Confederate Regiments & Batteries > Mississippi


1861
June 6-7 Organized in Corinth, Mississippi, and mustered into Confederate service under Colonel Winfield S. Featherston and Lieutenant Colonel John McGuirk
June 11 Ordered to Virginia
June 17 Arrived at Manassas Junction and brigaded with the 18th Mississippi and the 5th South Carolina under Brigadier General David R. Jones.
July 18
Blackburn’s Ford

Under artilery fire, but suffered no losses

July 21
First Battle of Manassas, or Bull Run

Advanced up Rocky Run until forced to retire, losing 2 killed and 10 wounded.

August 13 Posted around Leesburg, Virginia
August 24 Captain Duff’s Company on detached duty at Big Spring and other posts along the Potomac River
October 21
Leesburg, or Ball’s Bluff

The regiment fought beside the 18th Mississippi and the 8th Virginia until the Virginia regiment ran out of ammunition, then advanced with the 18th Mississippi under Colonel Featherston’s command. Two pieces of artillery and 300 men were captured, Colonel Featherston accepting their surrender. The regiment lost 2 men killed and 9 wounded out of a strength of around 600.

December 9 Assigned to Brigadier General Richard Griffin’s Mississippi Brigade, consisting of the 13th, 17th, 18th and 21st Mississippi Infantry Regiments.
1862
March 4 Colonel Featherston promoted to brigadier general and given command of another Mississippi brigade. Colonel W.D. Holder was given command of the regiment.
March Move to Culpeper, then to Yorktown, and Richmond.
April Attached to Magruder’s Division, reporting 692 effectives.
April 26 Captain John C. Fiser elected lieutenant colonel
June 25-July 1
Seven Days Battles

The regiment was in reserve until June 29.

June 29
Savage Station

Went into action on the railroad, where Brigadier General Griffith was mortally wounded. Captain Gwen Cherry was wounded.

July 1
Malvern Hill

Took part in the unsuccessful evening charge. Unable to continue further, the brigade lay down until their advanced position until after dark, when they fell back to safety. Colonel Holder was wounded, and Captain George Foote, acting as Adjutant-General of Featherston’s Brigade, was killed leading a charge. The regiment lost 15 killed and 92 wounded during the fighting at Savage Station and Malvern Hill. Lieutenant Colonel John C . Fiser took command, amd Captain Moreland was made acting major.

August Colonel Barksdale of the 13th Mississippi promoted to brigadier general and given permanent command of the brigade, which was assigned to McLaws’ Division
late August The regiment was ordered to move north with McLaws’ Division from the Richmond area to join Lee’s main army.
September

Maryland Campaign

The regiment arrived too late to take part in the Second Battle of Manassas.

September 12 & 13
Siege of Harpers Ferry

Scaled Maryland Heights north of Harpers Ferry from the north, driving off the Union defenders.

September 16 To Brownsville
September 17
Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam)

The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel John C. Fiser. It marched from Brownsville, reaching the field after the batle had begun. Out of 270 men engaged, the regiment lost 10 killed, 77 wounded and 2 missing. Captain Gwen Cherry was wounded for the second time.

From the brigade marker on the Antietam battlefield:

September 17, 1862.

Barksdale’s Brigade crossed the Potomac at Blackford’s Ford about daybreak of the 17th and halted in the western suburbs of Sharpsburg until nearly 9 A.M. It then advanced to the rising ground southwest of this point and formed line in the left center of McLaws’ Division, Kershaw on the right and Semmes on the left.

In the general advance of the Division it encountered the enemy’s line at the edge of the West Woods at this point and, supported by Ransom’s Brigade of Walker’s Division, forced it back through the woods to the fields beyond, where it was checked by the destructive fire of the Federal Artillery and compelled to retire to the protection of the hill and ledges of rock in this vicinity.

Later in the day the Brigade reoccupied a portion of the ground from which it had been driven and, with Ransom on the right and Early on the left, held the position until the night of the 18th when it recrossed the Potomac.

November 1 Captain William L. Duff of Company K was promoted to major.
November Reached Fredericksburg. Assigned to Barksdale’s Brigade of McLaws’ Division of Longstreet’s First Corps.
December 11 -13
Battle of Fredericksburg

For twelve hours the regiment defended the Potomac river bank against a Federal attempt to construct a pontoon bridge and an assault in pontoons. Federal artillery fire eventually forced them to withdraw into the town and to a stone wall beneath Marye’s Hill. The regiment lost 9 men killed, 40 wounded and 35 captured. Lieutenant E.V. Miller was mortally wounded and Lieutenant Jonas B. Clayton wounded. Lieutenant Colonel Fiser was injured by a falling wall.

