Alabama 36th Infantry Reference Information
36th Alabama Map

36th Alabama Infantry Regiment

The 36th Alabama Infantry Regiment was organized at Mount Vernon Arsenal, 12 May 1862, with men recruited from Fayette, Greene, Mobile, Monroe, Sumter, and Tuscaloosa counties. It remained there a month, then aided in the construction of the defenses at Oven and Choctaw Bluffs. From August 1862 until April 1863, the regiment was stationed at Mobile, then was sent to Tullahoma. It was there brigaded under Gen'l Henry D. Clayton of Barbour, with the 18th, 38th, 32th and 58th Alabama regiments, Stewart's Division. The 36th fell back with the army and participated at Chickamauga with a loss of 125 killed and wounded. Its loss was light at Lookout Valley, but large in casualties and prisoners at Missionary Ridge. The regiment wintered at Dalton, GA, and was engaged at Crow's Valley, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, the Atlanta battles, and the skirmishing interludes, losing about 300 men by the casualties of battle from the time it left Dalton. At Jonesboro, the regiment was again engaged and lost 25% of its force present. Having accompanied Gen'l John Bell Hood to middle Tennessee, the 36th lost about 60 men at Nashville, and came out of there as an organized body. The regiment, with the other regiments of Holtzclaw's brigade, was then placed on garrison duty at Spanish Fort, outside of Mobile. During the Spanish Fort siege by the union 110 men were killed, wounded, and captured. The 36th was part of the force surrendered at Meridian in April 1865. The 36th went into line of battle at Dalton, May 7, 1864, with 460 muskets, and, within the eleven months that followed, lost 470 men and 21 officers, chiefly killed and wounded.

Field and Staff

  • Colonels - Robert H. Smith of Mobile; resigned. Lewis T. Woodruff of Mobile; wounded at New Hope Church; retired. Thomas H. Herndon of Greene.
  • Lieutenant Colonels - Lewis T. Woodruff; promoted. Thomas H. Herndon; wounded at Chicamauga, and Atlanta; promoted.
  • Majors - Thomas H. Herndon; promoted. Charles S. Hennegan of Sumter; captured at Mission Ridge.
  • Adjutants - Thomas A. Hatch of Greene; resigned. Robert T. Harkness of Greene.
Captains, and Counties from Which the Companies Came.
  • Sumter - Charles S. Hennegan; promoted. John M. Quarles; resigned. James T. Meek.
  • Greene - Nathan M. Carpenter.
  • Greene - James A Wemyss; wounded at Atlanta; resigned. Lieut. W.N. Knight commanded.
  • Tuskaloosa and Fayette - John C. Adams; wounded at Mission Ridge; retired. John M. Walker; killed at Resaca. Lieut. Wm. M. Owen commanded.
  • Mobile - John G. Cleveland; killed at Chicamauga. Washington Lott; wounded at Resaca.
  • Monroe - John Deloach; resigned. D.W. Kelly; killed at Mission Ridge. Wm. S. Wiggins; wounded at Jonesboro.
  • Monroe - Malcolm Patterson; resigned. John B. Jordan; captured at Atlanta. David T. McCants.
  • Greene - James W.A. Wright; wounded and captured at Mission Ridge.
  • State of Mississippi - Mathew Calvert; resigned. Welles Thompson.
  • Tuskaloosa - Andrew J. Derby; resigned. H.A. Farish; captured at Spanish Fort.

The above is a combined duplication of the Alabama web pages of the same subject, duplicated here to reduce access time. You can view the actual sites at

The following site contian a muster roll of the 36th Alabama.

Other references to explore:

  • History: James W. A. Wright, "Bragg's campaign around Chattanooga," Southern Bivouac, new series, vol. II (1886/87), pp.461-8, 543-9; and his "War prisons and poetry," Southern Bivouac, new series, vol. I (1885/86), pp. 716-22; new series, vol. II (1886-87), pp. 344-8.

  • Brewer, Willis. Brief Historical Sketches of Military Organizations Raised in Alabama During the Civil War. Montgomery, AL: AL CW Centennial Comm, 1962. pp. 644-46 (2 photocopied pages). E551.4B74. (Brief history and roster of officers).

  • Confederate Military History, Extended Edition. Vol. 8: Alabama. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1987. pp. 169-72 (3 photocopied pages). E484C65.1987v8. (Brief unit history).

  • Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Units of the Confederate States Army. Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987. Ref. See p. 25 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.

  • Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama. NY: Facts on File, 1992. pp. 105-06 (2 photocopied pages). E551S53.1992 (Unit organizationalhistory).

  • "Time Lapse." CWTI 27 (Jan 1989): p. 50 (l photocopied page). Per. Vignette on and photo of Calvin Burton.

  • Wright, James W.A. "Bragg's Campaign Around Chattanooga." Southern Bivouac 2 (1886/87): pp.

  • 461-68 & 543-49 (8 photocopied pages). Per. "War Prisons and Poetry." SouthernBivouac 1 (l885/86): pp. 716-22 and 2 (1886/87): pp. 344-48(7 photocopied pages). Per. Our Photo Archive includes images of individuals of this unit.

  • Web Site Roll of 36 Alabama
  • A very Good web site on the 36th Alabama
Last Updated and Validated on 02/06/2000.
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