The War for Southern Independence:
11th
Mississippi Infantry
(from Dunbar
Rowland’s "Military History of Mississippi,
1803-1898"; company listing courtesy of H. Grady
Howell’s "For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand’)
Company A -- University Greys (raised in Lafayette County,
MS) [Cosmopolitan rank & file]
Company B -- Coahoma Invincibles (raised in Coahoma County,
MS)
Company C -- Prairie Rifles, aka Prairie Rifleman (raised
in Chickasaw County, MS)
Company D -- Neshoba Rifles, aka Neshoba Riflemen (raised
in Neshoba County, MS)
Company E -- Prairie Guards (raised in Lowndes County, MS)
Company F -- Noxubee Rifles (raised in Noxubee County, MS)
Company G -- Lamar Rifles (raised in Lafayette County, MS)
Company H -- Chickasaw Guards (raised in Chickasaw County,
MS)
Company I -- Van Dorn Reserve (raised in Monroe County, MS)
Company K -- Carroll County Rifles (raised in Carroll
County, MS)
These companies were ordered to Corinth in April, 1861, and
the regiment was organized May 4. Being transported to
Lynchburg, Va., the regiment was there mustered in the
provisional army for one year by Major Clay May 13, and on the
19th they arrived at Harper's Ferry.
The Inspector-General reported from Harper's Ferry May 23
that the Mississippians were clamoring for rifles in place of
the old muskets they had. The Eleventh, he said, took pride in
its appearance and was soldierly.
In the organization of the Army of the Shenandoah, under
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, the Eleventh and Second, with the
Fourth Alabama and First Tennessee, constituted Gen. B. E.
Bee's brigade, the other brigades being commanded by Thomas J.
Jackson, of Virginia, Barrow of Georgia and Elzey of Maryland.
With the army they fell back to Winchester June 15, when
Patterson's Federal army crossed the Potomac from
Pennsylvania, and on July 18 began the movement to Manassas to
support Beauregard against the Federal army advancing from
Washington. Two companies of the Eleventh, A and F, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Liddell, arrived at Manassas with General
Johnston, about noon of the 20th, and on the next morning they
were ordered out, with the Second and other regiments, under
General Bee, the first to advance to the relief of the left
flank of the army, which was being demoralized by an
unexpected attack from the Federal army. They went into battle
gallantly, but were also overwhelmed by great odds, after a
heroic struggle, and forced to fall back behind the line
established in their rear by General Jackson. Casualties --
killed, 7; wounded, 21.
Subsequently Liddell was in command of the regiment and the
brigade was commanded by General Whiting. General Lee wrote
July 25, 1861, that he regarded the brigade as a Mississippi
brigade, commanded by a Mississippian.
The six miles march from Winchester at double quick that
the regiment made to reach the field of Manassas disabled
many. The winter was spent in camp near Dumfries, a few miles
from the Evansport batteries on the Potomac. In February the
men began enlisting for the war and taking furloughs. They
moved to Fredericksburg March 8, and thence to the vicinity of
Yorktown, where the regiment was reorganized and officers
elected. They left the Yorktown lines May 4, and next day
Whiting's division, including his brigade and Hood's Texans,
marched thirty-five miles to oppose Franklin's corps, which
Hood and Stuart drove back and prevented from interfering with
the withdrawal of Johnston's army. There are no official
reports covering the action of the regiment at Seven Pines,
May 31 and June 1. They supported the Third Alabama in an
attack on the Fifty-second New York June 1, and finally took
the front line and suffered a heavy loss, which does not
appear in the reports. Company E had 2 killed and 8 wounded, 2
of whom were captured. Company K had 3 killed, 11 wounded.
In June they accompanied Whiting's division in the movement
to Staunton to reinforce Jackson in the valley, soon returning
with Jackson to Ashland to attack McClellan.
In the seven days' battles before Richmond the brigade,
under Col. E. M. Law, was in Whiting's division with Hood's
Texas brigade. The division marched as the advance of
Jackson's army (see Second Regiment) and later in the evening
of June 27, in the battle of Gaines' Mill, made the famous
charge across the ravine held by the Federal infantry and
artillery, sweeping the enemy away and winning the victory.
(No regimental reports, see Second Regiment for synopsis of
Whiting's report.) "Colonel Liddell led his distinguished
regiment to the close of the action," Whiting wrote. The
loss of the Eleventh was 18 killed, 142 wounded, 3 missing,
the most severe of any in the division except the Fourth
Texas. The retreating Federal army was overtaken at White Oak
swamp June 30, where the regiment was under fire. At Malvern
Hill, July 1, under artillery fire, they lost 1 killed and 20
wounded.
