnside’s advance.
September 19-20
Battle of Chickamauga

The regiment was on the left flank and not engaged on the first day of the battle. On the second day it was assigned to Longstreet’s Corps. At 5 p.m. the 43rd Alabama was sent in to attack the last Union defensive poisions on Horseshoe Ridge, its first combat in the war. For two hours the regiment traded volleys with the Union defenders until it ran out of ammunition.

The 43 Alabama lost 16 men killed and 83 wounded. Captain James A. Gordon was killed. Lieutenant Colonel Jolly and Captains W.W Harder, William J. Mimms and Oliver B. Prince were wounded.
October-November
Chattanooga Campaign

The 43rd Alabama was posted on Missionary Ridge assigned to Buckner’s Division.
November-December
Knoxville Campaign

The brigade reinforced Longstreet in his advance on Knoxville.
December 14
Battle of Bean’s Station

The 43rd Alabama led a successful attack. It lost 24 men killed and 128 wounded. General Gracie was wounded in the elbow and Captain E.H. Buck was wounded.
December Wintered in East Tennessee
1864
April Transferred to Virginia and assigned to the Department of Southern Virginia and North Carolina under Lieutenant General Beauregard.
May 12
Battle of Meadow Bridge

The regiment marched through the night in a drenching rain from its defenses south of the city, through Richmond, and fought off Sheridan’s cavalry in its raid on Richmond. The 43rd was in the skirmish line. Captains J.C. McAllilly and William Mimms were wounded.
May 15 The regiment returned to Drewry’s Bluff.
May 16
Battle of Proctor’s Creek (Drewry’s Bluff)

The 43rd Alabama took part in attack flanking Union lines, capturing large numbers of the enemy. Captain O.W. Pritchett was killed. Colonel Moody was wounded in the right ankle and Adjutant John L. Stephens and Captain Quintus S. Adams were wounded.
June
Siege of Petersburg begins

The regiment was moved south into the Petersburg trenches. Captains T.M. Hughes and J.A. Sylvester would be killed during the siege.
July 30
Battle of the Crater
November 2 Major Barbour resigned to enter the ministry. Captain William J. Mims of Company G was promoted to major.
December 2 Brigadier General Gracie was killed by an artillery shell. Colonel Moody took over the brigade as senior colonel and Lieutenant Colonel Jolly took command of the regiment.
1865
March 4 Colonel Moody was promoted to brigadier general.
March 15 The 43rd left the trenches and moved to the southwest of Petersburg.
March 31
White Oak Road
April 2
Evacuation of Petersburg
April 6
Battle of Saylor’s Creek

A large number of the regiment were captured.
April 8 Brigadier General Moody was captured near Appomattox Court House. The regiment, commanded by Major Mims, was assigned to Grimes’ Division of Gordon’s Second Corps.
April 9, 1865
Appomattox Court House

The regiment charged a Union line of dismounted cavalry and overran a battery, but the attack stalled when they ran into infantry reinforcements behind the cavalry. Fifteen officers and 113 men were surrendered.