Henry Clay Cribbs 1841-1911 (son of Peter Cribbs, 1804-1855, and Anna Speigner)
Private
Company I, 11th Alabama Infantry
Enlisted: 11 June 1861, Fayette County, Alabama by Capt George Traweek
"During the war"
Soldier Service Record: On file National Archives: M-311 Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Roll #202
Pension Claim: Not on file at National Archives:
State of Alabama ?
Invalid claim: Application Certificate
Widow claim: Application Certificate

NOTES:
Service:
28 Jul – 31 Aug 62– Absent. Sent to Richmond "sick" from camp near Bull Run
Sep 61-1 Jul 64 – Present with unit (no additional muster information on file)
9 Apr 65 - Surrendered by General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House

Court Martial: G.O. No 100-9
Dept Northern Virginia (CSA) 20/63, Nov 20/63 (not on file at National Archives)

11^th Regiment Alabama Infantry History
Regimental Assignments:
July 1861 - E.K. Smith’s Brigade, Army of the Shenandoah
Jul-Oct 61 - E.K. Smith’s Brigade, 2d Corps,Army of the Potomac
Oct 61 - Jan 62 - E.K. Smith’s-Wilcox’s Brigade, G. W. Smith’s Division, Potomac District, DEPT of Northern Virginia
Apr-Jun 62 - Wilcox’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, Army of Northern Virginia
Jun-Aug 62 - Wilcox’s Brigade, Longstreet’s Division, 1^st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Aug-Sep 62 - Wilcox’s Brigade, 1^st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Sep 62 - May 63 - Wilcox’s Brigade, Anderson’s Division, 1^st Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
May 63 - Apr 65 - Wilcox’s-Perrin’s-Sander’s-Forney’s Brigade, Anderson’s-Mahone’s Division, 3d Corps, Army of Northern Virginia

Battles:
Apr-May 62 - Yorktown Siege
5 May 62 - Williamsburg
31 May - 1 Jun 62 - Seven Pines
25 Jun - 1 Jul 62 - Seven Days Battles
27 Jun 62 - Gains’ Mills
30 Jun 62 - Frayer’s Farm
28-30 Aug 62 - 2d Bull Run (Henry absent in hospital)
12-15 Sep 62 - Harper’s Ferry
17 Sep 62 - Antietam
13 Dec 62 - Fredericksburg
1-4 May 63 - Chancellorsville
1-3 Jul 63 - Gettysburg
Oct 63 - Bristoe Campaign
Nov-Dec 63 - Mine Run Campaign
5-6 May 64 - The Wilderness
8-21 May 64 - Spotslvania Court House
23-26 May 64 - North Anna
1-3 Jun 64 - Cold Harbor
Jun 64 - Apr 65- Petersburg Siege
30 Jun 64 - The Crater
9 Apr 65 - Appomattox Court House