1863
February When Longstreet and two First Corps divisions are detached for the Suffolk Expedition the regiment with McLaws’ Division remain with the main army on the Rappahannock under Lee’s direct command.
May 1-4
Second Battle of Fredericksburg (Chancellorsville Campaign)

The regiment was commanded by Colonel William D. Holder. It defended a four mile line on the bluffs above Fredericksburg. Although driven off by a Federal assault on May 3, the brigade reoccupied the town when the Federals retired across the river. The regiment lost 10 killed and 70 wounded including Major Duff, who was wounded.

July 2
Battle of Gettysburg

The regiment was commanded by Colonel William Dunbar Holder and brought 469 men to the field. It took part in the evening asault through the Peach Orchard, breaking the Union line and driving them back to the the foot of Cemetery Ridge before being pushed back. The reiment lost 40 killed and 160 wounded, the heaviest in the brigade and one of the heaviest in the Army of Northern Virginia during the battle. Colonel Holder, Lt. Colonel Fiser, Major Andrew Pulliam and Lieutenant James Ramshur were wounded, Major Richard Jones was killed and Captain Gwen Cherry was wounded and Lieutenant Jonathan Carson was captured.

Surgeon F.W. Patterson was left behind in the field hospital with the division’s wounded, 74 of whom were from the regiment, when the army retreated after the battle.

From the brigade’s monument on the Gettysburg battlefield

July 2. Arrived about 3 P. M. and formed line here. Advanced at 5 P. M. and took part in the assault on the Peach Orchard and adjacent positions vigorously pursuing the Union forces as they retired. The 21st Regiment pushed on past the Trostle House and captured but were unable to bring off 9th Mass. Battery and I Battery 5th U. States. The other Regiments inclining more to the left pressed forward to Plum Run where they encountered fresh troops and a fierce conflict ensued in which Brig. Gen. Wm. Barksdale fell mortally wounded.

July 3. Supported artIllery on Peach Orchard Ridge. Withdrew from the front late in the afternoon.

July 4. In position near here all day. About midnight began the march to Hagerstown.

Present 1598, Killed 105, Wounded 550, Missing 92, Total 747

August In camp near Hanover Junction
September Moved by rail to northern Georgia, via Richmond and South Carolina.
September 18 Reached Ringgold as the Battle of Chickamauga was in progress. Marched through the night to reach the field under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Fiser.
September 19
Battle of Chickamauga

Participated in Longstreet’s attack on the Federal right wing that routed the army, losing 12 killed and 75 wounded. Lieutenant W.H. Williams was killed, and Captain and Acting Major S.C. Ruswurm, Captain Cochran, and Lieutenants R.F. Burk, James M. Crump, W. S. Pratt, and R.H. Cooper were wounded.

September Siege of Chattanooga
November 4 Moved to Knoxville
November 15 Crossed the Tennessee River at London
November 16 Skirmished at Campbell’s Station
November 17 Siege of Knoxville
November 29
Assault on Fort Sanders

The regiment took the lead along with the 13th Mississippi, pushing through 150 yards of abatis, crossing a deep ditch lined with wire entanglements, and climbing an icy twelve foot parapet. The attack was a disaster, and the two regiments lost 140 men. Lieutenant Colonel Fiser lost an arm, and Captain Cherry was also wounded; both were praised for their gallantry.

December 4 Left Knoxville to Bean’s Station, then to Clinch Mountain Gap.
Winter Winter quarters at Russelville, Tennessee ‘amid great hardships.’
1864
January 1 Major Duff was dropped.
January 27 Captain Gwen R. Cherry of Company C was promoted to major.
February 26 Major Cherry was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
March Moved to Gordonsville
May 4 Rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia on the Rappahannock
May 6
Battle of the Wilderness
May 8-21
Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
May 27 Hanover Junction
June
Cold Harbor
June 19 To Petersburg
August The regiment was commanded by Captain Jesse C. Cochran
late August Sent to Lieutenant General Jubal Early’s Army of the Shenandoah
September 3 Battle of Berryville
October 19
Battle of Cedar Creek

Five color bearers were shot down – four wounded and one killed – in the initial attack on the Union 19th Corps at Cedar Creek.

November 20 Returned to the Richmond Front, posted at Garnett’s Farm and on the Darbytown and Newmarket Roads.
1865
April 1-2 Moved through Richmond on the way to Appomattox
April 9
Appomattox Court House

The 17th Mississippi Infantry Regiment surrendered 3 officers and 62 enlisted men under the command of Lieutenant Benjamin George, with Lt. Colonel Gwen Cherry in command of the brigade.