The 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment was a unit of the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

during the American Civil War. The 2nd Regiment was composed of volunteer companies from North Mississippi which were sent to join the Confederate forces in Virginia in the spring of 1861. As part of the

Army of Northern Virginia The Army of Northern Virginia was a field army of the Confederate States Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was also the primary command structure of the Department of Northern Virginia. It was most often arrayed agains ...

, the 2nd Regiment fought in many of the most decisive battles of the Eastern theater of the American Civil War, suffering heavy casualties at

Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgin ...

and Gettysburg.

Formation and First Battle of Bull Run

The volunteer companies of the 2nd Mississippi were assembled at

Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...

in early May 1861, initially for

state service A public service or service of general (economic) interest is any service intended to address the needs of aggregate members of a community, whether provided directly by a public sector agency, via public financing available to private busines ...

, and then travelled to Virginia, arriving at Lynchburg on May 9 and mustering into Confederate service on May 10. William Clark Falkner, great-grandfather of the novelist

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...

, was elected as

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. The original strength of the regiment was 784 officers and men. Company L, the Liberty Guards, was formed in March 1862 as a supplemental company and joined the regiment in Virginia in April of that year. As part of General Barnard Bee's brigade, the 2nd Mississippi fought at the

First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...

in July. During this battle, the first major action of the war, the 2nd Regiment acted in support of a cavalry charge made by General J.E.B. Stuart, who wrote: "Just after the cavalry charge our re-enforcements arrived upon the field and formed rapidly on right into line. The first was Colonel Falkner's regiment (Mississippians), whose gallantry came under my own observation". Brigade commander General Bee was mortally wounded during the battle, and afterwards the 2nd was moved under General William H.C. Whiting's command.

1862

After spending the winter in camp, in April 1862 the 2nd Mississippi was moved to

Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a town in York County, Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in Colony of Virginia, colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while ...

and reorganized, as the Regiment's initial one-year term of service had expired. The Regiment reenlisted for the remainder of the war and new officers were elected:

John Marshall Stone John Marshall Stone (April 30, 1830March 26, 1900) was an American politician from Mississippi. A Democrat, he served longer as governor of that state than anyone else, from 1876 to 1882 and again from 1890 to 1896. He approved a new constitut ...

was chosen as commander of the regiment, Falkner returned to Mississippi and later led a Partisan Ranger unit. The 2nd fought at the

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union's Army of the Po ...

, and then the

Seven Days Battles The Seven Days Battles were a series of seven battles over seven days from June 25 to July 1, 1862, near Richmond, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Confederate States Army, Confederate General Robert E. Lee drove the invading Union Army ...

near

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, with General

Evander M. Law Evander McIver Law (August 7, 1836 – October 31, 1920) was an author, teacher, and a Confederate States Army, Confederate general in the American Civil War. Early life Law was born in Darlington, South Carolina. His grandfather and his two ...

commanding the brigade. At the

Battle of Gaines' Mill The Battle of Gaines' Mill, sometimes known as the Battle of Chickahominy River, took place on June 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as the third of the Seven Days Battles which together decided the outcome of the Union's Peninsula Campaig ...

, the 2nd Mississippi joined an advance alongside

John Bell Hood John Bell Hood (June 1 or June 29, 1831 – August 30, 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood's impetuosity led to high losses among his troops as he moved up in rank. Bruce Catton wrote that "the decision to replace ...

Texas Brigade The Texas Brigade (also known as Hood's Brigade) was an infantry formation of the Confederate Army that distinguished itself in the American Civil War. Along with the Stonewall Brigade, they were considered the Army of Northern Virginia's shock t ...

that broke through the Union lines, resulting in a Confederate victory. General Whiting wrote: "The Second Mississippi, Colonel J. M. Stone, was skillfully handled by its commander, and sustained severe loss". The regiment then fought at the

Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run or Battle of Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, in Prince William County, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of the Northern Virginia Campaign waged by Confederate ...

, taking part in heavy fighting as part of Hood's division. Subsequently, the 2nd Mississippi fought at the

Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam ( ), also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, particularly in the Southern United States, took place during the American Civil War on September 17, 1862, between Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virgi ...

in September, where they were engaged in some of the heaviest fighting on the bloodiest day of the war. Hood described the battle his troops were engaged in during his advance against the Federal lines: "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". All of the field officers of the 2nd Mississippi were wounded in this battle, and the Regiment overall suffered 27 dead and 127 wounded at Antietam.

Gettysburg

After Antietam, the 2nd Regiment was reassigned to General

Joseph R. Davis Major-General Joseph Robert Davis (January 12, 1825September 15, 1896) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the commanding general of the Mississippi National Guard from 1888 to 1895. During the American Civil War, he served as ...

's Mississippi brigade and took part in the

Siege of Suffolk The siege of Suffolk, also known as the Battle of Suffolk, took place from April 11 to May 4, 1863, near Suffolk, Virginia during the American Civil War. Background In 1863 Lieutenant General James Longstreet was placed in command of the Confe ...

before moving north to Pennsylvania during the Gettysburg Campaign. On the opening day of the battle, the 2nd Mississippi was among the first Confederate troops to engage Union forces, coming into contact with General

John Buford John Buford Jr. (March 4, 1826 – December 16, 1863) was a United States Army cavalry officer. He fought for the Union Army, Union during the American Civil War, rising to the rank of brigadier general. Buford is best known for his actions in th ...

