Following is a list of the companies composing Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest’s 3rd Tennessee Regiment. Company D which was recruited and commanded by Captain N. C. Gould was the only company from Texas serving of Red River County, Texas.
Gould recruited the men in his company at Clarkesville, Red River County, Texas where it was officially organized on 13 September 1861. As the men were anxious to join in the war before it was over, they traveled the four hundred miles to Memphis where units from other parts of the country were gathering and were fortunate to be chosen by Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest as one of his independently raised companies. Forrest had obtained a commission as Colonel for his 3rd Tennessee Cavalry regiment from ——-, the Governor of Tennessee.
During the four years of the Civil War Forrest’s regiment was a amalgamate of companies from different states with 20-25 companies being at one time or another attached to it and several of the companies changing company letters.
Initially the 3rd Tennessee was organized as a battalion when the Texans were mustered into the service by Forrest at Camp Forrest 3 miles from Memphis in 9 October 1861. In January 1862 the battalion increased to a Regiment and in April 1862 after the fall of Fort Donelson the regiment was divided into two battalions. After February 1862 with the Texans in prison a (New) Company D was organized. While there were other changes in the regiment as the war progressed the changes do not involve the Texans and will not be followed in this treatise.
When the initial battalion was organized in October 1861 the Field Officers were Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest and Major D. C. Kelley with the following companies:
Company A, “The Boone Rangers”, men from Bradenburg, Kentucky serving under Captains J. F. Overton and John Crutcher. Later in the war they served as Co F of the 18th Battalion and finally Co E of the 2nd ( Woodward’s) Kentucky Cavalry
Company B was organized 14 September 1861 at Montgomery, Alabama serving under Captain W. C. Bacot. They later served as Co A 4th (Russell’s) Alabama Cavalry.
Company C, nicknamed “The Forrest Rangers” was organized 21 September 1861 at Memphis, Tennessee. They served under Captains Charles May, Jeffrey E. Forrest, Augustus Larrantree and John C. Blanton. Later they served as Co B of the 18th Battalion, Co C of the 26th Battalion and Co D of McDonald’s Battalion.
Company D organized in Red River County Texas under Captain N. C. Gould and traveled to Memphis Tennessee where they were attached to the 3rd Tennessee Cavalry on September 13, 1861. Many men of this company were captured at Fort Donelson and served time as prisoners of war at Camp Butler and Camp Chase. After being exchanged many of them returned to Red River County and served under the newly promoted Colonel N. C. Gould in the 23rd Texas Cavalry.
Company E was organized at Gadsden, Alabama serving under Captain? A.S. Truitt and Lt? Thomas W. Hampton. They later served as Co B 4th (Russell’s) Alabama Regiment.
Company F nicknamed the “Pope Walker Troopers”, “Kelley Troopers” and “Madison Cavalry” was organized August 26, 1861 at New Market, Alabama. They later became Company K of the 4th (Russell’s) Alabama Cavalry.
Company G as many of the men in the company were from Harrodsburg, Kentucky they were nicknamed “The Kentucky Rebels”. They served under Captain M. D. Logan and the company was organized August 30, 1861 at Memphis, Tennessee. They later served as the 2nd Company “I” of the 7th Kentucky Cavalry.
Company H, an Alabama Company served under Captain Henry Milner. They later became known as Company H of the 4th Alabama Cavalry and were also known as the 2nd company “G”
The above eight companies were formed by Forrest in October 1861. Later the following companies were added.
Company “I” an Alabama Company was organized December 9, 1861 serving under D.C. Davis. Most of the members of this company were captured at Fort Donelson. After being exchanged the company became an independent company on duty at the Volunteer and Conscript Bureau at Huntsville, Alabama. Later the company became Company “I” 12th Alabama Cavalry and was known as the” North Alabama Cavaliers”.
Company K , the McDonald Dragoons was organized at Memphis, Tennessee under Captain ? Charles McDonald in January 1862 and joined Forrest’s Regiment at Hopkinsville, Kentucky soon after it’s organization. Ir also served a few monthes in 1863 as Company A of the 11th Tennessee Cavalry.
After the loss of Companies D and I at Fort Donelson the following companies were added to the Regiment:
2nd Company D was organized March 26, 1862 at Memphis, Tennessee. They served under Captains? Jesse A. Forrest and Benjain H. Adkinson. They were later called Company C and Company D of the 18th Battallion.
2nd Company I was organized March 12, 1862 at New Castle, Hardeman County, Tennessee. It later served as Company D 18th Battalion and later as Companies E and E of the 26th Battalion.
After Fort Donelson fell Forest moved his men to Nashville, Tennessee where General Floyd left Forrest in command to quell rioting and secure the government stores. From Memphis he fell back to Murphreesboro, Tennessee and then Corinth, Mississippi.
By January 1862 the Battalion was increased to a Regiment and in April 1862 it was divided into two battalions. In February 1862 Company D ceased to exist due to being captured at Fort Donelson and her men being sent to prisoner of war camps. After Fort Donelson, Company D, the Texas company became known as Company D of Forrest’s (Old) Regiment and in April 1862 a new Company D was raised.
