Brigadier General Alexander William Campbell,
P.A.C.S.
Brigadier General Alexander W. Campbell entered the Confederate army in
1861 as colonel of the Thirty-third Tennessee infantry, and served in the
army of General Polk at Columbus, Ky., during the campaign of that year.
There was one battle in his district, at Belmont, Mo., in which General Grant
attacked the Confederates and was at first successful; but upon the arrival
of Confederate reinforcements and the renewal of the battle, was defeated
and with difficulty made his escape. In this battle Colonel Campbell and his
regiment were not engaged, being in observation on the Kentucky side of
the river. When the armies were being concentrated for the attack upon
Grant at Shiloh, Colonel Campbell's regiment was part of the army that
marched from central Kentucky, to Corinth, Miss. Colonel Campbell led his
regiment at the battle of Shiloh, and at one time during the fight the Fifth
Tennessee, Col. C. D. Venable, was also under his orders. Gen. Leonidas
Polk, in his report of this battle, mentions as one of several other instances
of "brilliant courage," the conduct of these two regiments. The report says:
"Shortly after they were first brought forward as a supporting force, they
found themselves ordered to support two regiments of the line before them,
which were lying down engaging the enemy irregularly. On advancing, they
drew the enemy's fire over the heads of the regiments in their front. It was
of so fierce a character that they must either advance or fall back.
Campbell called to the regiments before him to charge. This they declined
to do. He then gave orders to his own regiment to charge, and led them in
gallant style over the heads of the regiments lying in advance of him,
sweeping the enemy before him and putting them completely to rout." In
this battle Colonel Campbell received a wound which incapacitated him for
active service for several months. Just before the battle of Murfreesboro
he was appointed adjutant and inspector-general on the staff of Gen.
Leonidas Polk. This position he held during 1862 and 1863. On the 15th
of March, 1864, he was commissioned brigadier-general, and in this rank
he commanded a cavalry force during the remainder of the war.
Source: Evans, Clement, ed. Confederate Military History, Vol.
VIII, Confederate Publishing Company, Atlanta, GA, 1899
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