154th (Senior) Tennessee Infantry Regiment (1st Tennessee Volunteers) 13th-154th Tennessee Infantry Regiment |
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Active | May 14, 1861—April 26, 1865 |
Country | Confederate States of America |
Allegiance |
Tennessee (May 14, 1861—August 13, 1861) Confederate States of America (August 13, 1861—April 26, 1865) |
Branch | Confederate States Army |
Type | Regiment |
Role | Infantry |
Size | 1,917 (total) |
Part of | Army of Tennessee |
Nickname(s) | Oldest of the Old |
Equipment | various percussion muskets |
Engagements | |
Commanders | |
Notable Commanders | Col. Preston Smith Col. Edward Fitzgerald Col. Alfred J. Vaughan Col. Michael Magevney, Jr. |
Notable Members |
Brig. Gen. William H. Carroll (Pre-War Col.) Brig. Gen. Marcus J. Wright (Lt. Col.) Col. (Act. Brig. Gen.) John D. Martin (Maj.) Col. James H. Edmondson (Cpt.) Capt. George Dashiell (Pvt.) (Staff of Preston Smith and Nathan B. Forrest) |
The 154th Regiment, Tennessee Infantry was an infantry regiment from Tennessee that served with the Confederate States Army in the American Civil War. Raised originally in 1842 as the 154th Tennessee Militia it sought to retain its number and was as such also known as 154th (Senior) Tennessee Infantry (1st Tennessee Volunteers). Consolidating with the 13th Tennessee Infantry Regiment in March 1863 it was known as 13th-154th Tennessee Infantry Regiment; and had a number of temporary field consolidations until it was finally merged into the 2nd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry on April 9, 1865. The regiment surrendered with the remnants of the Army of Tennessee at Bennett Place on April 26, 1865.
The 154th Tennessee Regiment was a pre-war organization. Originally raised in Memphis, Tennessee in 1842, its companies were grouped into a battalion and assigned the Tennessee number 154. It retained the numerical designation when the old militia system was abandoned by Tennessee in 1859. The regiment became a social organization by taking out a charter of incorporation on March 22, 1860; under command of Col. William H. Carroll. Based at Memphis, Tennessee its members were largely from Shelby County.
When war broke out a year later, the 154th was organized in Randolph, Shelby County on May 14, 1861. It sought to retain its old number 154 as it was known as the "Oldest of the Old". Of notion is a great portion of immigrant volunteers from Ireland and the German states. It received permission to add the appellation "Senior" to its regimental number to indicate it predated regiments with lower numbers; and was also named "1st Tennessee Volunteers".
The elected original field officers were Colonel Preston Smith, Lieutenant Colonel Marcus J. Wright and Major Jones Genette.