Looking For A Defensive Position

A part of the Atlanta Campaign, the Battle of Adairsville was fought northeast of Rome, Georgia on May 17^th 1864 as a Confederate delaying action.

After the Battle of Resaca, Confederate General Joseph E Johnston took his army south, while Union General William T Sherman pursued.  Looking for a good defensive position, Johnson moved on to Adairsville while the Cavalry fought rearguard actions.  Sherman divided his troops into three columns, and advance on a broad front.

On May 17^th 1864 Union Major General Oliver O Howard’s IV Corps began skirmishing about two miles from Adairsville with Confederate Lieutenant General William J Hardee’s entrenched Corps.  The 24^th Wisconsin and 44^th Illinois attacked Confederate Benjamin F Cheatham’s division near the Octagon House receiving heavy losses.  With three Union divisions preparing for attack, darkness fell and called off the fighting.

Sherman concentrated all his troops in the Adairsville area, preparing to attack Johnston the next morning.  Johnston finding the valley at Adairsville to wide, leaving him no place to anchor his flanks, he withdrew his troops.

If you are interested in reading more about the Battle of Adairsville, GA  is a good place to start.

The Senior Tennessee Regiment

The 154^th Tennessee Infantry; a Confederate, unit surrendered and was paroled May 2^nd 1865 at Greensboro, North Carolina.

The organization of the 154^th Tennessee Militia dated back to 1842.  When the old militia system was dropped in Tennessee in 1859, the officers and men of the 154^th took out a charter and were incorporated by an act of the Tennessee Legislature March 22^nd 1860.

When the Civil War started the regiment was organized at Randolph, Shelby, Tennessee, and it retained its old number.  It was given permission to add “Senior” to its regimental number to indicate that it came before regiments which had a lower number.  They mustered into Confederate service at New Madrid, Missouri on August 13^th 1861.  In September the 154^th became part of Brigadier General Benjamin F Cheatham’s Brigade.  They were in action during the Battle of Belmont on November 7^th 1861.  They were at the Battle of Shiloh, entering the battle with about 650 men, the 154^th lost 199 in killed, wounded and missing.  After this the 154^th became part of Confederate Brigadier General Preston Smith’s Brigade.  They were in heavy fighting at the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky August 30^th 1862.  After fighting at the Battle of Murfreesboro, where the 154^th lost 100 men, they were consolidated with the 13^th Tennessee.

When Confederate General Joseph E Johnston’s Army was reorganized for the last time on April 9^th 1865, the 154^th made up a part of the 2^nd Consolidated Tennessee Infantry.  Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George W Pease the Consolidated Tennessee was made up of what remained of the 11^th, 12^th, 13^th, 29^th, 47^th, 50^th, 51^st, 52^nd and 154^th Tennessee Infantries.  They surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina May 2^nd 1865, and were paroled the same day.