Company D 3rd Tennessee is being referred to as a Texas enigma in this treatise. The reasoning behind the word “enigma” is when research first began, this researcher contacted the Tennessee State Archives inquiring about a roster. The Archives was totally aware of the company, even, that it was from Texas, but, they had no roster or list.
Likewise, if Tennessee had no roster of the company, perhaps the Texas State Archives might. Again, after contacting the Texas Archives the same answer was received. They were aware of the company but no roster existed that as far as they knew.
The following list, which is not a roster, as no roster exists, was compiled using National Archives Microfilm, NEED Microfilm Group and Roll Numbers ——-of Compiled Service Records of Men Serving in the Civil War from the State Of Texas. The particular unit used was for the 23rd Regiment, Texas Cavalry which was commanded by Col. N. C. Gould who had been the Captain of Company D, 3rd Tennessee under Nathan B. Forest.
What was noticed by this researcher while reviewing the File Cards of the 23rd Texas was that a number of the men had the date 13 September 1861 as their initial enlistment date. This date was significant as it was the date Company D, 3rd TN was officially inducted into Forest’s Regiment.
A host of other records were also used to supplement and identify membership in Company D such as prison records, pension records, newspaper and cemetery records. Most military records used initials rather than given names in their records. In cases in this study where a full name was learned the researcher has inserted that name as well.
As an update -I initially worked in this unit in 2014. It is now 2020-6 years has elapsed. As I was trying to work on information for this website I found I have a couple more lists including one I was compiling from the multiple sources I referenced above. I see now, the final report for a roster I had copiled from all sorces I found is not complete. So, I guess I need to work on that, too. That means this list is not a final list, but, a preliinary list.
Surname Given Name Age File Cards Rank In/Rank Out
| Allen | W S | 19 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Alsbrook | M L | 36 | 2 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Anderson | J N | 22 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Anderson | S(amuel) J | 20 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Bagby | B. C. | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Bailey | John W | 21 | 1 | Cpl/Cpl |
| Bailey | Lafayette L | 24 | 6 | 2 Lt/2 Lt |
| Carter | V J | 24 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Caton | James M | 22 | 1 | Cpl/Cpl |
| Cherry | George O | 35 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Cherry | G W | 20 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Cherry | T G | 27 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Coleman | G W | 20 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Conley | George F | 25 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Covington | P L | 29 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Daff | J S | 23 | 2 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Davis | Nick | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Dear | M L | 36 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Dick | A (Archy) P | 21 | 3 | Sgt/Sgt |
| Dinwiddie | C(harles) R | 19 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Dyer | R J | 21 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Dyer | R S | 18 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Edwards | George | 17 | 15 | Bugler |
| Eubank | E M | 29 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Farmer | Thomas B | 23 | 2 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Gaines | R B | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Gaines | W C | 29 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Garrison | L D | 25 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Geer | A W | 19 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Goodloe | John J | 19 | 1 | Sgt/Sgt |
| Gould | N C | 26 | 1 | Capt/Capt |
| Gray | A P | 19 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Gregory | J H | n/a | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Harbin | D A | 33 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Hardin | W D | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Harris | M C | 21 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Henry | W F | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Huff | E M | 29 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Hughes | John N | 31 | 1 | 2 Lt/2 Lt |
| Hughes | J W | 22 | 1 | Sgt/Sgt |
| Igo | L C | 24 | 1 | Bugler/Bugler |
| James | J P | 22 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Jamison | John L | 22 | 1 | 1 Sgt/1 Sgt |
| Johnson | B F | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Jones | B V | 24 | 4 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Jordan | Graham | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Jordan | N G | 18 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Kelly | J P | 21 | 1 | Cpl/Cpl |
| Lane | Robert Gordon | 25 | 6 | Pvt/Bvt 2 Lt |
| Lawson | John A | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Lee | T H | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Lindsey | R F | 27 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| McCullough | John | 21 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| McCullough | W | 21 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| McDaniel | J J | 24 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| McFarland | James | 18 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Montgomery | J K | 23 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Moore | J H | 22 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Moore | J Q A | 27 | 2 | Cpl/Cpl |
| Naylor | W L | 29 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Obermark | Peter | 21 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| O’Donnel | John | 28 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Pearce | John J | 31 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Powell | C J | 23 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Pratt | G B | 35 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Reed | J B | 19 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Roberts | Woodfin | 18 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Seth | E M | 31 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Simms | M(arshall) L | 25 | 6 | 1 Lt/1 Lt |
| Sivaley | H A | 20 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Stallings | J J | 21 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Stanley | F M | 31 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| St Clair | Charles | 25 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Thomas | Joseph | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Thomas | William | 27 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Torrence | H B | 25 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Torrence | J H | 23 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Walker | W W | 21 | 2 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Wallace | G W | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Ward | R | 23 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Welch | T S | 26 | 2 | Pvt/Pvt |
| White | Josh | 25 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Williamson | J T | 25 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Williams | Peter | 20 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Wood | H E | 25 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Wootten | W E | 26 | 3 | Pvt/Pvt |
| Young | John B | 28 | 1 | Pvt/Pvt |