The 56th Alabama Partisan Rangers was formed on June 8, 1863, by the
consolidation of five
companies of the 13th Alabama Partisan Rangers, led by Major William A. Hewlett, with the 15th Alabama Partisan Rangers led by Major William Boyles who was promoted to colonel and given command of the new
regiment. The
Confederate Congress had passed the
Partisan Ranger Act in April, 1862 to authorize the formation of
irregular guerilla units, with the intention of sparking resistance to Federal authority in Union-controlled regions such as
West Virginia. Partisan Ranger units were subject to the same regulations as regular
Confederate Army troops, but in addition to their regular pay, they also received a bounty from the government for any captured Federal arms they turned over to army
quartermasters. In contrast to
resistance fighters in 20th century conflicts, Confederate Partisan Rangers wore military uniforms, were subject to the regular
chain of command, and were enrolled as soldiers in the army. However, professional officers such as
Robert E. Lee believed that Partisan Ranger units wasted manpower that could be directed to the more effective regular army. To prevent the flow of men eligible for conscription into partisan service, the army passed new regulations in the summer of 1862 prohibiting transfer from regular units to Partisan Ranger units, and required a minimum age of 35 to join partisan companies. Excessive violence by partisan leaders such as
William Quantrill and
"Bloody" Bill Anderson damaged the reputation of these units and led the Confederacy to repeal the Partisan Ranger Act in February 1864. Prior to consolidation, these battalions had been assigned to guard and picket duty in Alabama and Mississippi. The 13th Battalion was formed on August 28, 1862, and the 15th was organized on August 25. Both battalions fought at the Battle of King's Creek near
Tupelo, Mississippi on May 5, 1863, under the command of General
Daniel Ruggles. The regiment then took part in the
Meridian campaign, and the
Atlanta campaign, including the
Battle of Peachtree Creek and
Battle of Atlanta, and harassed Union General
William T. Sherman's troops during his
March to the Sea. The regiment was recruited from
Autauga,
Montgomery,
Mobile,
Butler, and
Walker counties, and one company was recruited from
Mississippi. The 56th Alabama surrendered at
Greensboro, North Carolina. == Commanders ==