As for the order for Blount's Battalion
From A. S. Johnston's special no. 8, V. "General Bragg will detach the Fifty-first and Fiftysecond Regiments Tennessee Volunteers, Blounts Alabama, and Deshas Arkansas battalion, and Bains battery from his corps, which, with two of Carrolls regiments now en route for these headquarters, will form a garri- son for the post and depot of Corinth."
Inzer mentions in his diary on the night of the 6th that "the boys that went to Corinth for guns have not returned" However, earlier he mentions Blount returning from the battle "with orders" to go to the front. So apparently Blount did send men to Corinth to get weapons. I'm guessing Blount took the liberty to send them on his own. The question is did he actually have orders to proceed to the front. And why did Inzer change his tune later in life? Inzer is not the only one that talks about it however..
James F. Holliman wrote after the war...
"...for some irregularities or bad mismanagement on the part of the Col. his command was taken from him and his men divided or distributed among other Ala. regiments, the officers being left free to go home, the 17th Ala. receiving the greater share. "
Wilson Nesbit Walker wrote...
"From some cause unknown to me, our Colonel (Blount) was cashiered, his men being divided between the 17th and 18th Alabama. Company 'F' of my battalion went to Company 'F' in the 18th and C. Greene was Captain, and Holtsclow(sp) was Colonel.
J. H. Hagood wrote...
"We had guns we left home with, that is muzzle loading shotguns. But Blount was so anxious to get into an engagement he rushed us into the fight without orders. For this presumption his command was taken from him. Then the Battalion was divided between the 17th and 18th Alabama Regt. 4 companies givent to each Regt."
Samuel R. Owen tells a different story...
"Short time after this (Shiloh) we were thrown in the 18th Alabama Regt. The reason we was thrown in the 17th and 18th Ala. Regts was because we failed to get companies enough to make regt."