s1861

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has an extensive collection of

-1865

microfilmed Civil War records; unfortunately, no records of J. H. (James Henry) McAninch

nor his service with the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment (CSA) can be found there. [7]

And there is no record of J. H. McAninch in the National Park Services (NPS) databases. [8]

1862

The 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment (Richardson’s Cavalry), also called 1st (and 12th)

Tennessee Partisan Ranger Regiment, was organized February 14, 1863 within Federal lines;

reorganized February 4, 1864; broken up February, 1865 in consolidation and reorganization

of Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry; some companies in the 3rd Consolidated Tennessee

Cavalry were paroled at Gainesville, Alabama, May 1865. (unit history notes) [9] [10]

The early “Partisan Rangers” operated behind the Federal lines in Tennessee, and it is likely

that J. H. McAninch, age 17-18, joined one of these units in Shelby County in 1862-1863.

Unfortunately, no service records survive for these non-CSA ‘Ranger’ or ‘Partisan’ units [7]

According to the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment unit history, the original Company E

was organized Oct. 11, 1862 in Shelby County, part of Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burrow’s

Battalion, Tennessee State Troops, and later became the new (second) Company H in the

new 3rd Consolidated Tennessee Cavalry Regiment in Forrest’s 1865 re-organization [9].

J. H. McAninch was later identified as a member of "Co H" "12 Tenn Cav" "CSA". [25]

It seems likely that J. H. probably joined the original Company E in Shelby County in 1862,

and then became part of the new (second) Company H in Forrest’s 1865 re-organization.

So, after the war, J. H. identified with the Co. H unit that he was part of at the end of the war.

Unfortunately, no service records survive from the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Reg't CSA [7].

So, following through the unit histories, we can only speculate that J. H. McAninch might

have been involved in some of these events and battles:     (unit history notes) [9] [10] [11]

Oct. 1862: Second Battle of Corinth, northern-eastern Mississippi, Memphis and Charleston

    Railroad and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, Union Major General William S. Rosecrans

    defeated Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn’s Confederate Army of West Tennessee under [9];

Dec. 1862: Gen. Van Dorn’s raid into West Tennessee . . . ordered the 12th Tenn. Cav. to

    burn certain bridges between Jackson and Humboldt, which were strongly guarded [12].

Feb. 1863: Richardson had organized one regiment of 10 companies, and had five more

    companies partly organized, then lost the muster rolls in an engagement with the enemy;

April 1863, Shelby Co., Tenn.: Lieutenant Colonel Green, Captain Hazelwood, four other

    officers and 28 men were captured. According to Federal Col. M. K. Lawler, 18th Illinois

    Infantry, Colonel Richardson escaped across the Mississippi River in a canoe;

Aug. 1863: Colonel Richardson and his brigade reached Okolona, Chickasaw Co., Miss,

    with 600 men, about half from the 12th Tennessee Cavalry Regiment

Oct. 1863, Collierville, Shelby Co., Tenn.: General Chalmers, reporting on an attack on the

    Memphis and Charleston Railroad and the engagement at Collierville, Oct. 5-15, stated:

    “Colonel Richardson joined me on the 8th with his brigade, the 12th Miss,, 12th Tenn.,

      Colonel Neely’s and Colonel Stewart’s Regiments, about 950 men, near Salem, Tenn.”

__________________________________________________________________________

James Henry McAninch, b1845 d1911, 12th TN Cav., and Robert, b1848 dUnkn, Miss. Inf.

McAninch Family History Newsletter, v.XXXIII (33) n.1   /   Dec. 2025   /   p.2025-04

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