In the second Manassas campaign Hood marched his division
to Freeman's ford, August 22, driving a Federal force across
the Rappahannock, next to Waterloo ford, and then with the
main body of Longstreet's army through Thoroughfare gap to the
relief of Jackson's army in battle with Pope. The Eleventh was
in the charge at sunset August 29, when the brigade captured
one piece of artillery, three stands of colors and 100
prisoners. Next day, in the battle of Manassas Plains, the
brigade advanced to Groveton in support of a battery, under
heavy artillery fire, and afterwards took part in the fight
near Chinn's house, "fighting gallantly and incurring
heavy loss and at night resting on our
most advanced line." The regimental casualties of the
two days were 22 killed and 87 wounded, the heaviest of the
brigade. . In the march through Maryland, September, 1862,
Hood's division turned about and countermarched to meet the
pursuing enemy at Boonsboro gap in the mountains. Hood ordered
his Texas brigade and Law's brigade "to move forward with
bayonets fixed, which they did with their accustomed
gallantry, driving the enemy and regaining all our
lost ground." As the rear guard of the army they
marched thence to Sharpsburg and were stationed near the
Dunker church, where Hood was attacked on the evening of the
16th, but repulsed the enemy. "During the engagement the
brave and efficient Col. P. F. Liddell fell, mortally
wounded." After this fight the men had their first meal
for three days, except that they had a half ration of beef one
day and the green corn along the road. Next morning (17th)
Hood was called early into the battle. He wrote: "I soon
became engaged with an immense force of the enemy, consisting
of not less than two corps of their army. It was here that I
witnessed the most terrible clash of arms, by far, that has
occurred during the war. The two little giant brigades of this
division wrestled with this mighty force, losing hundreds of
their gallant officers and men, but driving the enemy from his
position and forcing him to abandon his guns on our
left." They were fighting at right angles to the general
line of battle, and Law was so exposed that the division was
retired to the church, which they held until relieved by
McLaws.
Lieutenant-Colonel S. F. Butler was wounded and Major T. S.
Evans killed in command of the regiment. Total casualties of
the regiment: 8 killed, 96 wounded. The color bearer was
killed and the regimental flag, which had been presented by
the government November 6, was lost.
After the return to the' Shenandoah valley the Second and
Eleventh were ordered to Richmond to join the Mississippi
brigade under Gen. Joseph R. Davis. They arrived there in
November, and in December the brigade was sent to Goldsboro,
N. C., in which vicinity it operated against a Federal force;
left there for Blackwater bridge in February, 1863; was in the
entrenched line at Suffolk during the siege; left the
Blackwater camp for Fredericksburg June 3; was attached to
Heth's division, A. P. Hill's corps; started on the
Pennsylvania campaign June 15.
The Eleventh did not have a part in the battle of July 1,
near Gettysburg, being left as a guard for the division wagon
train near Cashtown, Pa. On July 3 it participated in the
famous charge up the slope of Cemetery ridge, on the extreme
left of the Confederate line. The entire division, under
command of Pettigrew, in which the Eleventh was included,
moved steadily up the slope, closing up the ranks as they were
thinned by the tremendous storm of shot and shell, and finally
were at the stone wall behind which the Federal infantry was
posted. But there the musketry fire was so murderous that
"any further effort to carry the position was hopeless,
and there was nothing left but to retire to the position
originally held, which was done in more or less
confusion." Two men were killed and twenty-one wounded in
Davis' brigade by the Federal artillery as they stood in line
before the movement was begun. In the charge all the field
officers of the brigade were killed or wounded. The regimental
casualties were reported as 32 killed, 170 wounded. Company
histories reveal the following facts:
Company K took thirty-eight into the charge. Captain Bird
was killed while cheering his men over the stone fence.
Lieutenant Stanford took his place and fell wounded. Some of
the men scaled the fence and were captured. At roll call that
evening seven answered. Lieutenant Baker, Company C,
surrendered about a dozen men at the fence. Lieutenant Baker,
Company A, was wounded beyond the fence and surrendered with
his squad of men. Company E took in thirty-nine men, of whom
fifteen were killed and twenty-one wounded, including Captain
Halbert and two Lieutenants killed and one Lieutenant wounded.
Corporal Morgan was the only man able for duty after the
charge. Company D took in fifty-five men and all but ten were
killed or wounded and captured.
