23rd Battalion, Tennessee Infantry (Newman's)

23rd Infantry Battalion was organized at camp near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in November, 1862. Its members were raised in Lincoln, Hardin, Bedford, and Franklin counties. The unit contained five companies and served in J.C. Brown's, Brown's and Reynolds' Consolidated, and Palmer's Brigade, Army of Tennessee. In November, 1863, it was consolidated with the 45th Regiment. The battalion fought at Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, then participated in various conflicts during the Atlanta Campaign. Later it moved back to Tennessee with Hood but was not engaged at Franklin and Nashville. It ended the war in North Carolina. This unit lost twenty-eight percent of the 155 at Chickamauga, and the 45th/23rd Battalion totalled 316 men and 340 arms in December, 1863. It was included in the surrender on April 26, 1865. Major Tazewell W. Newman was in command.

Chickamagua after battle report:

Report of Capt. W. P. Simpson, Twenty-third Tennessee
Battalion.

HDQRS. NEWMAN'S BATTALION, October 6, 1863.

CAPT.:Newman's battalion, commanded by Col. Tazewell W.
Newman, went into the late actions of September 19 and 20
numbering 155 officers and men, of which there were 13
commissioned officers, 132 non-commissioned and privates, and
10 belonging to the infirmary corps.

The brigade formed line of battle on the north bank of the
Chickamauga early in the morning of the 19th in reserve to Gen.
Clayton's brigade. The day was spent in maneuvers until 1 p.
m., when our line was ordered to the support of Gen. Clayton,
who was hotly engaged with the enemy. While halted in his rear,
the battalion lost 2 men killed and 6 wounded by the fire directed
upon his line. Col. Newman, being wounded at this time, turned
over to me the command of the battalion, which I retained
throughout the whole engagement. Being ordered to advance
upon the enemy, we did so with spirit and alacrity, driving him
before us for a distance of 600 yards, and losing 1 man killed
and 18 wounded. Being obliged to fall back in order to obtain a
supply of ammunition and having procured it, we reformed on
our original position and advanced to the extremity of the
battle-ground, which we held during the night.

On the morning of the 20th, we advanced upon the enemy
through a storm of grape, canister, and shell, driving him beyond
the Chattanooga road, at which point I reformed my command
and fell back to our first position in the morning. We were
afterward ordered to the support of a battalion of artillery, where
we remained until night, exposed to a severe fire of shot and
shell.

My loss on the 20th was 1 killed and 23 wounded.

The battalion which had never before been in action, behaved
with the greatest courage and intrepidity, fighting side by side
with veteran regiments on the right and left, and having their
colors twice shot from the hands of the color bearer, Wallace.

W. P. SIMPSON,
Capt., Comdg. Battalion.

Capt. H. J. CHENEY,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen., Brown's Brigade.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 38-51 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., N. ALA., AND N. GA. [CHAP. XLII.
[Series I. Vol. 30. Part II, Reports. Serial No. 51.]