Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Monday, May 12, 1862

There was a great deal of talk and excitement in the battalion about reorganizing for three years, or during the war, under a new law that the Confederate Congress had lately passed, known as the "conscript law." The expiration of our enlistment, twelve months, was now near at hand, and the question was, Shall we re-enlist or quit and go home?

As our company had a number of acquaintances in Colonel E. S. Smith's Regiment of cavalry, which was then thought to be in Tennessee, north of the Tennessee River, not far from Chattanooga, and as we were wanting to get back nearer home, Captain Allison sent M. W. McKnight and B. A. Hancock to Corinth to take a petition to General Beal. In said petition we requested the transfer of our company to the above named regiment. General Beal seemed to be favorable to our petition, but said that he would have to wait until he could find out the condition of Smith's Regiment before he could grant our request. In the meantime, however, we learned that Smith's Regiment was "bursted up," so that was the end of our petition.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, pp. 167-8

Diary of Private Richard R. Hancock: Wednesday, May 14, 1862

McNairy's Battalion re-enlisted "for three years or during the war," and reorganized. Companies A and B were consolidated, also Companies C and D. Therefore Allison's Company, not being consolidated with any other, became Company C in place of E. So our battalion was thus reduced to three companies.

As the commissioned officers (T. M. Allison, Captain; N. W. Summer, First Lieutenant; George Alexander and M. V. Wilson, Second Lieutenants) of our company resigned and went home. We elected a new set of officers. The election resulted as follows:

Moses W. McKnight, Captain; H. L. W. Turney, First Lieutenant; Sam Dennis and Dr. J. S. Harrison, Second Lieutenants.

The election of non-commissioned officers of Company C was postponed.

Company A elected George H. Morton, Captain; N. Oswell, First Lieutenant; T. C. Atkinson, Second Lieutenant, and Anderson H. French, Third Lieutenant.

Company B elected William Parrish, Captain; T. B. Underwood, First Lieutenant; G. W. Smithson, Second Lieutenant, and S. B. Wall, Third Lieutenant.

Lieutenant-Colonel F. N. McNairy resigned, and a few days after, bidding us farewell, returned to Tennessee and was killed at Dover, Tennessee, in January, 1863, being temporarily on General Forrest's staff at that time.

General Beal sent Colonel Bradfute to take charge of the three companies to which our battalion was now reduced, from the reorganization at Jacinto to the time of consolidation with the Seventh Battalion, at Fulton, June 12th.

As the Second Tennessee Cavalry, of which the First Battalion formed a part, surrendered May 10th, 1865, we liked only four days serving out the term of our reenlistment-three years.

SOURCE: Richard R. Hancock, Hancock's Diary: Or, A History of the Second Tennessee Confederate Cavalry, p9. 168-9