History of the Band

"The 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment Band is sponsored by the General Robert E. Rhodes Camp #262 Sons of Confederate Veterans of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This band is a historical, patriotic, non-political, non-profit group, just as its parent organization the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The purpose of the band is to preserve the music of the War Between the States era both Southern and Northern as well as commemorating the memory of the veterans both Confederate and Union."

History of the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment and Band
Confederate States of America
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The following was taken from "History of the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment and
Band Confederate States of America":

Tuscaloosa County would have the distinct honor of having the first Alabama military unit leave for service in the War Between the States. This unit was the Warrior Guards, the local unit of the Alabama State Militia.

The Warrior Guards were organized in Tuscaloosa on April 3, 1820 and this distinguished and prized unit would have members in its organization only from those of the highest caliber of citizens in Tuscaloosa.

The Warrior Guards drilled daily after November 21, 1860, as Alabama was expected to secede from the Union. Commanding the Guards was Captain Robert E. Rhodes, who was a graduate of Virginia Military Institute and then as a Civil Engineer for a railroad company.

On January 10, 1861, Captain Rodes received orders from Alabama Governor A.B. Moore to report with his company to Fort Morgan, near Mobile. Two days later on January 21, the company boarded the steamer L.D. Wallace at the Tuscaloosa wharf and sailed for Mobile. There it was met by the Mobile Cadets, who escorted the local unit to their armory. From the armory they went to the Battle House where they were honored with speeches and a dinner. Early the next morning they left for assigned duty at Fort Morgan. The company remained at Fort Morgan until the middle of March 1861, when it was relieved by regular enlisted Confederate Troops and returned to Tuscaloosa. In Tuscaloosa the unit would be immediately reorganized. It is at this point that Captain Rodes began the active recruitment of musicians for the unit Band. The Band and its members would be fairly typical of military bands of that era with between 14 and 16 musicians on its muster rolls. Its members were recruited from the West Alabama areas of Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, Uniontown, Cahawba, and Faunsdale. This unit would officially appear on the muster roll of Captain E.L. Hobson?s Company I of the 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment C.S.A. from September 1, 1861 to October 31, 1861.

During this period of reorganization Captain Rodes was re-elected commanding officer. His staff included H.A. Whiting, First Lieutenant; William H. Fowler, Second Lieutenant; John H. Harris, Third Lieutenant; Dr. N. Venable, Sergeo; John Phelan, Orderly Sergeant; and Ben Woodruff, Quartermaster Sergeant.

On April; 1, 1861, the company left for Montgomery to offer its service and the Warrior Guards became officially company H, 5th Alabama Infantry Regiment, C.S.A.

Continued on the next page...History of the Band Part 2