3rd Florida Cavalry

Enlisted in Company B, 3rd Battalion Cavalry Regiment Florida on 26 August 1862. Transferred into Company B, 15th Cavalry Regiment Confederate States on 24 September 1863. --- Received a disability discharge from Company B, 15th Cavalry Regiment Confederate States on 13 October 1864 at Camp Greenwood, FL.

J J Lee was my GGG Grandfather.

Thomas was born 17 April 1830 in Butler Co. Ala. he enlisted with Capt N.R. Leigh's Co of Independent Fla. Cavalry 5 Sept 1862 at Camp Tattnall, Fla. one record says Camp Lomax near Milton Fla. This unit became Co C 3rd Florida Cavalry [ Simpson's Mounted Rangers] which was assigned to the Dept of the Gulf and was used primarily for coastal duty. In Sept 1863 it was consolidated and became Co E 15th Confederate Cavlary. It was involved in the Battle of Fort Blalely 2nd - 9th of April 1865 and in the Tunica Bayou Affair, an obscure skirmish 21 April 1864. He married twice and is buried in the Bennett Family Cemetery in Butler Co. Ala. We are related by his marriage to his first wife Carolyn P Cravey.

THE SIMPSON MOUNTED RANGERS (afterwords Company E 15th Confederate Calvary) This company was organized at Milton, Santa Rosa County, Florida, and was called Simpson Mounted Rangers in honor of E.E. Simpson of Milton and Bagdad, Florida, who was a member ot the Secession Convention held at Tallahassee, Florida. The company was equipped and uniformed by some of the citizens of Santa Rosa County, Florida and by the company itself, the citizens equipping those who were not able to equip themselves. The Confederate Government was at no expense whatever in the purchase of arms, accoutrements, horses, uniforms, blankets, etc, etc. The company was armed with double barrelled shot guns, all the guns being cut down to uniform length with slings so as to be hung over the shoulders, and the buck and ball cartridges were used, nearly every man armed with a home made sabre, the sabres were made from old saws of good steel and the scabbard made of sheet iron, sword and scabbard both being manufactured at Bagdad, near Milton. The company was fully equipped and mustered into service on the 17th day of September, 1861, the mustering officer being J.E. Slaughter one of General Braxton Bragg’s staff. The company at first numbered about seventy five men. The following were the commissioned officers: E. S. Amos, Captain J. R. Mims, First Lieutenant N. R. Leigh, Second Lieutenant G. F. Perenot, Third Lieutenant The company was mustered into service for a term of one year, but about February or March of 1862, General Bragg, then commanding, issued orders that all soilders desiring to do so could reorganize for a term of three years or for the war. A subsequent order of Gen. A.H. Gladden, who suceeded General Bragg, was issued about April 1st, 1862. The company held an election and reorganized for three years or the war. The following officers we reelected and commissioned: Captain, Norvell Robertson Leigh 1st Lieut., Aaron P. Feagin 2nd Lieu., George F. Perenot 3rd Lieutenant, William Townsend All of whom continued to serve until the close of the war in May 1865. The company immediately after being mustered into service was placed on board the Steamer “The Times” and conveyed to Pensacola, Florida and there stationed for two or three days and then ordered to Camp Perdido on the Grand Laggoon below the Navy Yard to relieve General James H. Clanton, who was ordered to North Alabama. The duties of the company was then to quard the coast from Fox Island, near Ft McRea, to the Mouth of the Perdido Bay, some fifteen miles or more. The company made daily reports to General Villepigue, Commander of Ft McRea, in this service the company continued till the evacuation of Ft McRea, Ft Barrancus, Navy Yard and Pensacola. The company was detained to cover the retreat from Navy Yard and Pensacola. After the evacuation, we camped at Coper’s Mill, now known as Molino, and designated as an Army of observation under Colonel Tatnell. There was only about two hundred troops all told. From there the duties confined from the Choctahachee River to Perdido Bay. During this time the company frequently small skirmishes with the enemy. About July or August, 1862, the company was formed into a Florida Battalion consisting of this company and two others, as follows: Company A, Captain Partridge, Company B, Captain Vaughn, Company E, Captain Leigh. This battalion did service, as stated, from Choctahachee River to Perdido Bay until August, 1863, when it was ordered to Mobile, Alabama, with two additional companies of Florida Troops (Company I, Captain W.B. Amos) and Capt. Smith of Marianna, Florida. There were five companies of Alabama Calvary at Mobile, and soon after arriving at Mobile the five Alabama companies and the five Florida companies were consolidated and designated as the 15th Confederate Regiment of Calvary, and placed under command of Harry Maury, a cousin of General Dabney H. Maury, then in command of the Gulf Coast. This regiment did coast duty, guarding the coast from Mobile to the Mississippi River, and would sometimes be ordered away to points in Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, it followed Greierson’s raid through Mississippi and Louisiana, and had an engagement with enemy at Tunica on Mississippi River, killing many and capturing about thirty seven prisoners and many of the enemy’s wagons and mules, which were brought to Mobile Alabama, on the regiment’s return to that city. The regiment then continued its duties about Mobile and other points for some time after its return—sometimes as Cedar Point, Dog River, Bayou La Batre, Daphne, Blakely, Point Clear and Biloxi, Mississippi, Pass Christian and other places; also did duty at Mont rose and near Spanish Fort and other points on the Mobile Bay, the regiment expecting a general attack by General Canby, the commander of the Federal Forces at New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. The regiment was near the scene of the Naval Battle in 1864 at time in sight of engagement, the batte being in Mobile Bay. This service was continued until the fall of Spanish Fort in 1865. After the fall of Spanish Fort and the evacuation of Mobile, five companies of this regiment were ordered to form a junction with General Buford at Greeneville, Alabama, being sent first to Claiborn on the Alabama River by steamer and as soon as the regiment was landed it that the enemy was advancing and three companies went to meet them-that is three companies the others having been left behind- These three companies were Company B., Captain Vaughn, Company E., Captain Leigh and Company I, Captain Amos. Near Mt Vernon, Alabama, the companies encountered the enemy and quite and engagement , killing some and capturing some, and having many of the regiment’s men killed and captured. It was afterwords learned that these companies was fighting General Steel’s advance guard of about 6,500 men under General Lucas. The regiment was defeated and scattered, and Steels Army passed on to Montgomery, leaving these companies in the enemy’s line. After this Captain Leigh gathered his men together, and this was done from time to time until he was satisfied the war was over. He then told his men to go home until called for. None of his command who were present at the engagement near Claiborn were ever paroled or took any oath. A portion of his company was captured near Pine Barren, Florida, in November of 1864, and were paroled in May 1865 at Vicksburg, Mississippi. His company was often detached for special duty for months at a time, and during such time his company had several minor engagements in which his company was engaged alone.

No family notes have been added.

At age 28 enlisted in Confederate service of Capt. W.B. Amos' Company of Partisan Rangers which became Company D, 3rd Battalion Florida Cavalry