Company G, ‘Paint Rock river sharpshooters’ Jackson county.
Captain A. S. Bibb, resigned early.Captain J. J. Dillard, killed on Sand Mountain, Ala., in 1863.
Captain P. D. Ross, who remained Captain until the close of the war, surrendering with Lee.
Captain Daniel Butler, died. [206]
First Lieutenants: John J. Dillard, Rufus H. Jones, P. D. Ross, John S. Dudley, killed.
Second Lieutenants: R. H. Jones, Abner Hammond, killed at Seven Pines; Daniel Butler, J. M. Hardcastle, died after the war of wounds received at Seven Pines; J. M. Fletcher.
Captain P. D. Ross and Lieutenant J. M. Fletcher of Company G, were both wounded, as I was, at the battle of Gettysburg, and with Captain Hewlett of Company H, and Lieutenant George W. Wright, of my company—F, were occupants of the same tent near an old barn used as a field hospital, and during the night of the 3rd of July, 1863, I occupied a blanket near Lieutenant Fletcher, who had been shot through the body, and was suffering greatly, moaning and groaning during the night so that I was constantly inquiring whether I could do anything for his relief, and being told each time that nothing could be done. During the latter part of the night I slept, and upon waking the next day I found him lying by my side, cold in death. He was a quiet, modest, brave young officer.
This company had among its members a well known corporal named Henry Fowler. While we were in winter quarters, or, one occasion he was detailed with two men from the Twelfth Alabama, as Brigade Headquarter Guard for General Rodes. General Rodes had had a twenty-five pound turkey given him and had invited some of the brigadiers and colonels in his command to a dinner. It was a current story that this superb gobbler, done to a crisp, with dressing and gravy, but no doubt without cranberries and celery, was on the table in a tent adjoining the General's sleeping quarters, and, while steaming hot, the cook invited the company to the table. In some mysterious way, before they could walk the ten or fifteen feet necessary to reach the table, the magnificent bird was wafted out of sight and never more seen, at least by General Rodes, or any of his company. The General is reported to have become very angry with Corporal Fowler and his two brother guards, and expressed himself in very positive language, and during this talk he spoke of Fowler as belonging to the ‘damned thieving Twelfth Alabama.’ This not very complimentary appellation abided with the Twelfth Alabama, from the time of this incident to the close of the war.
The Germans, French, Irish and Spaniards, and old sailors from Mobile, and the mountain boys from North Alabama, who composed [207] a large portion of the Twelfth Alabama, were noted as foragers, and the vast majority of them suffered very little from hunger, despite frequently limited rations issued to the regiment by the commissary. Many a time I have been aroused by Dick Noble, Wesley Moore, Wat. Zachry, Jim Lester and others of my company, when we were in bivouac, before the bugle sounded for a day's march, and told that I must get up and eat some fried chicken, or assist them in eating some biscuits and honey, which I was told had been presented (?) to them by some patriotic Virginian living near by.
Company G was made up at Woodville and Paint Rock in the southwest corner of Jackson county, with several members from East Madison and North Marshall counties. They left Woodville for Richmond, Va., the 26th of June, 1861.
When the Company was re-organized at Yorktown, Captain Bibb and Lieutenants Jones and Dillard were not re-elected.
I can find no record of what became of Captain Bibb.
Lieutenant Dillard became a recruiting officer, and was killed by Union men or Tories in the winter of 1864.
Lieutenant Jones joined the Confederate forces of North Alabama and served through the war.
At the re-organization Daniel Butler was elected Captain, P. D. Ross, First Lieutenant, J. M. Hardcastle, Second Lieutenant, and Abner Hammond Jr., Second Lieuteuant.
In a few weeks Captain Butler sickened and died, and on the 31st of May at Seven Pines Lieutenant Hammond was killed.
Early in June Lieutenant Ross was made Captain and John S. Dudley and J. M. Fletcher were elected lieutenants.
Lieutenant Dudley was killed at Chancellorsville on Saturday evening, the first day of the battle, and Lieutenant Fletcher was killed, as heretofore described, at Gettysburg.
The first man in Company G that was killed was Dr. Solomon G. Stevens. He had been transferred to the 9th Alabama as regimental surgeon, and was killed by a shell thrown in the camp near Yorktown. The next one to fall was Lieutenant Hammond at Seven Pines, and Sergt. Richard Bevil, privates George Kirkland, Rufus Crawley, N. T. Clifton, Jefferson Atchley, Michael Hoke and Thomas Smith. Private William Middleton and Mike Swister were killed near Culpepper C. H. Thomas Rogers and Stuart were killed at South Mountain. James Posey, W. H. [208] Burks, Abner Riggins, Edward Bevil and A. J. Grizzle were killed at Sharpsburg. W. J. Rogers, Ben Taylor and Brooks Taylor were killed at Gettysburg. Private Samuel Kennemer and Silas Wright were subsequently killed.
Captain P. D. Ross became a teacher at Alexandria, Ala., after the war, and also became clerk of the Circuit Court and was a deservedly popular and efficient officer, dying at Jacksonville, Ala., a few years ago.
