CAPTAIN C. D. FREEMAN'S COMPANY B
C. S. PRISON GUARDS
Captain Freeman's Company was organized in Tuscaloosa on August 16, 1862 to replace Captain Powell's Company of Prison Guards, which had disbanded when the Federal prisoners were removed from Tuscaloosa. Captain Freeman had been First Sergeant in Captain Powell's Company. The name listed as having been the new company's recruiter was Captain H. Wirz. This new company was to be known as Freeman's Company B, C. S. Prison Guards. They were soon after ordered to duty at the large prison camp at Salisbury, North Carolina.
While at Salisbury, the company was called upon for special duty at Weldon, North Carolina, where it remained for some time before returning for duty at the Salisbury Prison. The company soon became Co. A, Prison Guard Battalion, Salisbury. Captain Freeman was acting commander of this battalion several times.
From the records on file in Washington, this command must have served its entire war service in the Salisbury Prison area, as most of its members were captured on April 12, 1865 at Salisbury.
C. D. Freeman's Co. B Prison Guards 1 Jan 1863-March 3 1863 Salisbury NC. All enlisted in Tuscaloosa Ala Aug 16 [except as noted on Aug. 26 (1)] by Capt. H Wirz for the duration of the wa
Name
FREEMAN, C. D., Capt.
ALLEN, H. P., 1st Lt. (1)
SHIRLEY, J. L., 2nd Lt.
MOBRE [MOORE], J. A., 2 Jr. Lt.
DAVIS, M. C., 1st Sgt.
JONES, W. B., 2nd Sgt.
CHRISTIAN, E. D., 3rd Sgt.
BRADFORD, E. W., 4th Sgt.
DAVIS, L. S., 5th Sgt.
SHIRLEY, E. W., 1st Corp.
SHELBY, J. R., 2nd Corp.
JOHNSTON, W. H., 3rd Corp.
SHELBY, W. A., 4th Corp.
PARKER, I. N., 1st Musc.
HAYNIE, J. F., 2nd Musc.
Privates
ARGO, John
ARNOLD, Benard
ABSTON, J. N.
ANDERS, D. B.
BOLTON, W. S.
BOLTON, R. K.
BOYED, A. C.
BANKSTON, S. H.
BROWN, S. M.
BROWN, S. F.
COKER, M. F.
CLARK, Jesse
CLEMENTS, N. J.
CLEMENTS, T. G.
CLEMENTS, Manning - ??a making Gov. Th?? Ala [illegible]
CLARY, J. D.
CHRISTIAN, J. P.
CHRISTIAN, W. M.
CHRISTIAN, James
CARPENTER, Arthur
CHILDERS, A. N.,
CARROLL, Patrick
CHISM, William
DONAHO, John
DOBBINS, E. H.
DAVIS, W. M.
ENGLEBERT, Y. G.
ENGLEBERT, R. W.
FOSTER, T. J. - [illegible remarks]
GEDDIE, J. D.
GEDDIE, D. J.
GEDDIE, Thomas
GRAY, J. B. E.
GRIFFON, A. H.
GEESLIN, J. M.
GILLUM, W. L.
GRIMES, O. P.
GRIMES, T. J.
HILL, W. L.
HUNTER, R. B.
HESTER, R. N.
HARRIS, Amos
HOLDER, G. W.
JOHNSTON, T. M.
LANGLY, William
LANGLY, E. M. - discharge Feby 25/63
LOGGINS, J. N.
MARONIA, G. W.
MOORE, B. S. P.
MACKEY, J. A. J.
MACKEY, David
OLIVE, E. D.
OWENS, W. H.
PATI'ERSON, J. J.
PHARRIS, D. S.
PRICE, J. H.
PRICE, Joseph
PERCE, W. S.
PERCE, A. R.
RATLIF, Mark
RENFRO, J. F. - died Jany 10/63
RENFRO, T. J.
ROBERTS, J. W. - discharged Feby 25/63
ROBERTS, F. N.
SMITH, T. V.
SMITH, C. O.
SHACKLEFORD, J.
SNIDER, Samuel
SHIRLEY, J. E. G. - discharged Feby 25/63
SHIRLEY, Robert
STRICKLIN, J. M.
SWINDLE, J. F. - discharged Feby 25/63
TYNER, G. R.
TYNER, W. D. H.
TAYLOR, P. M.
THOMPSON, W. B.
WATKINS, Howell A.
WILLIAMSON, J. W.
WIGGER, J. H.
WRIGHT, J. A.
WALLIS, J. A.
WARD, J. H.
MILLER, Solomon
BLACK, Calvin
HUGHS, Marion
CAPTAIN POWELL'S COMPANY A.
TUSCALOOSA PRISON GUARDS
Welcome to the page for Capt. Powell's Co.A.of Tuscaloosa County, Alabama Prison
Guards. I hope you find this page interesting and helpful. If you have ancestors in this
unit and would like to add thier photo or other information to this page please contact
me George Wright E-MAIL
Return to UNITS INDEX page
The following information is an excerpt from the book "Tuscaloosa County's Own" pages 100
and 101 and is used by permission of the author Beasey Hendrixs Jr. and may not be reused
without his consent.
