The Alabama 56th Cavalry Regiment was organized by the consolidation of the 13th and 15th Alabama Cavalry Battalions, Partisan Rangers on June 9, 1863. These units were commanded by Majors William Boyles (15th Battalion) and William A. Hewlett (13th Battalion) which had been in service several months prior to the organization. The Thirteenth Alabama Partisan Rangers also known as the Thirteenth Alabama Cavalry was organized about September 6,1862 with four Companies, A. thru D. Company E. was organized April 30,1863. Captain Bibbs Company (probably Company F. ) was organized April 30,1863 by transfers from other Companies. Company A. was transferred to the 22nd (Barteau' s ) Regiment Tennessee Cavalry about June 8,1863 and formed the First Company H. until the latter part of June when it was transferred to the 56th Regiment Alabama Partisan Rangers as Company L. The remainder of this Battalion was consolidated with the Fifteenth Battalion Alabama Partisan Rangers on June 8,1863 to form the 56th Regiment Alabama Partisan Rangers. The 15th Alabama Cavalry Battalion was organized with five companies on 25 August 1862. It served in Gen. Cumming's Brigade at Mobile, then moved to Mississippi with about 350 effectives and fought at King's Creek under General Daniel Ruggles. It was consolidated with the 13th Battalion on 8 June 1863 to form the 56th Regiment, Partisan Rangers. The Alabama 56th Cavalry Regiment operated in north Mississippi for some time under Gen. Daniel Ruggles. It was there brigaded under Gen. Samuel W. Ferguson and sent to north Georgia in late 1864 or early 1864. It served on the flank of the army during the Dalton-Atlanta campaign where it saw arduous duty. Companies Of The Alabama 56th Cavalry Regiment The companies of the Alabama 56th Cavalry were recruited from the counties of Autauga, Butler, Mobile, Montgomery, and Walker.

The 53rd Alabama Cavalry Regiment, Partisan Rangers, was organized by increasing the 1st Cavalry Battalion to regimental size at Montgomery on 5 November 1862. When Union General William T. Sherman reached Atlanta, the 53rd was the principal force engaged in the daring raid in his rear, whereby a valuable train was destroyed. It was then at the heels of Sherman as he devastated Georgia and the Carolinas, and it took part in the last operations of the war in that quarter. It surrendered a small number with General Joseph E. Johnston at Durham Station, Orange County, NC, on 26 April 1865. The companies of the Alabama 53rd Cavalry were formed from Autauga, Coffee, Coosa, Dale, Dallas, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Macon, Monroe, Montgomery, Pike, Tallapoosa and Wilcox counties.

The Alabama 6th Cavalry Regiment was organized near Pine Level, early in 1863, as part of Brig. General James H. Clanton's brigade. Recruits were gathered from Barour, Coffee, Coosa, Henry, Macon, Montgomery, Pike, and Tallapoosa counties. It was first engaged near Pollard with a column of the enemy that moved out from Pensacola. Ordered then to North Alabama, the 6th was concerned in several skirmishes near Decatur, with small loss. During the Atlanta-Dalton campaign, the regiment served for several weeks as part of Brig. General Samuel W. Ferguson's and Brig. General Frank C. Armstrong's brigades, losing quite a number. Companies Of The AL 6th Cavalry Regiment Macon and Pike -- C. T. Hardman. Coffee -- C. S. Lee, Jr. Tallapoosa -- ... Vaughan. Henry -- James McRae. Pike -- W. R. Heard. Montgomery and Pike -- W. G. Campbell. Barbour -- Thomas Abercrombie. State of Florida -- Joseph Keyser. State of Florida -- J. B. Hutto; wounded at Manning's Mill. Coosa and Montgomery -- Waddy T. Armstrong.

The Third Alabama Cavalry Regiment was organized at Tupelo, MS, 1 July 1862. The companies were from Autauga, Calhoun, Choctaw, Dallas, Mobile, Monroe, and Perry counties. The 3rd Cavalry was brigaded with the 1st, 4th, 9th, 12th, and 51st Alabama cavalry regiments, commanded first by General William Wirt Allen of Montgomery, subsequently by General James Hagan of Mobile. The 3rd fought in many of the early battles prior to Chattanooga, then fought in the Atlanta Campaign, the March to the Sea, the Carolina's Campaign, and surrendered in North Carolina.

