9th Tennessee Cavalry
The 9th Tennessee Cavalry was organized on September 1, 1862 by Colonel James D. Bennett and Lt. Colonel William W. Ward. It was comprised of boys who knew that the Conscript Act would force them into service at age eighteen and men who had already served their one year enlistments or had been discharged for other various reasons. Colonel Bennett had previously served in the 22nd Tennessee Cavalry; Colonel Ward had served in the 7th Tennessee Infantry.
On September 2nd, they skirmished with Stoke's 5th Tennessee U.S. Cavalry near Goodlettsville, TN, taking heavy losses. Colonel Bennett is wounded in this action. When first organized, they were known as the 15th Battalion, but by September 8th, they had been assigned to Colonel Joe Wheeler's Cavalry, known as "Bennett's Cavalry" with 200 men strong. In November, they were assigned to William Breckenridge's Brigade where they took part in a skirmish in Lebanon, TN, on the 11th.
On November 24th, they were increased to a regiment by the addition of McCann's Battalion, and sent to Colonel John Hunt Morgan's Cavalry. The 9th Tennessee Cavalry's participation in the Battle of Hartsville, TN, on December 7th, was of most importance. At this battle, they covered the roads to Gallatin, Castalian Springs, LaFayette, and Carthage, which prevented the escape of the enemy, capturing 450, killing 12, with a loss of 4. On December 25th, the regiment was with Morgan in a skirmish near Glasgow, KY, during his "Christmas Raid".
Throughout the winter of 1863, the men of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry collected conscripts. Companies "A" and "E" were in Smith, White, Jackson, Fentress, Overton, Putnam, and DeKalb Counties and were at Cookeville, TN, by March 16th. Companies "B", "C", "D", "F", and "G" were stationed at Liberty, TN, on February 22nd. On March 21st they were with Morgan at the Battle of Milton, TN, and Companies "I" and "K" (McCann's Battalion) were with General N. B. Forrest on his recapture of Brentwood, TN, on the 25th. That spring, they were involved in the Battle of Snow's Hill, in DeKalb Co. TN, April 3rd, and Greasy Creek, KY, on May 10th. In June, on General Morgan's famous "Ohio Raid", the regiment was part of Colonel Basil Duke's 1st Brigade, which was composed of the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th Kentucky Regiments and the 9th (Wards) Tennessee Regiment. Most men were lost or captured on this raid.
A report dated August 31st stated that a fragment of Morgan's division escaped capture via "West" Virginia and walked all the way to Georgia. This company was led by Captain J. D. Kirkpatrick of the 9th Tennessee Co. "C" and was reassigned to General Forrest. Here they fought with Forrest at the Battle of Chickamauga, GA, and continued with him until May 1864 when they rejoined General Morgan, after his escape. With Morgan again they proceeded with his "Last Raid" into Kentucky where they fought the battles of Mt. Sterling and Cynthiana.
On the 4th of September, they were surprised at Greeneville, TN, which led to Morgan's death. The Battle of Saltville, Va, was fought on October 2nd. The remainder of the war involved constant skirmishing in and around northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The majority of this force surrendered in May of 1865, but a few continued service as President Jefferson Davis's escort until his capture on May 10th, near Macon, GA.
A complete list of soldiers from this regiment can be found on the National Park Service Civil War Soldier & Sailors System.
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