CAPTAIN E. A. POWELL'S COMPANY A
TUSCALOOSA PRISON GUARDS
by Beasey Hendrixs Jr.
The company of Tuscaloosa Prison Guards was organized at Tuscaloosa and mustered into service
on December 13, 1861, under Captain E. A. Powell, a local attorney. It was organized for local and special
service to guard the Federal prisoners confined at Tuscaloosa. The company was mustered into the service
by Captain Elias Griswold, then commanding the Post. It was organized under an order from Major
General John H. Winder, Inspector General of Prisons to Major I. L. Calhoun, in Montgomery.
The Federal prisoners confined here had shortly before been moved to this city from Richmond,
Virginia. Most of these prisoners had been captured at First Manassas (First Bull Run) during July 1861.
The other prisoners had been captured at Shiloh, Tennessee, during the battle there on April 6-7, 1862.
The old Tuscaloosa Paper Mill building (River Hill location) was supposed to have been used as
the prison, but there remains a question as to its having been used. Captain Elias Griswold, who had
been ordered here from Richmond for duty with the prisoners, in a letter to General John H. Winder in
Richmond, wrote that the paper mill building was unsuitable for use for several reasons. Other papers
and letters show that the Washington Hall Hotel (First National Bank location) and the Drish Building
(across the street from the hotel, presently on the northwest corner of University Boulevard and
Greensboro Avenue) were used to house the prisoners who arrived here in early December.
Captain Henry Wirz, who after the war was tried and hanged for crimes committed against Federal
prisoners at Andersonville Prison in Georgia, was stationed here in Tuscaloosa, until they were removed
and sent across the lines near Chattanooga, Tennessee on June 6, 1862. It is not known if Captain
Powell's Company guarded the prisoners on this removal or not, but our city was now without a prison
to be guarded.
The company was disbanded and he returned to his law practice. Many of the men joined the newly
reorganized company under Captain C. D. Freeman.
Captain E. A. Powell, Tuscaloosa Guard, December 13, 1861. All enlisted in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on 13 December
1861 by Capt. E. Griswold for the duration of the War.
Name Name
POWELL, E. A. Capt. BECK, Jesse W.
BURTON, E. M., 1st Lt. BROWN, James
POWELL, B. F., 2nd Lt. BOLTON, R. F.
OWEN, Robt. S., 3rd Lt. BOLTON, D. J.
FREEMAN, C. D. 1st Sgt. BOON, James M.
SMITH, Tbs. V., 2nd Sgt. BAGGETT, Silas J.
JONES, Ths. J., 3rd Sgt. BOLTON, P. A.
MITCHELL, W. P., 4th Sgt. BOYD, James R.
LUNCEFORD, A. W., 1st Corp. BOLTON, Lewis
LAWRENCE, C. A., 2nd Corp. BRADFORD, John B.
SHIRLEY, Eli W., 3rd Corp. BOLTON, W. S.
FOSTER, Thomas J., 4th Corp. BYRNES, D. D.
Privates CHILDERS, Abner
ATKINS, Abner CLEMENTS, Ths. J.
ABSTON, John CLEMENTS, Newton
ARNOLD, Bernard CLARK, W. I.
ARGO, John CLARK, Samuel
ATWELL, Benjamin CLARK, Newton M.
ATWELL, W.W. COCKER, M. F.
BRADFORD, E.W. CHRISTIAN, Edward
100
CHRISTIAN, W.W. MAKEY, John A. J.
CLARK, Jesse MARONEY, Geo. W.
DURRETT, W.L. MATHEWS, L. T.
DILL, Ezekiel MOORE, A. S.
DOSS, Benj. A.H. MOORE, G. A.
DAVIS, W.C. NOLEN, M. M.
EMERSON, Wm. T. OLIVE, E. D.
ENGLEBERT, Rowland W. PEARCE, A. R.
ENGLEBERT, Young J. PEARCE, W. S.
ELLIS, E.C. PARKER, Isham Newton
FINDLEY, Evan PRICE, John
GRAY, John B.E. PRICE, Joseph
GRAY, James T. PLOWMAN, John W.
GEESLIN, A.J. PATTERSON, John G.
GEESLIN, J.M. ROBERTSON, Henry
GOING, DeWesley RATCLIFF, Mark
GRIM, R.A. RENFROE, John F.
HARRIS, Amos REED, W. F.
HILL, Levi L. SAVAGE, Wm.
HILL, W.L. SHIRLEY, Albert
HUGHS, Marion SIMS, James
HERING, Pinckney SHACKLEFORD, Joseph
HAMNER, Marion SIMMS, Kelly
JONES, W.Z. SNYDER, Samuel
JOHNSON, Thomas M. SEXTON, John
JONES, John Q. SHELBY, James R.
JOHNSON, E.B. SHIRLEY, John S.
LOGGINS, James N. STIERS, Henry
LANCASTER; E.R. STRICKLAND, Peyton
LANGLEY, Wm. STRICKLAND, Wm.
LANGLEY, E.M. THOMPSON, Robert
MAKEY, Daniel WATKINS, Howell A.
MOORE, B.D. WRIGHT, James A..
MURPHY, Cornelius WRIGHT, George W