battalion, under Major Battle, was ordered to Virginia, and early in April reported to Lieut.-Col. E. Kirby Smith, commanding at Lynchburg. Being joined a few days later by the other battalion, under Lomax, the regiment was mustered into the Confederate service, by Colonel Smith, about April 12, 1861. The regiment was soon ordered to Norfolk, reporting to Major-General Gwynn, and during the Confederate occupation of that post, Colonel Withers was promoted and sent west, and Lomax became colonel, and Battle, lieutenant-colonel. The regiment was assigned to Mahone's brigade early in 1862, and in that command participated in the battle of Seven Pines, where Colonel Lomax was killed, and the regiment suffered severely, but was highly complimented by Generals Mahone, Hill and Longstreet Battle was now promoted colonel, and early in June his regiment was transferred to General Rodes' brigade, in which the colonels ranked as follows: Twenty-sixth Alabama, Col. E. A. O'Neal; Sixth Alabama, Col. John B. Gordon; Fifth Alabama, Col. J. M. Hall; Twelfth Alabama, Colonel Gale; Third Alabama, Colonel Battle. On account of a wound received at Seven Pines, Colonel Battle was kept from the field until the Maryland campaign. In his report of the battles of Boonsboro and Sharpsburg, General Rodes wrote: "The men and officers behaved well, but Colonel Gordon's Sixth Alabama, Major Hobson's Fifth Alabama, and Colonel Battle's Third Alabama deserve special mention for admirable conduct during the whole fight." General Rodes recommended the promotion of Grordon and Battle, but the honor could be conferred upon one only, and fell to Grordon. Colonel Battle was slightly wounded at Sharpsburg, and during the battle of Fredericksburg he was seriously injured by his horse falling upon him. During the flank movement of Jackson's corps at Chancellorsville, the colonel, still disabled, but anxious to participate in the fight, accompanied his regiment in an ambulance, and attempted to mount his
