Wilson County Military Records

Wilson County has a war record extending back to the Continental War of 1776, for among the pioneers of the county were quite a number of the patriots of that war, among whom were:

The first four of whom were commissioned officers. As early as 1800 the county had an organized militia of seven companies, the captains of which were Captains Bishop, Moore, Echols, Dillard, Warick, Blalock and Hood.

By 1807 the militia had increased to fifteen companies, under command of Capts. McNight, Pitman, Mann, Wilson, Caplinger, Bumpass, Leech, Branch, Alexander. Hunter, Martin, Coonce, Bandy, Joiner and Priestly.

The companies had been increased four by 1810, and were commanded by Capts. Hill, Provine, Thompson, Cage, Hallum, Jones, Martin, Swingley, Quarles, Williams, Stiles, Estes, Henderson, Barnes, Smith. Bass, Spink, Davidson and Williamson. Robert Desha was the first brigadier-general of the Wilson County militia.

War of 1812

Wilson County furnished two full companies to the War of 1812, they being under command of Captains Charles Wade and John Hayes. Out of the two companies only the following names can now be learned

 Florida War 1836
(incomplete list)

Mexican War 1846

Again two companies were sent out from Wilson County in the war with Mexico in 1846. The companies were commanded by Capts. Smith and Hayes, and the following is a list of the names of the soldiers as far as could be gathered after diligent search

Civil War

When the crisis came at the breaking out of the Civil War in 1861, Wilson County promptly espoused the cause of the South, and responding with alacrity to the call for volunteers made by Gov. Harris, began at once the organization of companies to assist in repelling the threatened invasion of the State of Tennessee by the Federal Army. Early in the spring of 1861 the organization of troops was inaugurated, and was continued throughout the whole year and during the year following. Portions of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-fourth, Twenty-eighth, Thirty-eighth and Forty-fifth Regiments of Tennessee Infantry, of the Fourth and Fifth Regiments of Tennessee Cavalry, and of Company C, First Tennessee Heavy Artillery were furnished by Wilson County.

The first company organized was the "Blues," of which Robert Hatton was the captain. Then followed in rapid succession five companies, as follows:

"Grays," Capt. John K. Howard
"Statesville Tigers," Capt. Nathan Oakley
"Hurricane Rifles," Capt. Daniel G. Shepard
"Silver Spring Guards," Capt. J. A. Anthony
"Harris Rifles," Capt. Monroe Anderson.

The above companies left Lebanon May 20, 1861, going to Nashville, from which city they were ordered to Camp Trousdale, in Sumner County, for instructions. Upon the organization of the Seventh Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, all six of the Wilson County Companies were placed in the regiment, and Capt. Robert Hatton was elected colonel of the same. Thomas H. Bostick succeeded to Col. Hatton's place as captain of the "Blues," and W. H. Williamson succeeded Capt. Howard in the captaincy of the "Grays."

The companies were then numbered as follows:

Harrison Rifles, Capt. Monroe Anderson, Company D
Statesville Rifles, Capt. Oakly, Company F
Hurricane Rifles, Capt. Daniel G. Shepard, Company G
Grays, Capt. W. H. Williamson, Company H
Silver Spring Guards, Capt. Anthony, Company I
Blues, Capt. Bostic, Company K.

Remaining at Camp Trousdale until in the latter part of August of the same year, the Seventh Regiment proceeded to West Virginia, and were in their first engagement at the battle of Cheat Mountain. The next engagement was the battle of Seven Pines in Virginia, in which battle Col. Hatton, who had previously been promoted to a generalship, was killed. The Wilson County companies continued with the regiment throughout the war, and were engaged with the regiment in all its battles and campaigns, and were present at the final surrender of the army of Virginia at Appomattox Court House.

Early in the fall of 1861 four more companies were raised in Wilson County. Leaving Lebanon these companies reported also to Camp Trousdale, where they went under instructions. When the Forty-fifth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry was organized, the Wilson County companies were assigned places there in, as follows:

Company B, Captain Curtis;
Company F, Captain Oldham
Company G, Captain S. S. Preston
Company H, Captain Andrew Beard

With the Forty-fifth Regiment the four Wilson County companies participated in the battles of Shiloh, Vicksburg Landing, Baton Rouge, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, and all the different engagements of the regiment, and were present at the final surrender at Bentonville, N. C., by which time the regiment had dwindled down from death, sickness, disappearance, etc., to less than 100 men.

