I became interested in the history of this company because my great

grandpa Moses Eason was a member thereof. According to

my mother he was in the ambulance and first aid section that did

what they could for the wounded and dying and picked up the dead.

In WW2 language he was on the "meat wagon" team. On his

enlistment record it said he was born Jan. 21, 1832, Newnan,

Coweta County, Ga. and enlisted May 15, 1862, Fayette County, Al.

and was mustered into Co. I, 41st Al. Inf. May 19, 1862. Knowing

where your soldier was mustered in is the key to finding records

of the Company at the Ala. Archives, Montgomery. All the 41st

Inf. from Co. A thru Co. M. were mustered in at Tuscaloosa, Al.

And the original handwritten rolls are in the Archives.

The chief honcho of all the companies of the 41st Regiment

was Col. H. Talbird and the regiment was called Talbirds

Regiment. An original photocopy of the field and staff officers

of this regiment is attached. Thomas W. Abernathy was Captain of

Company I through most of the war, but J.M. Jeffries, Surgeon

became commander of Co I, and at surrender he was commander of

the whole 41st regiment. Surrender was at Appamatox. It was

interesting to note that John C. Kirkland of Fayette Co. was

captain of one of the companies. I have been living within 1/2

mile of some of his Kirkland descendants for the last several

years. A post office named Machine was listed for his house in

1899. I didn't realize I was living at Machine, Al. Thought I was

at 4146 County Road 51, Fayette, Al. I believe Kirkland at one time ran

a gin and mill is probably the reason for the name Machine. Some people

also got hung in this Machine neighborhood for not joining up.

J.C. Kirkland's son Burie D. was chief landowner and honcho of

this neighborhood when I was growing up. Kirkland Jr. Hi School

of Fayette County was named for him.

I read in another source that the total enrollment in the

various Companies of the 41st Inf.Regiment, CSA exceeded 1400

soldiers at various times and that only 170 survived. My ancester

Moses Eason was lucky to be in Co I with a Surgeon in command of

the 41st at the end, and to have survived. From the Archive

records in Montgomery there is not much info on who survived,

just who got mustered in and went off to die for a lost cause. ?

Places and actions of Co. I: At a place near Grahams

(location not stated) 4/3/1862©6/30/1862. Prob training camp.At

Murfeesboro, Tn. June 30 Jul 31, 1862. At least part of the 41st

was enroute to Ky. Sept 1862. Nov. & Dec. 1862 at Tullahoma, Tn.

Dec. 4,6 to Jan. 13, 6 at Tullahoma, Tn. Co I has been engaged

in 2 actions since last muster, one at Hartselle, Tn. on the 8th

of Dec. 1862, and the other at Murfeesboro on the 30th of Dec

1862 and lasting until the 4th of Jan 1863. During the time we

have been at Murfeesboro, not including the engagement above we

have been employing our time drilling. The Co. is very well

drilled.The men stout and healthy and ready for action at any

time. At Manchester, Tn. Jan. and Feb. 1863. The Co. was engaged

in the fight at Murfeesboro, Tn. Jan. 2, 1863. Marched from

Manchester to Alison distance of 36 miles from Alisonia to

Tullahoma distance 6 miles, from Tullahoma to Manchester distance

11 miles, where we are now quartered. March and April 1863: The

Co. moved 9 or 10 miles on the night of 21st of April 1863 in the

direction of McMinville and returned next morning to Manchester.

May and June 1863 place not mentioned. June to Oct. 31, 1863: On

the 1st of July we left Jackson marched in the direction of Big

Black. Went as far as Champion Hill. Fell back from that place on

the 5th and arrived at Jackson on 7th. Ordered into line of

battle on the 9th. Remained in that position 8 days. Nothing

occurring of importance during that time except heavy

skirmishing. Fell back from Jackson on the night of the 17th,

marched to Brandon, batched?, remained one night and resumed our

line of march next day, halted at Newtons? Miss. Took up camp and

remained there until ordered to Tn. Left for Tn. on 27th Aug. and

arrived at Tenner Station , Tn. 4th Sept. Marched in to

Chattanooga on 7th Sept. and left there on the 8th, arrived at

Lafayette, Ga. 11th, left there 19th, met the Federals on the

18th and after big fighting for 3 days repulsed and routed them.

Persued thence to Chattanooga on 21st . Remained there until 23rd

Oct. , and marched from there to this place. Next place:

Morristown, Tn. Nov. & Dec. 1863. No action there. Nothing was

recorded for 1864. Must have been in Northern, Va. January and

February, 1865 they were at Petersburg, Va. This Company was last

mustered in the trenches near Petersburg, Va. Where it has been

ever since. They were about starved when Lee surrendered to Grant

in May 1865.

THE SURRENDER AT APPAMATOX.

I have walked along the rail

fence on the gravel road at Appomatox where Lee's armies

surrendered. It took Grant 3 days before he had the Rebels stack

arms. But it was done in style when it occurred. Grant put

General Joshua L. Chamberlain in charge of accepting the

surrender. He ordered the Federal troops to salute the Confeds as

they passed by giving up their arms. Here's what Chamberlain said

in his book "The Passing of the Armies". "I resolved to mark it

by some token oof recognition which could be no other than a

salute of arms. I was well aware of the criticism that would

follow my main reason, however, was one for which I sought no

authority nor asked forgiveness. Before us in proud humiliation

stood the embodiment of manhood: ”men whom neither toils and

sufferings, nor the fact of death, nor disaster, nor hopelessness

could bend from their resolve; standing there before us now, thin,

worn and famished, but erect, and with eyes looking level into

ours, waking memories that bound us together as no other bond;

was not such manhood to be welcomed back into a Union so tested

and assured.•" In the next paragraph the yankee soldiers saluted

the Rebels and the Rebels returned their military salutes as

28,331 of Lee's marched by to give up their arms and flags. They

were allowed to keep their horses and personal belongings. "On our

(Federal) part not a sound of trumpet more, nor roll of drum; not

a cheer, nor word nor whisper of vain glorying, but an awed

stillness rather, and breath holding, as if were the passing of

the dead!" From early morning until early afternoon the saluting

Southern soldiers marched past and the saluting Union soldiers,

stacked their rifles and their tattered Confederate flags, and

started for home. Home was anywhere from 100 to 1000 miles away.

Counting the Union troops , about 100,000 men had been at

Appamatox that day. Sevent two hours later all were gone home.

There would have been no Fred McCaleb without Moses Eason.