When President Polk called on Tennessee for 3,000 volunteers 

 to fight Mexico, 30,000 responded, and the required number had 

 to be selected by ballot. The First regiment went into camp near 

 Nashville June 1, 1846, with W. B. Campbell, of Smith County, 

 Colonel; S. R. Anderson of Sumner County, Lieut-Colonel, and 

 R. Alexander of Sumner County, and Robert Farquhar of 

 Lincoln, Majors. During its early days in Mexico the regiment 

 was decimated by fever, measles and dysentery, and reduced to 

 less than 500 men. In the storming of Monterey it rushed 

 against a storm of balls and grape-shot, scaled a parapet and 

 planted the banner presented to it by the young ladies of the 

 Nashville Female Academy. Over a third of the Regiment fell 

 in this battle, where it won the name of the "Bloody First." It 

 took part in the Siege of Vera Cruz and fought desperately at 

 Cerro Gordo. Its term of one year's service having expired, 

 General Scott ordered it home. It is said to have been the larg- 

 est regiment to enter the field, but only 300 lived to see their 

 homes again. 



The First Tennessee Infantry — known as "Maney's First," 

 to distinguish it from Col. Peter Turney's Regiment — was or- 

 ganized in April, 1861, and was mustered into -the service at 

 Nashville. It was composed of Company A, Rock City Guards, 

 Nashville ; Captain, T. F. Sevier. Company B, Rock City Guards ; 

 Captain, J. B. Craighead. Company C, Rock City Guards; Cap- 

 tain, R. C. Foster. Company D, Williamson Guards ; Captain, 

 James P. Hanna. Company E, Tennessee Riflemen, Nashville ; 

 Captain, George Harris. Company F, Railroad Boys, Nash- 

 ville ; Captain, John L. Butler. Company G, Brown Guards, 

 Maury County; Captain, George W. Campbell. Company H, 

 Maury Grays; Captain, A. M. Looney. Company I, Ruther- 

 ford Rifles ; Captain, William Ledbetter. Company K, Martin 

 Guards, Giles County ; Captain, Hume R. Field ; George Maney, 

 Colonel; T. F. Sevier, Lieutenant-Colonel; A. M. Looney, Major. 



The Regiment served in Virginia until 1862, and returned in 

 time to take part in the second day's fight at Shiloh. After this 

 battle Colonel Maney was made Brigadier, and Captain Hume R. 

 Field was elected Colonel of the Regiment, and Captain John 

 Patterson, Lieutenant-Colonel. It became part of Maney's Bri- 

 gade, Cheatham's Division. It participated in the battle of Per- 

 ryville, Kentucky, where it lost more than half of its strength in 

 killed and wounded. Colonel Field, always brave and daring, 

 was especially noted for his gallantry in this fight. 



At Murfreesboro, the First and Twenty-seventh were consoli- 

 dated and fought in the battle at Lookout Mountain, Chicka- 

 mauga, and Missionary Ridge. It fought at Resaca, Adairsville, 

 and in the "dead angle" at Kennesaw Mountain, and in the en- 



62 