's cavalry along the Chambersburg Pike to the northwest of the town of Gettysburg. Both sides suffered heavy casualties in intense fighting, with the troops of the 2nd Mississippi clashing with the 147th New York. The commander of the 147th New York was killed before he could relay the order for his troops to retreat, so the Federals held their ground while the 2nd Mississippi inflicted massive casualties on them: the New Yorkers suffered a greater than 50% casualty rate in this engagement. After taking cover in a steep-sided railroad cut north of the Chambersburg Pike, the 2nd Regiment was battered by intense

enfilade Enfilade and defilade are concepts in military tactics used to describe a military formation's exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position is "in de ...

fire, and the Regiment was forced to surrender after an assault by troops of the 6th Wisconsin. Approximately 127 men and officers, amounting to about 25% of the 2nd Regiment's strength surrendered at the railroad cut. Another detachment of the 2nd Mississippi was not captured, and joined

Pickett's Charge Pickett's Charge was an infantry assault on July 3, 1863, during the Battle of Gettysburg. It was ordered by Confederate General Robert E. Lee as part of his plan to break through Union lines and achieve a decisive victory in the North. T ...

on the last day of the battle. Of the approximately 60 troops of the 2nd who joined the charge, only one was not captured or wounded. Col. John M. Stone was wounded during the battle, Lt. Col. David W. Humphries was killed, and Major John A. Blair was captured at the railroad cut. The remnant of the Regiment took part in the

Battle of Williamsport The Battle of Williamsport, also known as the Battle of Hagerstown or Falling Waters, took place from July 6 to July 16, 1863, in Washington County, Maryland, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. It is not to be confuse ...

during the retreat from Gettysburg and the

Battle of Bristoe Station The Battle of Bristoe Station was fought on October 14, 1863, at Bristow, Virginia, Bristoe Station, Virginia, between Union Army, Union forces under Major general (United States), Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren and Confederate States Army, Confe ...

in October.

1864–1865

During the

Battle of the Wilderness The Battle of the Wilderness was fought on May 5–7, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the first battle of Lieutenant general (United States), Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against General (C ...

in May 1864, the Regiment's Col. Stone commanded a brigade comprising the 2nd, 11th, and 42d Mississippi Regiments, along with the 55th North Carolina and First Confederate Battalion. On the morning of May 6, Stone's brigade held their ground against a Union attack until General

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was a General officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War and was the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Ho ...

's cavalry could counterattack. The Regiment fought at the

Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, sometimes more simply referred to as the Battle of Spotsylvania (or the 19th-century spelling Spottsylvania), was the second major battle in Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's 18 ...

, the

Battle of North Anna The Battle of North Anna was fought May 23–26, 1864, as part of Union Army, Union Lieutenant General (United States), Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States Army, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of North ...

, and the

Battle of Cold Harbor The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses ...

during Union General

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

Overland Campaign The Overland Campaign, also known as Grant's Overland Campaign and the Wilderness Campaign, was a series of battles fought in Virginia during May and June 1864, towards the end of the American Civil War. Lieutenant general (United States), Lt. G ...

. Afterwards, the Regiment was moved to support the Confederate defensive lines during the

Siege of Petersburg The Richmond–Petersburg campaign was a series of battles around Petersburg, Virginia, fought from June 9, 1864, to March 25, 1865, during the American Civil War. Although it is more popularly known as the siege of Petersburg, it was not a c ...

, fighting in numerous engagements until the fall of the city to Union forces in late March, 1865. At the time of the final Confederate surrender, 1 officer and 19 men were all that remained of the 2nd Mississippi.

Commanders

Commanders of the 2nd Mississippi Infantry: * Col. William Clark Falkner * Col.

* Lt. Col. Bentley B. Boone * Lt. Col. David W. Humphries, killed at Gettysburg. * Lt. Col. John A. Blair, captured at Gettysburg.

Organization

Companies of the 2nd Mississippi Infantry: * Company A, " Tishomingo Riflemen" * Company B, "O'Connor Rifles" of Tippah County. * Company C, "Town Creek Riflemen" of Itawamba County. * Company D, "Joe Matthews Rifles" of Tippah County. * Company E, "

Calhoun John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States. Calhoun can also refer to: Surname * Calhoun (surname) Inhabited places in the United States *Calhoun, Georgia * Calhoun, Illinois *Calhoun, Kentucky * Calhoun, Louis ...

Rifles" * Company F, "Magnolia Rifles" of Tippah County. * Company G, " Pontotoc Minute Men" * Company H, "Conewah Rifles" of Pontotoc County. * Company I, "Cherry Creek Rifles" of Pontotoc County. * Company K, " Iuka Rifles" of Tishomingo County. * Company L, "Liberty Guards" of Tippah County.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:02 Mississippi Infantry Regiment Military units and formations established in 1861 1861 establishments in Mississippi Units and formations of the Confederate States Army from Mississippi Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 1865 disestablishments in the United States