GULF RANGERS
1861
Company D, 4th Confederate Infantry, 1st Regiment
Company D, 4th Confederate Infantry, 1st Regiment, made up of men from Ala., Tenn., and Miss. (Became Co. E. 54th Ala. Inf. Regt.). Served at Island #10 in Tennessee and surrendered there in April, 1862. Men taken prisoners, but exchanged In Sept. 1862. Alphabetical list of soldiers, age at time of-enlistment, and a little other information if known. Copied this today from a Muster Roll record in AL Archives & History.
"Gulf Rangers" of 1861--Company "D", 4th Confederate Infantry--l st Regiment Alabama, Tennessee & Mississippi Infantry--Captain Henry Wesley Laird's "Gulf Rangers"
by Mrs. Marla Drake Dooley, 8505 Cherry Valley Lane, Alexandria, VA 22309. Dedicated to my Great, Great Grandfather-Henry Laird
A family story is that the "Gulf Rangers" was formed of friends, neighbors and blood kin. My ancestor, Private Henry Laird, was one of the original members of the "Rangers". The Roster of members of the "Gulf Rangers" was taken from the "Service Records of Confederate Soldiers", Microcopy #258, Rolls 64, 65, & 65, at the National Archives, Washington D.C., by my husband William James Dooley and myself, Marla Drake Dooley.
The "Gulf Rangers" were formed on 14 September, 1861, in Geneva, Coffee County (later Geneva County), Alabama, by Captain Henry Wesley Laird. After mustering in Montgomery, Alabama, they became part of the First Alabama Regiment, and were sent to Island #10 in Tennessee. Island #10 was situated in the Mississippi River near the corner of Tennessee, Missouri and Kentucky. It contained about forty acres of land, and stood ten feet above the water line. The battle was fought purely as a holding action; 7000 Confederate troops were to hold General Pope and 40,000 Union soldiers in check long enough for- General Albert Sydney Johnson to attack Grant at Shiloh. After a month, on 8 April, 1862, the outnumbered Confederates formally surrendered Island #10. The Prisoners of War were taken to Camp Randall, Madison, Wisconsin, Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois, Johnson Island, Sandusky, Ohio, and Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois. Many were sick from fighting in the rain, mud, cold and rigorous climate, and then a terrible epidemic of measles, mumps and pneumonia came. Without suitable food, and practically without medicine with which to combat the epidemic, many died fighting and in prison. In September, 1862, the prisoners were exchanged and sent home to the South. Many of the "Gulf Rangers" were still sick, so they were given a medical discharge. Just as soon as they were well again, however, nearly everyone re-enlisted in another company.
Captain Henry Wesley Laird's "Gulf Rangers"
Officers
Captain Henry Wesley Laird
1st Lt. James M. Keith
2nd Lt. Asa Ray
2nd Lt./Capt. Louis J. Laird
2nd Lt. William J. Swanner
Ages listed are as of the date the individual joined...
Ard, Zachariah - age 31.
Baldwin, George H. died (date unknown) claim filed by died (date unknown) claim f iled by father Dillard Baldwin on 27 Feb. 1865.
Berry, William - age 24.
Bostick, Henry R.- age 35; born in Georgia; died on 5 October, 1862, Jackson, Miss., of consumption.
Brooks, John T. -age 19.
Broxton, George T.-age 24.
Broxton, George W.-age 24.
Broxton, John W. -age 19.
Busby, Miles - age 30.
Bush, William R. -age 25; died of Pneumonia-in prison, Camp Douglas, Ill., on 14 May 1862.
Cannon, Abraham -age 27.
Chitwood, William C.- age 28; died in prison on 29 May 1862, Camp Randall, Madison, Wisc; claim filed 2 Feb. 1863.
Cowan, John C. - age 21.
Craven, Zeno - age 18.
Crews, Isham D. -Flagbearer - age 48; died in prison, 23 or 24 May, 1862, Camp Randall, Madison, Wisc.
Crews, James M.- age 21; with Isham Crews when-he died.
Crews, Marcus D.-age 20; born in Coffee County, Ala.
Davis, Charles C.P.-age 18.
Dixon, Alex M. -age 18; born in Steward county, Georgia; disability discharge.
Faulk, Gilford R.-age 23.
Goinous, Fredrerick -age 41.
Goldsby, Adniram J. - age 22.
Gray, Andrew J. - age 23.
Gray, Daniel J. - age 25; discharged- due to illiness
Grice, Samuel J. - age 23.
Grubs, Mathias - age 19.
Hendrix, Charles - age 20; born in Coffee County, Ala.; died of diarrhea in prison, Camp Douglas, Ill., on 7 July 1862;claim filed on 16 July 1863 by Anny Hendrix.
Hendrix, Daniel - age 22; died in hospital, Memphis, Tenn; claim on 16 July 1863 filed by Anna Hendrix.