The 11th Alabama Infantry Regiment was enlisted 17 June 1861 at Lynchburg, VA, with 972 men, rank and file, though several of the companies had been in camp for 2 or 3 months. The companies were raised in Bibb, Clarke, Fayette, Greene, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Tuscaloosa, and Washington counties. Proceeding to VA, it reached Winchester in July and was brigaded under Gen'l Edmund Kirby Smith of FL. It remained between Alexandria and Centreville, and near Manassas, until the army moved over to Yorktown. Gen'l John H. Forney of Calhoun had been in temporary command of the brigade, and was succeeded during the winter by Gen'l Cadmus Wilcox. The regiment fell back to Richmond and was first under fire at Seven Pines, where it lost 9 k and 49 w. It charged the enemy in a strong position at Gaines' Mill, and lost 27 k and 129 w. But it was at Frazier's Farm 3 days later that the 11th and other regiments of the brigade charged across an open field and engaged in a bloody struggle over the enemy's batteries, wherein the bayonet was the chief weapon, and where it lost the commanding officers of 8 companies and a total of 182 k and w. The regiment was under fire at 2nd Manassas and lost 25 k and w. It was part of the investing force t Harper's Ferry and hastened to Sharpsburg where it was engaged with a lost of 35 k and w. It wintered on the Rappahannock and was exposed at Fredericksburg where casualties were 12 k and w. As part of Wilcox's Brigade, it fought Union Gen'l John Sedgwick at Salem, where it lost 117 k and w. With the army, it moved into PA and was badly cut up at Gettysburg. The command wintered near Orange Courthouse, 1863-64 and tried to gather strength. At The Wilderness and Spotsylvania, the regiment was in close quarters against the enemy and lost about 65 men. Gen'l John Sanders of Greene was now in command of the brigade. From The Wilderness to Petersburg, almost constant skirmishing occurred, and from 22-30 June, the loss was about 80 k and w. The 11th was in the column that retook the line broken at the "Crater," losing about 40 men, and from 16 Aug to 17 Oct, which includes the effort to retake the Weldon Railroad, the loss in k, w, and captured was 76. It fought at Burgess' Mill, with severe loss, and was sternly confronting the foe at Appomattox when astounded by the news of the surrender. There were only about 125 of the regiment present there for duty, Capt. M. L. Stewart of Pickens commanding. Of 1192 names on its muster roll, over 270 fell in battle, about 200 died of disease, 170 were discharged, and 80 were transferred.

Field and staff officers: Cols. Sydenham Moore (Greene; mortally wounded, Seven Pines; died in service, 25 Aug 1863); John Caldwell Calhoun Sanders (Greene; wounded, Gettyburg; KIA, 21 Aug 1864); George Edward Tayloe (Marengo); Lt. Cols. Stephen Fowler Hale (Greene; KIA, Gaines' Mill); John J. Gracie (retired, 7 May 62); George Edward Tayloe (promoted); Majors Isham W. Garrott (Perry; resigned); Archibald Gracie (Mobile; resigned); George Field (Greene; resigned, 11 Sept 1862); Richard J. Fletcher (Washington; disabled, Gettysburg; retired); and Adjutants Thomas H. Holcombe (Marengo; transferred to line); Walter E. Winn (Marengo; transferred); R. Y. Ashe (Marengo; KIA, Petersburg, 29 June 1864); and Cornelius Wattington (Marengo).

Captains, and counties from which the companies came: Co. "A" (Marengo): Young Marshall Moody (promoted to lt. colonel, 43rd AL Regt); Capt. Thomas H. Holcombe (KIA, Frazier's Farm); John B. Rains Co. "B", Greene County Grays (Greene): George Field (promoted); William M. Bratton (KIA, Frazier's Farm); George W. Clark Co. "C", Confederate Guards (Greene): John C. Calhoun Sanders (wounded, Frazier's Farm; promoted); Benjamin T.Higginbotham (wounded, Salem Church; resigned, 12 Aug 64); Richard M. Kamedy (wounded, Petersburg) Co. "D", Canebrake Legion (Marengo): George E. Tayloe (promoted); John Haywood Prince Co. "E" (Washington and Clarke): Richard J. Fletcher (promoted); John James (KIA, 2nd Cold Harbor) Co. "F" (Bibb): James L. Davidson (resigned, 5 July 62); Joseph C. Caddell (KIA, Petersburg, 27 Oct 64); Zachariah Abney Co. "G", North Port Rifles (Tuscaloosa): James H. McMath (KIA, Frazier's Farm); Newton A. Steele; John B. Hughes (wounded) Co. "H", Pickens County Guards (Pickens): Reuben C. Chapman (resigned, 16 June 62); Martin L. Stewart Co. "I" (Fayette): George Traweek (removed); Stephen E. Bell (KIA, Frazier's Farm); Lemuel Harris (KIA, the Crater) Co. "K" (Perry): Henry Talbird (resigned, 6 Aug 61); Mathew M. England (died in service); Walter C. Y. Parker (mortally wounded, Frazier's Farm); James H. George (resigned, 1 June 63); James L. Brazelton (KIA, Petersburg); Edward R. Lucas

