Company D was formed in 1862 primarily from men in the Senatobia, Flewellen's Crossroads, and Looxahoma area of what was then the southern part of DeSoto County. Some of these men had previously served for twelve months in the 9^th Mississippi Infantry.

This regiment was formed in 1862 upon the nucleus of Gordon's Battalion, which James Gordon organized and was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel, on May 12, 1862. Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon drilled his regiment in camp of instruction at Columbus, Miss., summer of 1862.

In July 1862 when the main Confederate army was moving to Chattanooga, the Union troops occupying Corinth and neighboring posts made frequent raids through Northern Mississippi. Col. Frank C. Armstrong was assigned to command of all the cavalry attached to the army of Gen. Sterling Price, including the Second Mississippi Cavalry. Armstrong organized a brigade of cavalry at Guntown, Mississippi in August. The Second participated in the battles of Bolivar, Tennessee (August 30) and Britton's Lane (September 1), near Denmark, Tennessee before moving to Iuka, Mississippi in advance of General Price. They drove in the Federal pickets on September 13, informed Price of the approach of General Rosecrans, and covered the retreat after the battle, closely pressed by the Federal cavalry until Gordon prepared an ambuscade which proved successful.

After returning to Baldwyn the brigade again advanced, and drove back the Federal cavalry at Chewalla preparatory to the attack on Corinth by the infantry of Price and VanDorn, October 3-4, 1862. In the battle Gordon dismounted his men and charged to the assistance of King's Battery, in danger of capture. On the second day Gordon's Cavalry covered the retreat of Lovell's Division, and on the 5th they skirmished on Hatchie Creek and until Ripley was passed. The next campaign was during Grant's advance on the Central Railroad in November and December, during which the regiment skirmished at Oxford and Water Valley, and was in the battle of Coffeeville.

The Second, about 400 strong, was part of General Armstrong's Brigade of Jackson's Division of VanDorn's Cavalry Corps in the Tennessee campaign of 1863, and was particularly distinguished in the battle of Thompson's Station March 5th. The casualties of the Second Regiment (called Fourth in the reports) was 9 killed, 37 wounded. In the second charge "the Rev. B. T. Crouch, of [DeSoto County] Mississippi, my acting Aide-de-camp," said General Jackson, "was killed. He fell while bravely riding along the line, giving an order for Whitfield's Brigade to charge."

On March 9, 1863 while in line near Thompson's Station, the regiment was attacked by Minty's Cavalry and forced to retreat, with some slight loss. Gen. N. B. Forrest, with his brigade and Jackson's, on March 25, attacked the Union garrison at Brentwood, Tennessee. While the Second (called the Fourth) was not in action there, immediately afterward Forrest took Companies D, G, H and K, under the command of Colonel Gordon, and the Tenth Tennessee and a battery and captured the stockade fort on Harpeth River, garrisoned by 275 men. All these movements were made in great haste. Before Gordon had proceeded a mile he was attacked by Green Clay Smith's Cavalry. Company D, under Lieut. H. P. L. McGee, checked the pursuit by a volley until Gordon could form on the next hill and the companies of Capt. John Gaddis and Capt. J. T. Pitts (under Lieut. J. Y. Smith) could deliver another volley. McGee's company (D) dismounted and fired from a stone fence. The killed, wounded and captured were 20. The rest of the command stampeded, and the Mississippians were left alone before they gave way. The regiment was engaged in the unsuccessful attack on Franklin April 10, and had 1 wounded.

From Tennessee the cavalry made a rapid march to the Big Black River in Mississippi. The regiment was listed as Fourth [Second] Mississippi in June 1863 as part of Jackson's Division, Cosby's Brigade, along with Pinson, Starke and Ballentine's Regiments. On July 30^th Company D, Capt. James Ruffin, was Provost Guard for General Jackson. Jackson's Cavalry covered the retreat of Johnston's army from the Big Black River to Jackson after the surrender of Vicksburg, with frequent skirmishing. After Sherman's return to Vicksburg the cavalry occupied the region between the Pearl and Big Black Rivers.

Gen. Frank C. Armstrong took command of the Mississippi Cavalry Brigade in Jackson's Division April 4, 1864, including the First, Second, Twenty-eighth and Ballentine's Regiments. They moved from Grenada to Northern Alabama. Maj. J. J. Perry was detailed with a portion of the First and Second Cavalry in Fayette County, Ala., to collect deserters, April, 1864. The brigade reached Rome, Ga., May 14, and thereafter was constantly engaged until after the evacuation of Atlanta, September 1, 1864.

In the same period, June 1, 1864, the returns show the Second Mississippi Cavalry in Mabry's Brigade, Wirt Adams' Cavalry.

The Second, now in Armstrong's Brigade, crossed the Tennessee River at Florence, Alabama on November 5, and soon after began the march into Tennessee under command of Gen. N. B. Forrest. The regiment was in battle on Shoal Creek, at Lawrenceburg, on November 21, at Campbellsville on November 22, at Spring Hill, Tennessee on November 29, and at Franklin, Tennessee on November 30. The Second arrived before Nashville on December 4, then moved to Murfreesboro where they were in battle on December 7. They acted as rear guard of the army on the retreat from Nashville, fought at Columbia, Warfield's, Richland Creek, Pulaski, King's Hill and Sugar Creek December 22 to 26. The casualties of the

regiment were 2 killed, 16 wounded. The Second Regiment was in all of the fights, skirmishes and marches incident to the service of the brigade in Tennessee.

Armstrong's Brigade held the line of works at Selma, which was carried by Long's Union Division April 12, 1865, after a loss of 300 killed and wounded. The troops of the department were surrendered by Lieut.-Gen. Richard Taylor at Citronelle, Alabama on May 4, 1865.

Below is a roster of men who served in Company D extracted from the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System of the National Park Service. Because the same soldier was sometimes listed more than once due to variations in spelling his name, the total number given is inflated. The listing has not been changed because there is no way to determine where these spelling errors have occurred.