The Alabama 47th Infantry Regiment was organized at Loachapoka, May 22, 1862 and transferred to Virginia late in June. Assigned to Gen. Stonewall Jackson's corps, the regiment was brigaded under General Taliaferro, with three Virginia regiments and the Forty-eighth Alabama. A few weeks later the regiment passed through the ordeal of battle at Cedar Run, where it lost 12 killed and 76 wounded, or nearly a third of its force present. At the second Manassas the Forty-seventh was again engaged, and lost 7 killed and 25 wounded. It was present at Chantilly and the capture of Harper's Ferry; entered the battle of Sharpsburg with 115 men, and lost every commissioned officer present on the field, mustering 17 men the next morning under a sergeant. The regiment wintered on the Rappahannock and witnessed the repulse of Burnside at Fredericksburg. Transferred to the brigade of Gen. Law -- Fourth, Fifteenth, Forty-fourth, Fifty-seventh, and Forty-eighth Alabama -- Hood's division, Longstreet's corps, the Forty-seventh lost several men in the fight at Suffolk. Rejoining the main army, the regiment marched into Pennsylvania, and poured out the blood of its bravest men at Gettysburg. Two months later the corps was transferred to north Georgia, and the Forty-seventh lost very severely at Chickamauga. It took part in the investment of Knoxville with light loss, and in the privations of the winter campaign in east Tennessee. Rejoining the Virginia army the regiment fought with severe loss at the Wilderness, and was in the brilliant charge on Warren's corps at Spottsylvania, where the brigade opened the battle. In all the subsequent operations around Richmond the regiment took part, and in the grim defenses that surrounded Petersburg it endured the perils and privations of the last sullen and persistent struggle. As part of Perry's brigade, the Forty-seventh laid down its arms at Appomattox, about 90 strong. Companies Of The AL 47th Infantry Regiment Company A - Tallapoosa Company B - Tallapoosa Company C - Tallapoosa Company D - Tallapoosa Company E - Cherokee Company F - Tallapoosa Company G - Tallapoosa Company H - Coosa Company I - Chambers Company K - Tallapoosa
About the Author: John Rigdon has authored a number of books on the Civil War and is the manager of the web site, Research OnLine, (www.researchonline.net) the premier site for researching Civil War ancestors in the Civil War. His titles include the Historical Sketch and Roster Volumes (1100 plus titles) and a dozen volumes in the "We Fought" series focusing on particular battles and commanders. Additionally John works in translation of materials for Haitian Creole and several languages of West Africa including French, Mòoré, Bambara, and Dioula (Jula). John resides in the foothills of the Appalachians outside Cartersville, GA. where he enjoys gardening and aquaponics. You may reach him at jrigdon@researchonline.net