During the war between the United States and Mexico, a company of volunteers was organized in Dyer County, but before their services could be tendered and accepted, the State's quota had been filled. Not a few individuals volunteered and joined companies from neighboring counties, and thus Dyer was represented.

Dyer County responded promptly to the State's call for volunteers during the war of the Rebellion, and furnished to the Confederacy sufficient companies to form a full regiment, but were distributed among various commands.

In April, 1861, Company K, of the Fourth Tennessee Regiment of Infantry, was organized in Dyersburg, with O. F. Strahl as captain, and H. L. Fowlkes, James W. White and J. W. Lauderdale as first, second and third lieutenants respectively. The company was mustered into service at Germantown, Tenn., where the regiment was formed, and of which Capt. Strahl was elected lieutenant colonel. The officers of Company K were then promoted as follows: H. L. Fowlkes, captain; J. W. White, first lieutenant; J. W. Lauderdale, second lieutenant, and Benj. R. Hibbitt, third lieutenant. At Columbus, Ky., in October, 1861, Lieut. White resigned, and was succeeded by Lieut. Lauderdale, who was succeeded by Lieut. Hibbitt, and the latter by H. P. Doyle. At Corinth, Miss., the company was reorganized, when Lauderdale was elected captain, H. P. Doyle first, W. A. Fowlkes second, and James Richardson third lieutenants. After the battle of Perryville, Ky., Lieut. Col. Strahl was promoted to brigadier-generalship, and a short time before his death, at the battle of Franklin, was commissioned major-general, but died before receiving his commission. Out of the original number of 104, only seven members of Company K were present at the surrender at Greensboro, N. C., in 1865.

Company K, of the Thirteenth Tennessee Regiment of Infantry, was organized at Dyersburg in May, 1861, of which Samuel R. Latta was elected captain, and J. A. Pierce, Wm. E. DeBerry and Stephen D. Wood were elected first, second and third lieutenants respectively. In June following, the company was mustered into service at Randolph, Tenn. At the reorganization after the battle of Shiloh, J. R. R. Hibbitt was elected to succeed Capt. Latta, of the company. In November, 1861, Company E, Forty-seventh Regiment of Infantry, was organized at Dyersburg, and G. B. Miller elected captain; H. C. Hanks, first lieutenant; B. C. Burgie, second lieutenant; M. G. Burton, third lieutenant; Company E was mustered into service at Camp Trenton, in Gibson County and from there went direct to Corinth. After the battle of Shiloh, Capt. Miller was succeeded by F. G. Sampson.

Company D, Forty-seventy Regiment of Infantry - W. M. Walkins captain; George Talley, first lieutenant; John W. Johnson, second lieutenant; Edward Beaumont, third lieutenant - was organized at Dyersburg in November, 1861, and went into Camp Trenton, where it was mustered into service. The company was reorganized at Corinth, Miss., and Capt. Watkins having been promoted to a coloneley of the regiment, James Watkins was elected captain, and James H. Fowlkes, Edward Beaumont and Jesse Bradshaw first, second and third lieutenants respectively.

The next company organized at Dyersburg was Company__, Twenty-second Regiment of Infantry, of which W. A. Dawson was elected captain, Wm. Craig first lieutenant, _____ second lieutenant, and _____ third lieutenant. Capt. Dawson was wounded at the battle of Shiloh, and returned home. Later he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel and given orders to raise a battalion. While recruiting in Dyer County, Col. Dawson was captured by the Federals, and after an imprisonment on Johnson's Island, was exchanged, when he rejoined the army. At Westpoint, Miss., when the regimental officers of the Fifteenth Regiment of Cavalry mustered against their commanding general (Gen. Ricker probably) Dawson was restored to the rank of colonel and given command of the regiment and was killed on November 24, 1864, in the running skirmish on the Centerville pike, in Maury County, Tenn.

In the latter part of 1862, Company C, Fifteenth Regiment of Cavalry - E. P. Kirk, captain; John Prichard, first lieutenant; G. T. Baker, second lieutenant; A. L. Ray, third lieutenant; was organized at Dyersburg, and was mustered into service at Camp Trenton. After the battle of Shiloh the company was re-organized and H. C. Hanks elected captain.

Company G, Twentieth Regiment of Cavalry - Joseph Hibbitt, captain; Henry Wynn, first lieutenant; Richard Locke, second lieutenant; Benjamin Cowan, third lieutenant - was organized at Dyersburg in December, 1863, and mustered into service at North Gibson in Gibson County. From the latter place the company proceeded to Moulton, Ala., where arms were drawn. At Brice's Cross Roads, Miss., in 1864, Capt. Hibbitt was killed, and was succeeded by Daniel E. Parker.

The last regular company organized in Dyer County was Company F, Fifteenth Regiment Cavalry, in the fall of 1863, of which T. C. Buchanan was elected captain; J. P. Thurmand, first lieutenant; Joseph Richardson, second lieutenant; L. E. Thurmand, third lieutenant. The company was mustered in at Komo, Miss., where arms were drawn.

In April, 1861, Company B, Twelfth Regiment of Infantry, was organized at Newbern. The officers were T. H. Bell, captain; A. G. Harris, first lieutenant; Norvill Watkins, second lieutenant; Wm. Horrill, third lieutenant. Capt. Bell subsequently became brigadier-general under Gen. Forrest, and Lieut. Horrell became captain of the company. Capt. Horrell was killed at the battle of Murfreesboro, and was succeeded by Alfred Fielder.

In December, 1861, Company K, Twenty-second Regiment of Infantry, was organized at Newbern, of which Lewis M. Williams was elected captain; John Ballard, first lieutenant; John Howard, second lieutenant; _____, third lieutenant. Lieut. Ballard was killed at Shiloh, and Lieut. Howard was desperately wounded.