From Gettysburg they marched to Hagerstown and were in line
of battle several .days, thence to Falling Waters, crossing
the Potomac; Bunker Hill, Culpepper, Orange Courthouse, and
from there across the Rappahannock in the campaign resulting
in the battle of Bristoe Station, where the regiment had four
men wounded. In December they marched to Mine Run and
intrenched in line of battle. They were in winter quarters at
Orange Courthouse until May 4, when they moved into the battle
of the Wilderness May 5. The Eleventh led the advance of
Heth's division, moving down the plank road deployed in line,
pushed back the Federal cavalry for several miles, and
encountered the Blue infantry toward the middle of the
evening. This opened the battle of the Wilderness. Heth's
division was at one time almost entirely surrounded, but
Anderson's division arrived on the field and relieved the
pressure. On the morning of the 6th the enemy renewed the
battle, while Kershaw's division of Longstreet's corps was
relieving Heth's, which was held as a reserve that day. Some
confusion was caused, but the main part of Davis' brigade,
under Colonel Stone, remained on the line and took a very
active part in the severe battle that followed. (Sketch by D.
C. Love, also see Second Regiment.)
After the movement to Spottsylvania the regiment fought at
Talley's Mill May 10, where Colonel Green was mortally
wounded. He died May 15. The Lamar Rifles, as brigade
skirmishers, under Captain Nelms, were particularly
distinguished in this battle.
At the battle of May 12, Spottsylvania Courthouse, the
brigade repulsed an attack, being posted to the right of the
Bloody Angle. One hundred and fifty men of the brigade were
sent out in front under Captain Nelms as a skirmish line that
day, and of these 120 were killed or wounded. There was
considerable loss at Bethesda Church, June 2-3, on the Cold
Harbor line, where the brigade remained until after the battle
of the Crater, July 30, when they were moved to that part of
the Petersburg line.
Roll of honor at the Wilderness battles--Corporal Richard
C. Bridges, Edward G. Jones, J. M. Williamson, Corporal G. B.
Triplett, Corporal John T. Morgan, W. C. Nance, John C.
Barnes, W. H. Johnson, P. H. Neagle, J. W. Young, Sergt. W. D.
Reid, John R. Gilleylen, Corporal J. K. Miller, Samuel
Stanford (killed), John W. Jennings, Color Bearer Frank L.
Hope. At Talley's MiI1--A. J. Due, J, H. Cook, Corporal Dennis
O'Sullivan, Corporal A. W. Maness, George M. Dooley, Corporal
W. R. Holland, H. Clay Moore, Vaiden H. Hughes. At
Spotsylvania Courthouse--J. H. Dailey, J. D. Norwood, Balus H.
Dumas, A. G. Burney, Sergt. R. T. Hobson, J. Beckett Gladney,
E. B. Marcey (killed). At Bethesda Church--J. H. Dailey, J. C.
Halbert, Corporal A. W. Maness (killed), W. N. Shaw, John C.
Robinson, T. B. Reid, George W. Wall, A. L. Kimbrough, Color
Bearer Frank L. Hope. (Records of Union and Confederate
Armies.)
The battles that followed were the Weldon Railroad (Ream's
Station), August 18-19; Davis Farm, October 1; Jones' Farm,
October 3; Hatcher's Run, October 27.
Casualties at battles of Wilderness and Spottsylvania---Killed,
14; wounded, 55; missing, 6. At Bethesda Church, June 2-3 --
Killed, 6; wounded, 31; missing, 4. At Weldon Railroad, August
18-19 -- Killed, 10; wounded, 30. At Jones' Farm, October 2-3
-- Killed, 1; wounded, 3; missing, 1.
Roll of honor for Weldon Railroad, August 18-19 --
Corporals S. L. Neely (dead), Matthew Knox, W. C. Handley;
Privates Z. E. Vernor, George H. Turner (killed), James L.
Anderson (killed), S. T. Fife, P. McAnnally, T. W. Billingsley
(killed), R. A. Sims, J. T. Stanley, B. F. Trammell, T. J. S.
Robinson (killed). Hanover Junction--J. C. Halbert, A. L.
McJunkin, James M. Gillespie, G. W. Williams. (Records of
Union and Confederate Armies).
March 25, 1865, the skirmish line of Davis' brigade on the
Petersburg line, was attacked and some of the men captured.
The brigade went into the battle which lasted several hours.
The Eleventh was only sixty-four strong and lost a
considerable proportion of that number. LieutenantColonel
Reynolds lost his right arm and Captain Nelms was severely
wounded. During the night of April 1st the regiment, under
command of Major Shannon, moved to the right and took position
near Hatcher’s Run, where next day, the Federal army having
broken the line, the remnant of the regiment was almost
surrounded by vast numbers. Shannon led his men to the run and
disbanded the command. Frank Hope, color bearer, tore the flag
into shreds, tied them to the pole and threw it in the stream.
Some escaped by swimming, among them Major J. J. Evans of the
staff of General Davis, but most surrendered. (Sketch by D. C.
Love.)
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