43rd Infantry Regiment [also called 5th East Tennessee Volunteer Regiment] was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, during December, 1861. Its members were recruited in the counties of Polk, Rhea, Meigs, Bledsoe, Hawkins, Roane, Jefferson, McMinn, Bradley, and Hamilton. It moved to Virginia, Kentucky, then Mississippi where it was assigned to A.W. Reynolds' Brigade in the Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The unit fought at Champion's Hill and Big Black River Bridge , then was captured in the fight for Vicksburg . After being exchanged and reorganized as mounted infantry, it was attached to General Vaughn's Brigade and during April, 1864, contained 215 effectives. It joined General Early in the Valley of Virginia and was active in the battles and skirmishes of his campaign. Later the regiment fought at Russellville in Tennessee, returned to Virginia, moved to North Carolina where it joined President Davis' escort, and ended the war at Washington, Georgia, in May, 1865, with a force of 123 men..

Colonel James W. Gillespie, Lieutenant Colonel David M. Key, and Majors Lawson Guthrie and William H. McKamy.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

The Civil War in Tennessee
Index