Confederate Military History of Alabama: Alabama During the Civil War, 1861-1865

Alabama became the fourth state to secede from the Union on January 11, 1861, and Montgomery became the first capital of the Confederate States when members of the first seven states to secede gathered there to form a new government. The port of Mobile was a haven for blockade runners up to the closing of the port in 1864, and one of the last battles of the war was fought at Fort Blakely on April 9, 1865. In the defense of the Confederacy, Alabama raised sixty-five infantry regiments and battalions, five cavalry regiments, and sixteen artillery batteries. More than thirty-five general officers, including the author of this volume, Joseph Wheeler, came from Alabama. In this volume, General Wheeler recounts the history of Alabama during the Civil War-from the day of the 1861 election to the final surrender. In addition, Wheeler provides summary histories of all the infantry, cavalry, and artillery units raised by the state and which saw service for the Confederacy. A concluding chapter lists all the battles in which Alabama regiments fought, giving the regiments, numbers engaged, and losses. The publishers have created a forty-eight page index, which was lacking in the original volume, making this volume and this series easier to use.