From back issues of the Noxubee County Historical Society's bulletin I have found that:
Between 1855 and 1856 the Quitman Light Infantry was formed, with the number set at fifty to seventy-five. This group held meetings, practiced marksmanship, and held shooting matches. Awards were given for those most proficient at eighty yards.
By the fall of 1860, the Noxubee Rifles had been organized, equipped, and drilled, with Capt. George T. Weir as its leader. The Hon. J.L. Hunter organized the Noxubee Troopers, a mounted group of men, with Judge H.W. Foote elected Captain.
Then, South Carolina seceded the Union in December 1860.
January of 1861, Mississippi called for troops. Several companies from Noxubee had already enlisted in the Confederate service. Eager to join the fighting, many men withdrew from Foote's Company and joined Captain Weir.
Captain Foote asked for volunteers for active service and roughly half the men rode forward, thus, the Noxubee Cavalry was to be. H.W. Foote remained Captain, Lieutenants were: Hampton Williams, C.M. Hunter, and T.J. Deupree.
In April of 1861, the first company to leave for war was the Noxubee Rifles. The company went to Virginia and became Company F in the Eleventh Mississippi.
The summer of 1861 saw the Noxubee Cavalry drilling and receiving instruction in the art of horseback military service. When Captain Foote and his men traveled to Union City, Tennessee, they reported to General Frank Cheatham.
With several thousand infantry and a small battalion of cavalry already there, Noxubee Cavalry became the fourth unit. When there were ten companies, they became the First Mississippi Cavalry.
In November of 1861, Captain Foote's company went to Columbus, Kentucky. After that, they joined in the battle of Shiloh.
It is reported that the First Mississippi Cavalry marched in front across the battle field.
Among those listed as having fought in the Battle of Shiloh: H.W. Foote, W.E. Beasley, F.B. Greer, J.B. Hudson, H.C. Haynes, and W. Hudson.
The other half of the company of H.W. Foote's that had not volunteered earlier, the Noxubee Troopers, lead by Captain James Rives, and with Charley Dowling, H.O. Beasley, and J.R. Bealle, as lieutenants, left Columbus, Mississippi, for Corinth in March of 1862.
April, 1862, found the Noxubee Troopers proceeding to Pittsburge Landing, where they met Beauregard's army. They joined in and helped with the retreat.
The Troopers were assigned to the First Mississippi Cavalry, Co. F, joining the Co. G. of the Noxubee Squadron.
The Troopers lost four of its members in less than one month of service. Henry Oscar Beasley was one of those. His two sons, William and Jerry, later gave their lives for their country.
Among the members of the Noxubee Troopers, the following are listed: Henry O. Beasley, 2nd Lieutenant, J.R. Beasley, Alford S. Haynes, J.M. Haynes, Thomas Haynes, and O.C.W. Hudson.
The third contingent of troops leaving Shuqualak in a body was a cavalry company, lead by Captain Sterling Harper of Macon. Among those members was Samuel Clayton McNees. This company became a part of the 6th Mississippi Cavalry, which, at the battle of Harrisburg, six miles west of Tupelo, Mississippi, lost close to one hundred of the regiment of men.
Standing in the court house square at Macon, Mississippi, is a tall monument to those who were killed, or died of wounds received, in the Civil War. Those names that stood out to me on my first visit there were: H.O. Beasley, Jerry Beasley, William E. Beasley, A.A. Greer, A.S. Haynes, and H.E. Haynes.
Make note that O.C.W. Hudson is listed as a member of the Noxubee Troopers and is not listed on the monument. He was a brother to William Beasley Hudson, both were sons of John Hudson and Elizabeth Beasley. It was not uncommon for units to contain relatives, and in this case, among the Troopers were a father, son, and nephew: H.O. Beasley, Jerry Beasley, and O.C.W. Hudson.
Apparently, "the list" of the Noxubee Troopers was of the original members, later members were not "added to the list" of the Troopers. We may never find all who served from Noxubee County.
From another article of the Noxubee County Historical Society, it was learned that the war-time teachers of Shuqualak were Capt. Darracutt, Capt. Ulrich, and Col. John Greer. Also listed was a Miss Carrie Bledsoe, sister to Jack, the war-time sheriff.
Wagon makers and wood workman at Shuqualak were Nathan and Marshall McNeese, slaves owned by Samuel Clayton McNees. The blacksmith was Pete Beasley, a slave owned by the widow Beasley.
The widow Beasley, this would be Mary Ann Wingate, the 2nd wife of Henry O. Beasley, son of William Beasley and Nancy English. The sons, William and Jerry Beasley, who died in the war, were sons of his first wife, Lucy Sophrona Ragan, daughter of Mary Greer and Jeremiah Ragan.
Mary Ann Wingate Beasley, along with others, had cotton seized by the Federal government after the war. Among the names and the amount of cotton seized: M. Beasley, Administrix, 66; J.B. Hudson, 35; R.J. Hudson, 21; G.L. Haynes, 48; B. Haynes, 5; A. Greer, 12; T.W.C. Wingate (Mary Ann's father), 49; and L.W. Walker, Sr., 37.
It is told that E.F. Nunn, while at war, wrote home to his wife with instructions to bury the cotton and sell the slaves. She followed his direction, and at the end of the war did not have his cotton taken. Later, he was able to sell it. He was to become a rich man in the area due to the fact that he did not "lose" his slaves or cotton, but, rather, was able to benefit from them. Many others were totally broken by the war.
One soldier, Marcus Greer, will forever be remembered by his family as having served in the War. Mr. Marcus Anderson of Shuqualak, Mississippi, sent me a photo-copy of a letter that his great-grand-father, Marcus Greer, had written while away from home. This man was a son of William Greer and his wife, Martha, and a grandson of Abraham Greer, brother to Lucy Greer Hudson -- wife of Frederick Hudson, great-great-great grandfather of the author.
View
Our GuestbookThese pages by E. Annette Hudson Rose ©1998