Companies B, C & D were raised in DeSoto County in the Spring of 1862. In addition, Co. I was raised in Panola County and may have included some men from DeSoto. The men in Company B were primarily from the Senatobia area, those in Company C from the Hernando area, and those in Company D from around Flewellen's Crossroads, now known as Independence. The regiment was organized at Oxford, May 14, 1862. By order of General Beauregard, commanding at Corinth, they moved to Grenada June 12, and there received orders to proceed to Richmond.

The regiment was over 1,000 strong when it arrived at Richmond, Virginia on July 3, 1862. It missed the Seven Days Battles and was in camp of instruction near the city until November 15, 1862, when Major Feeney and four companies were sent to Fredericksburg. Feeney's battalion was on duty guarding the river fords for three days and nights alone, except for one battery and a small body of artillery, against the advance of Burnsides' Army but missed out on any of the fighting which occurred in December. By then the regiment had been assigned to the new Mississippi Brigade formed under the command of General Joseph R. Davis.

On December 13, 1862 the forty-second was ordered to Goldsboro, N. C. where they did some campaigning until ordered early in the spring to southeast Virginia, where they took part in the siege of Suffolk by General Longstreet, an affair of skirmishers and heavy artillery mainly. On June 2, 1863, the regiment was ordered to Richmond, and within a week they were at Fredericksburg, where the brigade was assigned to Heth's Division of A. P. Hill's Corps. At that time the brigade consisted of the 2^nd Mississippi, 11^th Mississippi, 42^nd Mississippi and 55^th North Carolina Regiments.

On July 1, 1863 Heth's Division was ordered to Gettysburg where the presence of Federal troops was reported. The brigades of Davis and Archer were sent in advance, and within a mile of Gettysburg encountered the enemy in strength. A line of battle was formed by Davis' Brigade on the left side of the Chambersburg Pike, with Archer's Tennessee Brigade advancing on the left of the Pike. The Forty-second was on the right flank of Davis' Brigade. Davis' Brigade met with desperate resistance and the loss was very heavy. Of the nine field officers present, only two escaped unhurt. Lieutenant-Colonel Moseley and Major Feeney were severely wounded. The Forty-second took 150 prisoners but lost a large number of their own men who were captured by members of the Union Iron Brigade in the railroad cut. In the battle of July 3rd the brigade took part in the famous charge up the slope of Cemetery hill, on the left of Pickett's division in what was known as Pettigrew's Division. The whole division moved steadily on, closing up the ranks as they were thinned by the storm of shot and shell, and gained the stone wall behind which the opposing infantry was posted. But there the brigade was stopped and almost destroyed. The casualties of the Forty-second were reported as 32 killed, 170 wounded, included Col. Hugh R. Miller who later died. A considerable number, including the severely wounded, were made prisoners. The final statements show 62 killed and mortally wounded at Gettysburg; 13 died as prisoners not long after the battle. The regiment was also involved in repulsing the Union cavalry at Falling Waters, Maryland, on July 14, 1863 on the retreat from Gettysburg.

The regiment was engaged in the battle of Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863, and lost 6 killed and 25 wounded, the main part of the casualties of the brigade. The regiment then went into battle in the Wilderness May 5 and 6, 1864. On this bloody field Colonel Feeney was killed and LieutenantColonel Nelson and Adjutant Carr wounded. The regiment was in battle near Sportsylvania Courthouse May 10 and 12, and at Hanover Junction May 23 and at Cold Harbor June 2 and 3, and in June took position on the Petersburg lines.

On August 18, 19, 1864 the Forty-second took part in the attack of the Federals at Reams' Station, on the Weldon Railroad. The other brigades were at night ordered back inside the lines, and Davis and Walker left to hold the advantage gained. They were next involved In the battle of Jones' Farm, October 2, 3, and at Hatcher's Run late in October, 1864. Most of the Forty-second regiment was captured when the Petersburg line was broken April 2, 1865. On that day the colors of the Forty-second were captured by the Eleventh Vermont, of Getty's Division. Only a handful of men from the regiment were present at the surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865

Below is a roster of men who served in Companies C and 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.