The Alabama 7th Cavalry regiment was organized at Newbern, 22 July 1863, raised as part of the brigade of General James H. Clanton. Ordered to Pollard, the regiment remained in that vicinity for nearly a year under the command of Gen. Clanton. The regiment served in the vicinity of Mobile and Pensacola before reporting to Forrest at Corinth in September 1864. The Seventh participated in the Johnsonville Expedition and the Nashville Campaign. On the last day of the Battle of Nashville, the Seventh held back the U.S. cavalry at Brentwood and was then part of the rearguard for the duration of the retreat. Only sixty-four men reached Corinth. Companies Of The AL 7th Cavalry Regiment Recruits came from Greene, Montgomery, Pickens, Randolph, and Shelby counties. Company A - Randolph -- F. C. Randolph; promoted. W. F. M'clintock. Company B - Montgomery -- E. D. Ledyard. Company C - Montgomery -- Britton C. Tarver. Company D - (Cadets) -- Charles P. Storrs; wounded at Columbia. Company E - Shelby -- L. H. Mottier. Company F - Montgomery -- A. H. Bright. Company G - Randolph -- O. P. Knight. Company H - Pickens -- S. V. Ferguson. Company I - Greene -- D. P. Scarborough. Company K - Montgomery -- Dalton Yancey.

The 1st Alabama Cavalry Regiment was organized at Montgomery on 12 November, 1861, with companies recruited from Autauga, Butler, Calhoun, Dale, Mobile, Montgomery, Monroe, Morgan, Pike, and Tallapoosa counties. This regiment participated in more engagements of one type or another than any other unit, North or South. Battles Near Monterey, Tennessee April 3, 1862 Near Pittsburg, Tennessee April 4, 1862 Shiloh April 6-7, 1862 Munfordville September 17, 1862 Woodsonville September 21, 1862 Perryville October 8, 1862 Nashville November 5, 1862 near Lavergne, Tennessee November 27, 1862 Stewart's Creek Bridge December 27, 1862 Murfreesboro December 31, 1862 - January 3, 1863 Tullahoma Campaign September 19 - 20, 1863 Chattanooga Siege September - November 1863 Wheeler's Sequatchie Raid October 1 - 9, 1863 Knoxville Siege November 1863 Atlanta Campaign May - September 1864 Big Shanty June 9, 1864 Kennesaw Mountain June 27, 1864 Noonday Creek June 1864 Atlanta Siege July - September 1864 Savannah Campaign February - April 1865 Bentonville March 19 - 21, 1865 Companies of the Alabama 12th Cavalry Regiment Co. "A"/"D" (Autauga) Co. "B" (Montgomery) Co. "C" [afterwards, Co. "D," 5th AL Cavalry](Morgan) Co. "D"/"C," "F," Pearson Dragoons (Tallapoosa) Co. "E," J. Powell's Dragoons (Calhoun) Co. "F"/"A" (Pike, Dale, Coffee) Co. "G"/"B" (Autauga, Montgomery) Co. "H"/"E," Sandy Williams' Guards (Monroe, Butler) Co. "I" (Pike, Butler) Co. "I" [formerly Co. "B," 12th AL Cavalry Battalion] Co. "K" (Montgomery) Co. "K" [formerly Co. "C," 12th AL Cavalry Battalion] Co. "L" [formerly Co. "D," 12th AL Cavalry Battalion; later Co. "D," 12th AL Cavalry]

The nucleus of the 12th Alabama Cavalry Regiment (with men recruited from Cherokee, De Kalb, Etowah, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, and St. Clair counties) was a battalion recruited by Lt. Col. William H. Hundley of Madison, and Major Albert G. Bennett of St. Clair. This battalion operated in East Tennessee for some months, and it was consolidated with the 1st Alabama while the army lay at Murfreesboro. It fought thus at Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, and through General James Longstreet's East Tennessee Campaign. Soon after the latter operations, four companies were added, and the regiment thus formed took the name of the 12th Alabama. Attached to Hagan's Brigade, the regiment took part in the retrograde movement from Dalton, and was engaged in numerous encounters. At Averysboro and the attack on Kilpatrick, and other places, the regiment fought until the end. It disbanded the night before the surrender -- about 125 present -- on 25 April 1865. The companies were from Jefferson (two), Captains Musgrove, killed at Fayetteville; and W. A. White. St. Clair, Capt. A. D. Bennett. Jackson, Capt. Wharton. Blount, Capt. Donaldson, resigned, Capt. Weaver, killed at Bentonville. Calhoun, Capt. Scurry. Madison, Capt. Shepherd. Cherokee, Capt. Wm. Lokey, resigned; James Maxwell. State of Georgia, Capt. McKinney. State of' Tennessee, Capt. Saunders; company detached.