Autauga at War

Colonel Henry James Livingston

8th Alabama Cavalry Regiment

C.S.A.

Henry Livingston was born in Autauga County, Alabama. He is the son on Robert & Rachel Livingston. Henry resided in the Washington & Prattville beats of Autauga County prior to the Civil War. His parents died before 1850, and he was living with his older brother and two sisters. In February of 1861, Henry was among the first men in the County to volunteer for service in preparation for the impending war. He enlisted in the County's first company to join the Confederate ranks, the Prattville Dragoons.

Prattville Dragoons Company Flag

Henry appears on the muster roll for the Prattville Dragoons at Pensacola, FL on September 1, 1861. The Dragoons were attatched to the 7th Alabama Infantry as Company I. Henry was a Private, age 27. The Prattville Dragoons, with the 7th Infantry proceeded to Corinth, MS where it was breifly engaged with the enemy while scouting. The Dragoons fought bravely at the battle of Shiloh, on the field from start to finish, doing duty as couriers for different commanding generals, and sometimes used for charging batteries. The Company survived the battle with only two killed, several wounded, and many horses shot. After the battle, the Dragoons returned to Corinth where camp disease took more lives than the bullets at Shiloh. By April 1862, Beauragard evacuated Corinth and occupied Tupelo, MS. At Tupelo, the Company reorganized and continued to perform duties as couriers and scouts until May of 1863, participating in the campaigns of Middle Tennessee and Kentucky.

During this time in the Spring/Summer of 1863, Livingston resigned from the Dragoons and spent a brief time at home in Autauga County. While home, he was wed to Miss Eleanor Stewart at Benton in Lowndes County, AL. Eleanor is the daughter of George & Amanda Stewart. Within a month, Livingston reenlisted and was given a command in the 7th Alabama Cavalry Regiment as a Lieutenant Colonel.

The 7th Cavalry Regiment was formed at Newborn, Alabama, during July, 1863, with companies raised in the counties of Randolph, Shelby, Greene, Pickens, and Montgomery. The field officers were Colonel Joseph Hodgson, and Lieutenant Colonels Turner Clanton, Jr., Henry J. Livingston, and F.C. Randolph. For a year the unit served in the Pollard area assigned to General Clanton's Brigade. In the Spring of 1864, the Regiment was reorganized, Livingston was promoted to Colonel and given command of the 8th Alabama Cavalry Regiment.

The 8th Alabama Cavalry Regiment was organized at Gadsden, AL by increasing the strength of Livingston's Cavalry Battalion. The Field and staff officers were Col. Henry J. Livingston (Autauga); Lt. Col. Thomas L. Faulkner(Autauga); Major Sidney A. Moses (Russell); and Adjutant Charles E. Stewart (Dallas; transferred to line). In the summer, it reported to and was brigaded under Gen'l Gideon Pillow, assigned to Blue Mountain at Oxford, Al, strength about 250 men. The Regiment was charged with protecting the public works and acted as couriers. It operated in the vicinity of the Army of Tennessee while it lay at Dalton, and it was with Gen'l Pillow for about eight months. Transferred to Gen'l James H. Clanton's Brigade in the Dept. of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, the 8th fought under that officer at Lafayette, Ga. 27 June 1864, at Ten Islands on 9 July 1864, with some losses, at Talladega on 16 July 1864, and at Loachapoka/Chehaw on 19 July 1864. On October 17, 1864 Armistead's command was assigned to Clanton's Brigade and they were ordered to North Alabama to protect Hood's flank as the Army of Tennessee moved out of Georgia. The Brigades were then moved back toward Mobile in early December to counter the threat from Pensacola, Fl. On December 15, 1864 Clanton held a large enemy force in check for many hours outside of Pollard. He then chased the routed enemy for thirty miles toward Pensacola. In early 1865, Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest was assigned command of all cavalry in the district and he consolidated the units under Clanton, Roddy, Armistead and all unattached units into two brigades. These units were assigned to the defense of Mobile on March 10, 1865. Clanton's Brigade would be involved in many skirmishes with enemy forces of much greater numbers. These engagements culminated on March 25th against the column of General Frederick Steele estimated at 15,000. Clanton, with his force of about 600 men, engaged the enemy at Cotton Creek, Mitchell Creek and Canoe Creek. At Bluff Springs, FL Clanton drew the few survivors of his command into a line of battle against the cavalry of Lucas which numbered 2,300. Clanton was severely wounded and captured along with 118 of his men. The remainder fell back to the Big Escambia Bridge in a running skirmish. The survivors scattered and regrouped under Brig-Gen Buford. This unit continued to harass Wilson's Union Corps until the surrender at Gainesville, AL on May 4, 1865 by Lt-Gen Taylor. There were only a handful left to be paroled.

This regiment was often called the Ninth, and is sometimes confused with Malone's Ninth, or Hatch's Eighth. While most available records show this unit as Livingston's 8th Alabama Cavalry Regiment, there are references to a Muster Roll for the 9th Alabama Cavalry, Clanton's Brigade that matches the names of those for Livingston's 8th Alabama Cavalry. That particular Muster Roll is likely the source for Livingston's CSA burial marker stating "9 ALA CAV". It is very possible that for a short time during reorganizations of Alabama Cavalry Commands, this unit was referred to as the 9th.

After the war, Livingston became a respected lawyer and served as a member of the Alabama Constitutional Convention of 1875. He remained in Autauga County where he practiced law. He was a Democrat, a Methodist, and a Mason. Livingston died at home of heart failure on October 13, 1907. He is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Prattville, AL.

Oak Hill Cemetery, Prattville, AL

Colonel Livingston's son, George Stewart Livingston, born June 19, 1865 became Judge Of Probate for Autauga County in 1898.In a small twist of fate, it was his son, George Stewart Livingston as Judge Of Probate, who signed the Affidavit Of Witnesses To Application Of Widows for one of his father's 8th Alabama Cavalry Veterans, Joseph Charles Gissendanner. Gissendanner was a member of Faulkner's Company from Autauga County, Company A of the 8th Alabama Cavalry Regiment.

Affidavit Of Witnesses To Application Of Widows

Thanks to AAW member GISS for his contributions to the 8th Alabama History and the photo of J.C. Gissendaner's Affidavit Of Witnesses To Application Of Widows.