The Shells of Pigeon Creek Genealogy Web Site
The ancestors, descendants, and cousins of the Shells of Pigeon Creek, Alabama.
Notes for Thomas Barnes Shell
The service record for Thomas B. Shell indicates that he enlisted October 24, 1863 at Greenville and that he was 5'7, a farmer, and born in 1818 in Laurens District, South Carolina. Early in the war it was uncommon for the military to accept men in their forties, but by late 1863 they desperately needed new recruits. (Some of above information was listed under the service record for Robert W. Black.) Medical records show that Thomas reported to the regimental hospital three times in early 1864. On January 3 and April 23, the diagnosis was chronic rheum. On March 20, the diagnosis was chronic diarrhea.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. Film no. M374 roll 40.
Wilbur Thompson, 3/2000 (thompson@@hiwaay.net)
Seventeenth Alabama Infantry Regiment
This regiment was organized at Montgomery in August 1861. In November it moved to Pensacola, and was present at the bombardment in that month, and in January after. In March 1862 the regiment was sent to west Tennessee. Brigaded under J.K. Jackson of Georgia - with the Eighteenth, Twenty-first, and Twenty-fourth Alabama regiments - the regiment fought at Shiloh, and lost 125 killed and wounded. A month after, it was in the fight at Farmington with few casualties. In the autumn, when Gen. Bragg moved into Kentucky, the Seventeenth, much depleted by sickness, was left at Mobile. It was there drilled as heavy artillery, and had charge of eight batteries on the shore of the bay. It remained at that post till March 1864, when it was ordered to Rome, Georgia. The brigade consisted of the Seventeenth and Twenty-ninth Alabama, and the First and Twenty-sixth Alabama, and Thirty-seventh Mississippi, were soon after added, the command devolving at different times on Gen. Cantey of Russell, Col. Murphey of Montgomery, Col. O'Neal of Lauderdale, and Gen. Shelley of Talladega. It was engaged at the Oostenaula bridge, and in the three days' battle of Resaca, with severe loss. The Seventeenth had its full share of the trials and hardships of the campaign from Dalton to Jonesboro, fighting almost daily, especially at Cassville, New Hope, Kennesa, Lost Mountain, and Atlanta. In the battle of Peach-tree Creek it lost 130 killed and wounded, and on the 28th of July 180 killed and wounded. The entire loss from the Resaca to Lovejoy's Station was 586, but few of whom were captured. The regiment moved into Tennessee with Gen. Hood, and lost at least two-thirds of its forces engaged at Franklin; and a number of the remainder were captured at Nashville. A remnant moved into North Carolina, and a part fought at Bentonville. It was then consolidated with the Twenty-ninth and Thirty-third Alabama regiments, with E.P. Holcombe of Lowndes as colonel, J.F. Tate of Russell lieutenant colonel, and Willis J. Milner of Butler major. The regiment surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina in April 1865.
Field and Staff
Colonels - Thomas H. Watts of Montgomery; resigned. R.C. Fariss of Montgomery; resigned. Virgil S. Murphey of Montgomery; captured at Franklin.
Lieutenant Colonels - R.C. Fariss; promoted. Virgil S. Murphey; promoted. Edward P. Holcombe of Lowndes; wounded at Resaca.
Majors - Virgil S. Murphey; promoted. Thomas J. Burnett of Butler; wounded at Atlanta.
Adjutants - W.M. Moon of Lowndes; resigned. S.J. Cumming of Monroe.
Captains, and Counties from Which the Companies Came.
Lowndes - E.P. Holcombe; promoted. C.E. Saddler; wounded at Shiloh.
Butler - J. Dean; resigned. James S. Moreland; captured at Resaca.
Butler - W.D. Perryman; resigned. John Bolling; captured at Nashville.
Coosa - Thomas C. Bragg; resigned. John A. Hester; captured near Atlanta.
Randolph - Wiley E. White; captured at Huntsville.
Montomery - Andrew L. O'Brien; wounded at Atlanta.
Russell - Thos. Ragland; killed at Atlanta. John F. Tate.
Monroe - W.W. McMillan; wounded and taken at Franklin.
Pike - A.M. Collins; resigned. J.L. Bones; wounded at Atlanta.
Butler - T.J. Burnett; promoted. T.A. McCane.
Willis Brewer. Alabama: Her History, Resources War Record, and Public Men From 1540 to 1872, pp. 589-705. (http://www.archives.state.al.us/referenc/alamilor/17thinf.html. Created: 11/26/96)
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