The Tennessee 3rd Mounted Infantry Regiment was organized at Knoxville, Tennessee, May 29, 1861, mustered into Confederate Service June 6, 1861, reorganized May 14, 1862 and surrendered at Washington, Georgia, May 9, 1865.
Colonel Vaughn was promoted to brigadier general September 22, 1862, and Newton J. Lillard served as colonel of the regiment for the rest of the war.
Almost immediately after organization the regiment left for Virginia on June 2, 1861, and was mustered into Confederate service at Lynchburg, Virginia. From Lynchburg, the regiment moved to Winchester, and from there to Romney, Virginia. Here it was placed in a brigade commanded by Colonel Ambrose P. Hill, along with the 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment. It first saw action June 19, 1861.
On May 31, 1862 the Third was in Brigadier General S. M. Barton's Brigade and on June 17, the Third was ordered to Knoxville, where it was placed in Colonel Thomas H. Taylor's Brigade. They endured the privations at Vicksburg, then following the surrender were mounted and served in Western Virginia and East Tennessee.
After Lee's surrender in April, 1865, the brigade was ordered to North Carolina, and rendezvoused at Charlotte, North Carolina where they formed part of the escort for President Jefferson Davis until the surrender at Washington, Georgia May 9, 1865.