I was contacted by John Lynch of Manchester, Tennessee, who said that his great-grandfather fought at Chickamauga and lost a leg.  This was probably during Cleburne’s attack on the evening of the 19th.

Sketch courtesy of the Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation.  17th Tennessee Infantry on the left

The observant among you will have noticed that my name is John Dillon, John Lynch’s great-grandfather was John Dillon Lynch. The coincidence of the names has led me to add a page on John Dillon Lynch and his unit in the Confederate forces; Company ‘I’ of the 17th Tennessee Infantry.  Their flag is in the top left corner of this page.

The details below are from John Lynch and from sites related to the 17th.

John Dillon Lynch, 1843 - 1916. John Dillon Lynch was barely 17 years old when he joined the Confederate Army on May 10, 1861. According to his records he served in Company I, 17th Tenn.Infantry. His rank at the time of his enlistment was that of private. He took the oath and was paroled on May 12, 1865. His rank at that time was still that of private. The entry on the site at http://www.cafes.net/sarnold/17thCoI.htm#L has;

LYNCH, John, Pvt., Co. I, Enlisted Aug. 15, 1861.  Wounded at Chickamauga Sept. 19, 1863.  Since had leg amputated by surgeon Gentry.  Residence listed as Winchester TN.  In Richmond VA hospital Sept. 1864.  On Honor Roll dated Aug. 10, 1864.

In his application to become a member of the Association of Confederate Soldiers, Tennessee Division, he wrote, "I lost my right leg at the Battle of Chickamauga, amputated above the knee. Remained within the Confederate lines until the close of the war, Paroled at Macon, Ga. the morning Jeff Davis was brought into town.”

"Because he had only one leg, John Dillon Lynch was called "Peg." He had a reputation as being rather cantankerous. Walter, Peg’s son remembered attending a reunion of Civil War soldiers in Chattanooga with his father. Walking down the street, they passed an old man dressed in the blue uniform of a Union soldier. The old veteran sat on the sidewalk, both legs missing, and an upturned hat to collect money from passers by. Peg tossed a whole dollar into the man's hat. Walter was astonished and asked his father why he had been so generous. "Only damned Yankee I ever saw that got what was coming to him," was Peg's reply.

John Dillon Lynch is mentioned on page 832, History of Tennessee, Published in Nashville;

John D. Lynch, one of the leading merchants of Sherwood, Tennessee is the fourth of a family of seven children born to the marriage of John D. Lynch and Hettie Wilkinson. The father was born in 1818. Being a son of David Lynch a prominent early settler of Franklin County. John D. Lynch Sr. was a farmer by occupation, and for many years was a magistrate of the county. His death occurring in 1883. The mother of our subject is still living. The immediate subject of this sketch was reared on a farm. having been born in 1844. In May 1861 he enlisted in the confederate service in Company "I" seventeenth Tenn. in which he served until the surrender. and at Chickamauga lost a leg. Returning from the war he farmed a short time. Since then he has been dealing in lumber and tan bark. And has also has been merchandising. He does an extensive business in the Tan bark trade. He was married in 1867 to Nancy Jane King, a native of this county who has borne nine children to this union, six of whom are living. Viz: John B., Hettie, David, Lucinda, Rebecca, and Nancy Jane. Politically Mr. Lynch is a Democrat. He is an enterprising and successful businessman and a good citizen. His grandfather David Lynch was a soldier in the war of 1812. His uncle Elijah Lynch was a soldier in the war of 1812 and the Florida War.

17th Tennessee Infantry.

Company I of the 17th Tennessee Infantry was formed from men of Franklin County, Tennessee and Jackson County, Alabama. The 17^th Tennessee Infantry was mustered into Confederate service on August 15, 1861 at Big Creek, Campbell County, TN. The regiment was then placed under the command of Brigadier General Felix K. Zollicoffer, and participated in an engagement at Rock Castle, Kentucky (Camp Wildcat) on October 21, 1861, where it suffered 45 causalities. [This is shown in the sketch at the head of the page.] On January 20, 1862 the regiment was engaged in action at Fishing Creek near Mill Springs, Kentucky. In this battle the regiment suffered 46 casualties and Brigadier General Zollicoffer was killed. The next action the regiment saw was during General Bragg's invasion of Kentucky in 1862. During this campaign the regiment was present at the capture of Munfordville and at the battle of Perryville (Oct. 8, 1862 - 24 casualties).

17th Tennessee Infantry Regiment flag used in 1863 through the battle of Chickamauga.  Currently located at Tennessee State Museum in Nashville

The regiment was placed in General Patrick R. Cleburne’s Division during the battle at Murfreesboro (Dec. 31, 1862), where the regiment listed 246 causalities out of 598 men engaged. Following the Tullahoma campaign, the regiment was heavily engaged at the Battle of Chickamauga (Sept. 19 & 20, 1863) and suffered 130 causalities out of 249 men engaged.

The regiment then severed its connection with the Army of Tennessee and served under Lt. General James Longstreet during campaigns against Knoxville and East Tennessee in the Fall and Winter of 1863/64. The regiment was then transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia in the Spring of 1864. In Virginia, the regiment was involved in many battles, including Drewry's Bluff (May 15, 1864 - 68 casualties out of 319 engaged), Petersburg (June 17, 1864 - 70 men captured), and Hatcher's Run (Feb. 2, 1865). The regiment was surrendered by Lee at Appomattox Courthouse with approximately 70 men remaining from the over 1000 men who served.