2nd Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Biffle's) (Confederate)

Brief History
This 2nd Battalion, Tennessee Cavalry (Biffle's) was organized at Camp Lee, Maury County, Tennessee, in July, 1861. It was also called 3rd Battalion. The battalion contained five companies, but later was increased to six. Early in 1862 many of the men were sick. In May it merged into the 6th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.


 * Company A - Captain John B. Hamilton - Men from Maury County.
 * Company B - Captain Jacob B. Biffle, James M. Mitchell - Men from Wayne County.
 * Company C - Captain Nichols N. Cox, James H. Lewis - Men from Perry and Hickman Counties.
 * Company D - Captain Samuel H. Jones, George M.V. Kinzer -
 * Company E - Captain Anderw J. Polk - "The Maury County Braves"
 * Company F - Captain James M. Minnes (or Mennes) - Men from Sumner County.
 * Company G - Captain Vernon F. Bibb

This regiment changed the companies around a lot. It was also called 3rd Battalion; Jones' Battalion; Cox's Battalion. It consolidated with the 11th Battalion to form the 6th, also called 1st or 2nd (Wheeler's) Cavalry Regiment.

The information about the counties is from Tennesseans in the Civil War, (accessed 18 Nov 2011).

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 339 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Tennessee in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Tennessee in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Tennessee, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Lindsley, John B. The Military Annals of Tennessee: Confederate, First Series; Embracing a Review of Military Operations, with Regimental Histories and Memorial Rolls, Compiled from Original and Official Sources. 1886. Reprint. Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Co., 1974. (Family History Library book 976.8 M2L.) Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.  A brief history of the First Tennessee Cavalry, including the 2nd Battalion starts on page 883.


 * Col. Jacob B. Biffle, (accessed 18 Nov 2011). A brief history.


 * Tennesseans in the Civil War, 2nd (Biffle's) Tennessee Cavalry Battalion, Also called 3rd Battalion; Jones' Battalion; Cox's Battalion, (accessed 23 Dec 2011). A brief history.


 * Ferguson, Edwin L., Sumner County in the Civil War Chapter Eleven, 2nd Cavalry Battalion, Company F, (accessed 26 Feb 2012).