Commanders: Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox was born in Wayne County, NC, 29 May 1824. He graduated from West Point 54th in his class (1846) and was breveted 1st lieutenant in Mexico for his service at Chapultepec and Mexico City. Following that, he served in frontier American posts and as an instructor back at West Point. While there, he wrote a book on rifle practice. Cadmus Wilcox joined the Confederate States Army as a colonel in July 1861, and he became a brigadier on 21 October, assigned to Major Gen'l James Longstreet's Division. At Seven Pines, Wilcox proved to be an able leader despite the fact that his Alabama troops suffered the highest casualties in the Confederate Army. Wilcox shone at 2nd Manassas and at Fredericksburg, but his greatest moment was at Chancellorsville. Wilcox' Brigade was assigned to guard Banks' Ford along the Rappahannock River, away from the main battleground. Wilcox' maintained his vigilance and discovered a Union effort to strick Gen'l Robert E. Lee's army from the rear. An enemy corps was moving toward Chancellorsville from the direction of Fredericksburg, and Wilcox employed a holding action at Salem Church; he stalled the Union advance long enough for Lee to assault the Federals, then commanded by Major Gen'l Joseph Hooker, and to then turn and meet the new threat. Wilcox participated in the Gettysburg Campaign, but he sustained heavy losses in the 3rd day's fighting when attempting to support Pickett's charge. He was nevertheless promoted to Major Gen'l and sent to command a division in Lt. Gen'l Ambrose P. Hill's Third Corps. As a part of Hill's command, Wilcox was usually in the heaviest fighting at The Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Petersburg. Wilcox held his men together even while the Petersburg siege weakened the Confederate forces. On 2 April 1865, his men held Ft. Gregg and denied the Union army access to Petersburg itself. Then, on 9 April 1865, Wilcox surrendered with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia. Following the war, Wilcox resided in Washington, DC; and from 1886 until his death, 2 December 1890, he held the post of chief of the railroad division of the US Government Land Office.

Regiments: Wilcox' Brigade consisted of the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 14thAlabama Infantry Regiments.

References:

History: George Clark / A Glance Backward, or, Some Events in the Past History of My Life. Houston : Press of Rein & Sons, 1914. [Has been reprinted, in microfiche.]

Source: http://www.tarleton.edu/activities/pages/facultypages/jones/confeds.html

USAMHI RefBranch 11th Alabama Infantry :

http://carlisle-www.army.mil/usamhi/CivilWar/CWUnits/al.cs/inf/11inf.htm

Brewer, Willis. Brief Historical Sketches of Military Organizations Raised in Alabama During the Civil War. Montgomery, AL: AL CW Centennial Comm, 1962. pp. 606-08 (2 photocopied pages). E551.4B74. (Brief history and roster of officers).

Confederate Military History, Extended Edition. Vol. 8: Alabama. Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot, 1987. pp. 90-93 (2 photocopied pages). E484C65.1987v8. (Brief unit history).

Clark, George. A Glance Backward: Or, Some Events in the Past History of My Life. Ann Arbor, MI: Univ Microfilm, l973. 93 p. E605C47.1973. Reprint of 1914 ed.

Crute, Joseph H., Jr. Units of the Confederate States Army. Midlothian, VA: Derwent Books, 1987. Ref. See p. 12 (1 photocopied page) for a concise summary of the regiment's service.

Sifakis, Stewart. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Alabama. NY: Facts on File, 1992. pp. 70-71 (1 photocopied page). E551S53.1992 (Unit organizational history).

The following pertinent personal papers are in the Institute's Manuscript Archive:

Clark, George - BrakeColl (Capt's memoir of Gettysburg, 1914)
Thompson, Fleming W. - BrakeColl (Enlisted man's letter, Jul 17, 1863)
Williford, Joseph G. - HCWRTColl (Enlisted man's Sep 11, 1862 letter on Frayser's Farm)