The Southern Sentinels were recruited in Winnfield, Louisiana by Winn Parish Clerk of Court John Abernathy Dixon. This was the third company of volunteers to organize in the parish. Initial enrollment took place in Winnfield on August 6th and 7th and the company immediately marched overland to the Red River community of St. Maurice in southwestern Winn Parish to board a river steamer for the trip to New Orleans. There they were transferred to the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad and moved north around Lake Ponchartrain to Camp Moore, Louisiana in modern day Tangipahoa Parish.  This company arrived at Camp Moore just in time to be included in the Twelfth Regiment,  Louisiana Volunteers. The Southern Sentinels' official enrollment date for 12 months of service at Camp Moore was August 18, 1861.

The regiment was moved promptly by rail from Camp Moore to Union City, Tennessee and two weeks later on September 3, 1861 marched into Columbus, Kentucky on the east bank of the Mississippi River. They remained at Columbus for nearly six months during which time they participated in the construction of the extensive earth and timber fortifications created to protect artillery positions that blocked Federal usage of the river. First time exposure to communicable camp diseases, bitter cold weather, garrison duty, and army life in general discouraged many men. A substantial number of these early volunteers died, or were discharged for disability, or granted sick furlough from which they never returned. Many have simply disappeared from the records. However, Captain Dixon was able to recruit replacements to keep the company up to minimum strength.

The regiment was re-organized on May 10, 1862 under the terms of the Conscription Act passed by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. This required all white male residents of the Confederate States ages 18 to 35 years to enroll in the military for "three years or the duration of the war." Under this act, all 12 month volunteer regiments in the field were re-enrolled. Because they were volunteers, they retained the privileges granted to volunteer regiments and elected their own officers and non-commissioned officers. The re-enrollment election was an opportunity to get rid of unpopular leaders elected at Camp Moore and many changes took place. Officers not re-elected were allowed to resign and go home and were no longer subject to military service. Non-commissioned officers not re-elected were required to return to the ranks as privates. Many men accepted this and served honorably until the end of the war.

The Farmer Guards of Natchitoches Parish were re-enrolled in May 1862 as Company M (Company M1 in the Compiled Military Service Records) even though the company was badly under strength. When it became apparent that this company could not be recruited to bring it up to strength, the company was dissolved and merged with Company C in July 1862. A new election was held which divided the company officer and non-commissioned officer positions between the Winn Parish and Natchitoches Parish volunteers. Again officers from both of the original companies who were not re-elected to positions in the combined company were allowed to resign and go home.

Captain John Dixon was re-elected Captain of the newly consolidated Company C while Angus C. Alexander from Natchitoches Parish served as 1st Lieutenant. William A. Dill from Natchitoches Parish replaced David Williams as company 1st Sergeant. The positions of 2nd Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Corporal were split evenly between the two groups.

To facilitate genealogical research, I have presented the two company rosters on separate pages to maintain the identity of their places of initial enrollment. The men named below came from Winn Parish.

COMPANY C ROSTER

The Compiled Military Service Records are organized alphabetically by regiment. 

This company roster was derived from the author's 12th Louisiana database

and is not available as such from the National Archives.

Copyright registered with the Library of Congress.

Data presented below:  (1) name as it appears in the Compiled Military Service Records with spelling variations, (2) highest rank held in the company, and (3) initial enrollment data. Camp Moore volunteers are designated by the letters CM. Volunteers who joined after the regiment left Camp Moore are designated by the year of their enrollment.

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