Company I was formed primarily of men from Cockrum in DeSoto County in 1861. Companies B, F & G were formed in Marshall County, and Company H in Panola County. It is likely these other companies from surrounding counties also contained some men from DeSoto. The men were mustered into service on June 1, 1861.

The individual companies were assembled at Corinth, Mississippi and assigned to the Seventeenth Regiment, of which the officers were elected June 4-6, 1861. The regiment was mustered into the service of the Confederate States June 7, at Corinth, and on June 11 they left there for Virginia and arrived at Manassas Junction June 17.  They played a minor roll in the Battle of First Bull Run on July 21, 1861.

On October 21st the Seventeenth was called into the battle of Ball's Bluff, taking position in the battle line between the Eighth Virginia and Eighteenth Mississippi. Colonel Featherston took command of the two Mississippi regiments, which alone, the Virginians having exhausted their ammunition, marched forward, firing, capturing two cannon and driving the enemy behind a bluff and in the river.

The Seventeenth was assigned to the Mississippi brigade ordered organized under Gen. Charles Clark, and commanded by Gen. Richard Griffith after December, 1861. Colonel Featherston was subsequently promoted to Brigadier-General to command another Mississippi brigade, and W. D. Holder was made Colonel of the Seventeenth.  In March 1862, they moved to Culpepper and thence to Yorktown, falling back from there to Richmond in May.

The Seventeenth were in Magruder's division in the seven days' battle before Richmond, and were first in action on June 29, on the railroad near Savage Station. At Malvern Hill, July 1, about six in the evening, they made a desperate charge upon the Federal line, under a terrible fire of shell, grape, canister and Minie balls, but without success. Colonel Holder was wounded and Lieutenant-Colonel Fiser took command. 

When Lee advanced into Maryland in September 1862, they crossed the Potmnac at Leesburg, General Barksdale in command of the brigade.  They were with General Jackson and the capture of Harper’s Ferry before marching to the battlefield at Sharpsburg, Maryland. They did not reach the battlefield of Sharpsburg on the September 17th until after the battle had been a few hours in progress.  Such had been the efforts of the long march with little food that the regiment carried only 270 officers and men into the fight.  The Regiment played a prominent part at Fredericksburg, Virginia on December 11, 1862 in opposing the Union Army’s crossing of the river.  Colonel Fiser gave honorable mention to Captain Govan and Lieut. Win. Ratlift, Lieut. W. R. Oursler, Lieut. G. E. Thurmond,- Lieut. Philip Sweeny, Capt. G. R. Cherry, Captains Pulliam and Middleton and Lieuts. W. H. Patton and J. W. Lindley and their commands, and William C. Nelson and C. H. Johnson, couriers. The distinguished service of the regiment was specially mentioned in the report of Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The Seventeenth was left to hold Fredericksburg while Lee’s army went to fight the Union forces at Chancellorsville in May 1863. On May 3d a grand assault was made by the Federal colmnns, in overwhelming force. Marye's Hill was taken and the Seventeenth fell back to the crest of Lee's Hill, and with the aid of two batteries checked the Federal advance and saved the brigade from being cut off. Next day the Federal forces retired across the river and Barksdale's brigade again occupied the town.

In June 1863 the Seventeenth moved with the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River into Maryland and thence into Pennsylvania, taking part in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2^nd.  At six in the evening, when Union General Sickles yet held the peach orchard after a stubborn fight, McLaws ordered an assault, and the storming columns of Barksdale and Wofford, "yelling like demons, black with smoke and lusting for hand-to-hand conflict, soon opened a gap in the line of blue. The Federals fell back toward and across Plum Run, toward the base of Round Top, and the onslaught continued. Barksdale, conspicuous on horseback, led his Southern riflemen, who singlehanded had barred the passage of the whole Federal army at Fredericksburg, right into the hostile masses, where he fell mortally wounded, and whence the remnants of his gallant troops cut their way back with difficulty through the enveloping masses of blue infantry." (Battine's "Crisis of the Confederacy.")  Barksdale's loss in killed and wounded was the heaviest of any brigade in Longstreet's corps and the heaviest of any in Lee's army except two North Carolina brigades and Davis' Mississippi brigade. The heaviest loss in the brigade was by the Seventeenth, 40 killed and 160 wounded.

In September 1863 the Seventeenth went with General Longstreet to Tennessee and participated in the Battle of Chicamauga on September 20^th. After this battle they advanced to the line of siege at Chattanooga, and on November 4, with Longstreet's comxnand, left the base of Lookout Mountain for the march to Knoxville.  They participated in the fighting around Knoxville on November 29^th and spent the winter in camp in East Tennessee before returning to Virginia in the Spring of 1864.  After their return to Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia they were heavily engaged in the fighting at the Wilderness on May 6^th.  They then moved and fought at Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, and the fighting around Petersburg. During the siege they were on duty before Richmond, but in August, September and October they were with Early in the Shenandoah Valley, fighting at Berryville September 3^rd and at Cedar Creek (or Bethel Grove) October 19^th.  What remained of the regiment marched through Richmond April 1-2, and began the march to Appomattox, where the remnant was surrendered April 9^th, under the command of Lieutenant Benjamin George. Captain Gwin R. Cherry was in command of the brigade.

The following roster of men who served in Company I was taken from the Compiled Service Records.  Unfortunately, these records are incomplete, the last muster on record being July-August 1864.  Additionally, information is often missing and sometimes contradictory.  I also found instances where the records of men with the same name were mixed together. Anyone with questions about the service of these men is encouraged to consult the Compiled Service Records and any extra-service records, such as pension applications and obituaries.