The Fifty-Fifth Alabama Infantry Regiment
The Fifty-fifth Alabama was made up of Snodgrass' and Norwood's battalions. Snodgrass' (Fourth) battalion was in Breckinridge's reserve brigade in February, 1862, and was employed for some time near Pensacola, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Conoley. In Trabue's brigade it lost 30 men at the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 1862, where it fought under Maj. J. M. Clifton, and was highly commended in official reports. It was engaged in the defense of Vicksburg in 1862, where Maj. G. L. Alexander was killed, and at the battle of Baton Rouge, August 5, 1862, where it fought bravely and suffered severely. It fought in Rust's brigade near Corinth, in October, 1862, and was highly commended by its brigade commander. In March, 1863, at Port Hudson, it was consolidated with Norwood's battalion and formed the Fifty-fifth regiment, about 900 strong, under Col. John Snodgrass, in Buford's brigade. The regiment fought at Baker's Creek with great loss; also at Jackson and subsequent engagements in Mississippi. Transferred to Scott's brigade, it served continuously in the army of Mississippi, until, as part of Stewart's corps, it joined the army of Tennessee in the spring of 1864, and took part in the continuous fighting of the Dalton-Atlanta campaign. At Peachtree Creek it was fearfully mutilated, losing more than half its number. It also lost heavily in Hood's winter campaign, suffering severely at Franklin and Nashville. Proceeding to North Carolina, it was conSolidated after April 9, 1865, with the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-fifth, Forty-ninth and Fifty-seventh, under Colonel McAlexander, and was surrendered at Greensboro with Johnston's army. Col. John Snodgrass led the regiment with untiring bravery throughout the war. At Peachtree Creek, which proved so disastrous to the regiment, many officers were lost. Maj. J. H. Jones, Adjt. J. C. Howell, Capts. J. W. Evans and Arthur B. Carter were killed, and Lieut.-Col. John W. Norwood, Capts. J. H. Cowan, J. M. Thompson and Peter Nunnally were wounded there. Capt. D.C. Daniel was wounded at Resaca and Atlanta.
Extracts From Official War Records
Fourth Battalion Infantry (also called Sixteenth), Lieut.-Col. John Snodgrass, merged into Fifty-fifth regiment.
Vol. VI--(838) March 4, 1862, near Pensacola, Fla. (848) Lieutenant-Colonel Conoley commanding; ordered to destroy buildings, etc., if attacked by overpowering force. (853) Mentioned in letter of Gen. Sam Jones.
Vol. VII--(905) February 23, 1862. In Breckinridge's reserve brigade, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Vol. X, Part I--(384) In Trabue's brigade, Breckinridge's reserve corps, April 6 and 7, 1862, Shiloh. (614, 615) Mentioned as under Maj. J. M. Clifton, in Colonel Trabue's report. (617, 618) Commended in Trabue's report. (620) Major Clifton commended by Trabue. (621) Battalion (called Clifton's) lost 30 men at Shiloh.
Vol. XV--(18) Mentioned in Gen. Earl Van Dorn's report, defense of Vicksburg; Lieutenant-Colonel Snodgrass commanding. (78) Mentioned in General Breckinridge's report of operations near Baton Rouge, August 5, 1862. (82) Three killed, 22 wounded, Vicksburg; Maj. G. L. Alexander killed. (85, 86) Colonel Snodgrass' report of Baton Rouge, August 5, 1862, says: "I take pleasure in calling your attention to the gallant and enthusiastic conduct of Privates John Thompson, Company F, and J. M. Byrd, Company G, who boldly moved in advance of the command and discharged their arms with due caution and alacrity. They were the first to open fire and the last to quit the field, and I am happy, while reporting the especially worthy conduct of these two privates, to not have a single instance of cowardice or wavering to report, the whole command having advanced and stood under fire, from which older troops and greater numbers had retired." One officer and 10 men wounded.
Vol. XVII, Part I--(375) In Rust's brigade, with General Van Dorn, battle of Corinth. (407-409) Commended in General Rust's report of operations near Corinth, October 2, 3 and 4, 1862; skirmishers under Major Gibson.
Vol. XVII, Part 2--(786) Mentioned in General Lovell's report, December 5, 1862; ordered south of the Yalabusha river. Smallpox in ranks.
No. 38--(613) January 31, 1863, in Rust's brigade, with General Pemberton. (707) April, 1863 (called Sixteenth battalion), in Buford's brigade, with General Pemberton. Sixth Battalion, Alabama Infantry. Vol. XV--(934) January 7, 1863, consolidated with Twenty-seventh and Thirty-first Alabama, and commanded by Colonel Simonton, Port Hudson, La. (1033) March 31st, in Buford's brigade, with Gen. Frank Gardner's battalion; commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Snodgrass.
No. 38--(613) January 31, 1863, in Beall's brigade, with General Pemberton. (707) April, in Buford's brigade, united with Fourth battalion, under Colonel Snodgrass. Fifty-fifth Alabama Infantry, made up of the Sixth (Norwood's) and the Sixteenth, sometimes called Fourth, (Snodgrass') battalions. Vol. XV--(273) Snodgrass' consolidated (Fifty-fifth), in Buford's brigade, March 15, 1863, Port Hudson. (1037) General Buford, with Twenty-sev-enth and Fifty-fifth, ordered April 6, 1863, to report to General Pemberton at Jackson, Miss.
No. 37--(82) General Buford's report of operations, Edwards Depot, May 16, 1863.
No. 38--(746) Assigned to Buford's brigade, April 15, 1863. (824) Ordered to guard bridge near Edwards Depot, May 3d.
No. 53--(515) Buford's brigade, August 20, 1863, Loring's division, General Johnston's army.
No. 74--(645, et seq.) Scott's brigade, Loring's division, Polk's corps, Atlanta campaign. (895) General Scott's report of fight of Peachtree Creek, July 20, 1864, gives 29 killed and 63 wounded. (897) Colonel Snodgrass' report of same battle: "After the order to charge was given, my regiment moved forward under a terrible enfilading fire of grape, canister and minie, as well as a galling direct fire, until they had passed considerably the first line of the enemy's works. My regiment was considerably scattered, but none left the field."
No. 78--(854) September 20, 1864, General Hood in command of army; Maj. James B. Dickey commanding regiment.
No. 93--(666) Same assignment, Nashville campaign. No. 98--(1063) Twenty-seventh Alabama (consolidated with Thirty-fifth, Forty-ninth, Fifty-fifth and Fifty-seventh Alabama), under Col. Edward McAlexander, after April 9, 1865.
This Page last updated 06/08/03