During the same fall, 1861, three companies of cavalry were raised in Wilson County, and reported to Camp Cheatham and were placed in the Fourth Regiment of Tennessee Cavalry. They were:

Company B, Captain John R. Davis
Company C, Captain Phillips
Company, G, Captain Sam Thompson

These companies were engaged with this regiment in the various campaigns, and sustained heavy losses.

During 1861 another company of infantry was raised in the county, and reported to Camp Trousdale. This company was given a place in the Eighteenth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry, upon its organization, as Company K. When Company K left Lebanon W. J. Grayson was captain, but he dying in a few months' time, William P. Bandy, at present sheriff of Wilson County, was elected to the vacancy. The regiment went first to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and then to Fort Donelson, where they were captured at the fall of that fort, in 1862. After the exchange of the regiment at Vicksburg Company K was reorganized, with 126 men, only one of whom was present at the surrender at the close of the war. In the latter part of 1861 another company was raised in Wilson and DeKalb Counties, and left Alexandria under command of Captain T. C. Goodner. The company was placed in the Twenty-fourth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry as Company R. At about the same time as above another company was raised in Lebanon, and under command of Captain E. I. Golladay, reported at Camp Arrington, near Memphis, and was mustered into the Thirty-eighth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry as Company H. A portion of Company D, Captain John Wiseman, was also raised in Wilson County, and joined the Fifth Regiment of Tennessee Calvary, Gen. John Morgan's command.

In December, 1861:

Left Lebanon for Columbus, Kentucky, where they joined Company C, Captain Sterling, of the First Tennessee Heavy Artillery. From Columbus they went to Island No. 10, then to Vicksburg, where they were captured. After being exchanged the company was reorganized and was ordered to Battery Tracy, in Mobile Bay, and from Battery Tracy they were ordered to Fort Morgan, where they were captured and sent to Governor's Island, N. Y. All of the Wilson County portion, with one exception _____ Underwood, who died in prison, survived the war and returned to Wilson County. In the spring of 1862 Captain Jonathan Etherly took out from Wilson County Company F, of the Twenty-eighth Regiment of Tennessee Infantry. Captain Etherly was afterward promoted to a colonelcy. The above is a list of the companies, their letters and captains, and the regiments to which they belonged; and for a detailed account of the campaigns of the several regiments the reader is referred to the war chapter of this volume, to be found elsewhere.

While Wilson County's soldiers were at the front the county, and particularly Lebanon, was the scene of several stirring events. In the spring of 1862 a regiment of Federal troops, under command of Col. Monday, pitched their tents in Lebanon and held full possession of the town for about three months. The vampus of the university was selected as their quarters, and the college building was converted into barracks. In the latter part of the same year, upon the evacuation of Lebanon by the Federals, General John Morgan, with about 300 of his cavalry, was quartered in Lebanon for a short while. The Federals were at Murfreesboro, and, learning of General Morgan's presence in Lebanon, sent a detachment of cavalry, under General Dumont, to effect his capture. The Federal cavalry arrived at Lebanon at daylight and at once opened on the Confederates. Their pickets were driven in, and, though they had large odds to contend against, the plucky Confederates prepared for action. General Morgan had quarters at the Lee House, and when the skirmishing began had not yet awakened. His men retreated from the college building into the town, and, being pressed, took shelter in the Odd Fellow's Hall, on West Main Street, near the court house, from which place they were dislodged only after a sharp fight. General Morgan and the majority of his command made their escape, though it was a close call. Several on both sides were killed and wounded.

In 1863 General Reynolds, who was stationed at Nashville, made frequent raids into Wilson County, and gathered up all the horses and cattle to be found.

Unlike many of the Tennessee counties, Wilson was not injured to any great extent by guerrillas and jayhawkers, though what were termed "home-made Yankees" committed a few depredations. At Shop Springs, sometime in 1864, William Williams was arrested while in bed by supposed "home-made Yankees," and was led out from his house a short distance and shot; but beyond this nothing of a similar nature was done.

 Wilson County | AHGP Tennessee

Source: History of Tennessee, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1886