Hendrix, Joseph A. - age 20; born in Coffee County, Ala.; died of flu on 28 Aug. 1862; claim filed on 16 July 1863 by Labon Hendrix.
Hendrix, William S. - age 28.
Hidleburg, Gideon M.C. - age 20.
Holloway, David - age 19.
Holloway, Thomas J. -age 23.
Holly, Solomon G.-age 27.
Jackson, Gillis -age 30.
Johnson, Thomas W.-age 22.
Jones, Charnie T. -age 41.
Keith, James M., Lt. -age 20.
Kent, Thorington G. -age 49.
Laird, Andrew J. - age 17; brother to Louis J. Laird and nephews to Capt. Henry W. Laird.
Laird, Henry - age 41; born Lexington Dist., S.C discharged a 4th Sgt. in Jackson, Miss.; brother to James Laird.
Laird, Henry Wesley, Capt. - age 40; disability discharge on 24 May 1862 in Corinth, Mississippi.
Laird, James - age 25; born Butler County, Ala.;-25 March 1862 in Overton General Hospital; discharged 8 Oct.1862, Jackson, Mississippi.
Laird, Louis J., Lt. - age 19; prisoner at Camp Chase; transferred to Johnson's Island, Sandusky, Ohio on 26 April 1862; sent to Vicksburg 1 Sept. 1862.
Leddon, George W. - age 19; born Sept. 1842, Hanover Co., North Carolina.
Leddon, Jacob W. -age 22.
Lewis, Henry H. -age 29.
Lewis, Jacob - age 35; died in Memphis, Tenn.; claim filed 16 July 1863 by Margaret Lewis, widow.
Lowery John C.- age 34; died in prison;(John A. is on record also).
Lowery, J.W. (James)died in prison.
Martin, William M. -age 33.
Maddox, George W. - age 29; (Records also say Mattox); died; claim filed 16 July 1863 by Susan S. Maddox.
McDowell James T. - age 28; born Muscogee Co., Georgia.
McDuffie, David C., Corporal - age 21; died of Pheumonia on 29 March 1862.
McDuffie, James N. - age 25.
McDuffie, William F. - age 29.
McGowen, George W., Sgt. - age 22.
Morris, Napoleon C., Sgt. - age 18; died of Pneumonia in prison on 23 July 1862; claim filed 24 Aug.1863.
Ovens, Warren S. - age 24.
Paul, John F., Corporal - age 19; born in Georgia; died of Measles on 13 Jan. 1862, Ft. Pillow, Tenn.
Peacock, Benajah T.- age 35; died in prison on 23 May 1862, Camp Randall, Madison, Wisc.; claim filed by Dorcas Peacock on 17 Nov. 1862.
Peacock, William L. - born in Georgia; died in prison, Camp Randall, Wisc., on 21 or 29 June 1862.
Perry, William - age 18; died of Measles on 5 Feb. 1862 at Ft. Pillow, Tenn.
Pickering, James C. -age 19. -
Pinckney, John - age 37.
Ray, Asa, 2nd Lt. - age 25.
Ray, Elijah - age 19; discharged due to illness on Oct. 6, 1862.
Register, William D., Corporal age 19; born in Georgia; died in prison on 13 July 1862; Claim filed 3 Aug., 1863 by John Register.
Scott, David W. J.-age 19; born in Lexington Dist., S. C.; disability discharge.
Scott, Furman -age 20; born in Georgia; died in prison on 11 July 1862, Camp Douglas, Chicago Illinois, of Pneumonia.
Scott, Hillard W. -born in Georgia; died in Holly Springs, Mississippi, of Pneumonia.
Scott, William H. - age 29.
Simmons, Andrews J., Sgt. - age 36; born 1825 in North Carolina; disability discharge of Rheumatism.
Simmons, Isaac L. -age 21; born in Clark County, Miss.; disability discharge.
Smith, John M. - Fifer; age 35.
Smith, Samuel W. W. -age 36; born Sumter Dist., S. C.
Smith, William J. -age 19; died in prison on 22 May1862, Camp Randall, Madison, Wisc., of Pneumonia;. claim filed by Sarah A.M. Smith on 16 July 1863.
Snow, James W. P. -age 20.
Stafford, John -age 28.
Stafford, William -age 24.
Stewart, James H., Corporal - age 23.
Swanner, William F.- age 23.
Taylor, Elam -age 20.
Taylor, Milton -age 24; died in prison on 18 June 1862, Camp Douglas, Ill., of Scurvey.
Tindal, Charles W. -age 21; born Russell County, Ala., Disability discharge.
Tindal, William T. -age 26; born Muscogee County, Ga.; Disability discharge.
Warren, B.A. -age 22.
Weeks, Alexander J.- age 18.
Welch, John B. -age 28.
Whitaker Stephen -age 22.
Wilkins, John W. - age 18.
Wise, Herron - age 39.
Wordsworth, James -age 28.
The rank of each person was listed as - Private unless otherwise stated.