6th Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry (Wheeler's)
Historical Notes:
The Tennessee 6th Cavalry Regiment, formerly Wheeler's 1st Tennessee Cavalry, was organized in May, 1862. The unit participated in the operations in North Mississippi during the balance of 1862 and in January, 1863, contained 430 officers and men. It went on to fight at Chickamauga, skirmished in Middle Tennessee, then was active in the Atlanta Campaign. Later the regiment saw action in various engagements in North Alabama and Middle Tennesee, moved to South Carolina, and in 1865 joined the Army of Tennessee. After fighting at Averysboro and Bentonville, it was included in the surrender on April 26.
There was a considerable amount of confusion as to the number and nomenclature of practically all Tennessee cavalry organizations, but the record of this regiment seems to be the most confused of all. When first organized it was called the 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, but as its first colonel was J. B. Biffie, formerly lieutenant colonel, 2nd Battalion, it was sometimes referred to as 2nd (Biffie’s) Regiment. As reorganized under Colonel James T. Wheeler, it was known in the field, all muster rolls made out as, and paroled as 1st (Wheeler’s) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. However, the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, on September 12, 1862 ordered that it be known as the 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, as there were already rolls on file for one 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. In the Official Records it was sometimes listed as the 1st, sometimes as the 1st (6th) and occasionally as the 6th Tennessee Cavalry. To make confusion worse confounded, the company letters, as shown in the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office records, do not agree with the company letters shown on the muster rolls.
Officers:
Colonels Jacob B. Biffle and James T. Wheeler, Lieutenant Colonels W.W. Gordon and James H. Lewis, and Majors Joseph J. Dobbins and William S. Hawkins.
Assignments:
F.C. Armstrong's, H.B. Davidson's, Humes', and H.M. Ashby's Brigade.
Battles:
Chickamauga
The Atlanta Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign
Aiken - Feb. 11, 1865
Rosters:
The roster of this unit contains the names of 1451 men.
Company A - Captain George M.V. Kinzer - Formerly Company D, 2nd Battalion
Company B - Captain James M. Minnis - Formerly Company F, 2nd Battalion
Company C - Captain Edward E. Buchanan, Thomas B. Wilson - Formerly Company C, 11th Battalion
Company D - Captain Edward L. Ensley, Leonard K. Hooper - Formerly Company D, 11th Battalion, plus some men from Company F, 11th Battalion.
Company E - Captain James H. Polk - Formerly Company A, 2nd Battalion
Company F - Captain Asa G. Freeman - Formerly Company F, 2nd Battalion
Company G - Captain James M. Mitchell, William R. Duncan - Formerly Company B, 2nd Battalion
Company H - Captain Robert N. Jones - Formerly Company B, 11th Battalion
Company I - Captain James H. Lewis - Formerly Company C, 2nd Battalion
Company K - Captain James T. Wheeler (to colonel), Wiliam O. Bennett, David C. Myers - Formerly Company A, 11th Battalion
Company E (Captain W. C. Holt) of the Seventh Tennessee Infantry, became Company M of the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry
Bibliography for Research:
There was a considerable amount of confusion as to the number and nomenclature of practically all Tennessee cavalry organizations, but the record of this regiment seems to be the most confused of all. When first organized it was called the 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, but as its first colonel was J. B. Biffie, formerly lieutenant colonel, 2nd Battalion, it was sometimes referred to as 2nd (Biffie’s) Regiment. As reorganized under Colonel James T. Wheeler, it was known in the field, all muster rolls made out as, and paroled as 1st (Wheeler’s) Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. However, the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office, on September 12, 1862 ordered that it be known as the 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment, as there were already rolls on file for one 1st Tennessee Cavalry Regiment. In the Official Records it was sometimes listed as the 1st, sometimes as the 1st (6th) and occasionally as the 6th Tennessee Cavalry. To make confusion worse confounded, the company letters, as shown in the Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office records, do not agree with the company letters shown on the muster rolls.
The Atlanta Campaign
The Carolinas Campaign
Aiken - Feb. 11, 1865
Company A - Captain George M.V. Kinzer - Formerly Company D, 2nd Battalion
Company B - Captain James M. Minnis - Formerly Company F, 2nd Battalion
Company C - Captain Edward E. Buchanan, Thomas B. Wilson - Formerly Company C, 11th Battalion
Company D - Captain Edward L. Ensley, Leonard K. Hooper - Formerly Company D, 11th Battalion, plus some men from Company F, 11th Battalion.
Company E - Captain James H. Polk - Formerly Company A, 2nd Battalion
Company F - Captain Asa G. Freeman - Formerly Company F, 2nd Battalion
Company G - Captain James M. Mitchell, William R. Duncan - Formerly Company B, 2nd Battalion
Company H - Captain Robert N. Jones - Formerly Company B, 11th Battalion
Company I - Captain James H. Lewis - Formerly Company C, 2nd Battalion
Company K - Captain James T. Wheeler (to colonel), Wiliam O. Bennett, David C. Myers - Formerly Company A, 11th Battalion
Company E (Captain W. C. Holt) of the Seventh Tennessee Infantry, became Company M of the Sixth Tennessee Cavalry