1861 |
April 30 | Finished organization at Corinth, Mississip |
May 3 | Elected Colonel William C. Falkner, Lieutenant Colonel Bartley Barry Boone, Major David W. Humphreys, and Adjutant Lawson B. Hovis |
May 5-10 | Moved by rail to Lynchburg, Virginia in two sections, Companies A,C,D,F & I under Lt. Colonel Boone and Companies B,E,G,H & K under Colonel Falkner. |
May 10 | Camped at Camp Walker outside Lynchburg and mustered into Confederate States service for one year. |
May 17-18 | Ordered to Harpers Ferry with the 11th Mississippi Regiment and the 2nd Mississipi Battalion and moved to Strasburg, Virginia by rail. |
May 19-20 | Marched to Winchester, then moved by rail to Harpers Ferry. Camped on Bolivar Heights. |
May 23 | The Inspector General reported that the regiment was not happy with its flintlock smoothbore muskets, had a "slovenly and unsoldierlike appearance," and had "come away from home without making proper preparation" for "almost every necesssity of clothing." |
June 15 | Withdrew from Harpers Ferry with Johnston's Army to Camp Johnston, near Winchester. |
June 16 | Moved to Bunker Hill and camped on Mill Creek. |
June 18 | Moved on the Valley Pike to Camp Bee at Winchester. Colonel Falkner was put in command of a brigade consisting of the regiment, the 11th Mississippi, the 4th Alabama and the 1st Tennessee. |
June19 | General Bernard Bee took command of the brigade. Colonel Falkner returned to command of the regiment. |
June 28-29 | Moved by rail to Harpers Ferry. At Harpers Ferry the regiment burned railroad cars on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, then marched to Hallstown. It then returned by rail to Winchester. |
July 2-3 | Moved to Darkesville in an overnight march. |
July 7 | Returned to Winchester. |
July 18 | Ordered to support Beauregard at Manassas. The sick were left at Winchester and the regiment marched through Ashby's Gap to Piedmont, where with two companies of the 11th Mississippi, and Generals Johnston and Bee it boarded a train for Manassas. |
July 20 | Arrived at Manassas about noon. The regiment was put in a suporting position behind McLean's and Blackburn's Fords on Bull Run. |
July 21 | Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) The regiment was sent to reinforce the endangered left flank. It arrived at the scene of the fighting around 11, crossing Young's Branch and forming a defensive line that was supported by two batteries. Under heavy small arms and artillery fire that mortally wounded General Bee, the regiment fell back with heavy losses and reformed behind Jackson's Brigade. It then joined Jackson in the attack on the Union batteries. Major Whiting gave the 2nd Mississippi credit for the capture of Rickett's Federal Battery. The regiment lost 25 men killed, and 82 men wounded. Colonel Falkner and Sergeant Major John Blair were wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Bartley Boone was captured. |
July 23 | Moved to Camp Bee near Manassas Junction. |
July 25 | Moved to Camp Jones near Bristoe Station. |
September 18 | Moved to Camp Fisher near Dumfries. |
September 25 | Assigned to the Third Brigade of the Second Corps, Army of the Potomac commanded by General William Whiting. |
Winter | The regiment went into winter camp with the Eleventh Mississippi at Dumfires. |
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January 31 | Lt. Colonel Boone resigned due to ill health, |
March 8 | Moved to Fredericksburg. |
April 21 | At Yorktown. The regiment reorganized and renenlisted for the duration of the war. Captain John M. Stone narrowly defeated Colonel Falkner for election to colonel. Major David W. Humphreys was elected to lieutenant colonel and Sergeant Major John Blair was elected major. |
May 10 | At Richmond |
May 31-June 1 | Battle of Seven Pines The regiment was only lightly engaged, but Lieutenant D.H. Miller was killed. |
mid-June | Sent with Whiting's Division to temporarily reinforce Jackson's Army of the Valley. Colonel Evander Law commanded the brigade while Whiting commanded the division. |
June 18 | Reached Strasburg |
end of June | Returned to the Richmond area |
June 26 | Battle of Mechanicsville Marched from Ashland and rebuilt the bridge over the Totopotomoy but was ordered to bivouac and never joined the battle. |
June 27 | Cold Harbor (Gaines' Farm) Advanced through wood and swamps for an hour with Whiting's Division, then charged and routed the Federal defenders, the division capturing 14 artillery pieces and the better part of a regiment. The regiment lost 21 men killed and 79 wounded. |
June 28-30 | In reserve and not engaged. |
July 1 | Battle of Malvern Hill The regiment lost 1 man killed and 10 wounded from artillery fire without firing a shot in return. |
Mid-July | The regiment with Whiting's Division was transferred to Longstreet's Command. |
July 26 | General Whiting on medical leave. Brigadier General John B. Hood took over command of the division. |
August 22 | Moved to Freeman's Ford on the Rappahannock. |
August 28 | Moved through Thorofare Gap |
August 29 | Second Battle of Manassas The regiment was on the left of the division line when it was attacked at sunset. The division counterattacked, and Law's Brigade captured three Federal colors and a piece of artillery. The regiment "became entangled" with the 33rd New York of King's Division until the 1st Texas moved up in relief. |
August 30 | Second Battle of Manassas (day 2) Advanced to Groveton, then attacked a Federal battery by Hogan's House. In the two days of fighting at Manassas the regiment lost 9 men killed, including Captain George Latham and Lieutenant William Ralston, and 69 men wounded. |
September | Maryland Campaign |
September 4 | Crossed the Potomac River into Maryland and camped near Frederick. |
September 14 | Battle of South Mountain Marched from Hagerstown to Turner's Gap along the National Road, arriving around 3 p.m. Launched a bayonet attack to turn back Federal troops who were forcing the pass. |
September 15 | Withdrew to a position behind Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg. Hood's Division acted as the rearguard for the army. |
September 16 | Positioned near the Dunker Church. Threw back an enemy advance at dusk. |
September 17 | Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam) Attacked at dawn by Hooker's Federal First Corps, Hood's Division counterattacked in the cornfield. The regiment drove back the 6th Wisconsin and nearly captured six guns of a Federal battery that had been abandoned by their crews. The 2nd Mississippi lost 27 men killed and 127 wounded. The wounded included Colonel Stone, Lt. Colonel Humphreys and Major Blair. Lieutenant William C. Moody took command as the highest ranking unwounded officer. From the first of two brigade tablets on the Antietam battlefield: "September 16, 1862. On the evening of the 16th, Law's Brigade advanced from the fields in front of the Dunkard Church to a position in the East Woods, on either side of the Smoketown Road, where it supported the skirmishers of Wofford's Brigade in resisting the advance of Seymour's Brigade. The engagement ceased at dark. At 10 P. M. the Brigade was relieved by Trimble's Brigade of Ewell's Division, and withdrawn to the woods west of the Dunkard Church." From the second brigade tablet: September 17, 1862 Law's Brigade advanced from the woods at the Dunkard Church at 7 A.M. and relieved Trimble's Brigade across the Smoketown Road south of this point. Gradually gaining ground to the left, its center on the open ground and its right in the East Woods, it assisted in repulsing the advance of Ricketts' Division, First Corps. Supported on the right by the 21st Georgia of Trimble's Brigade and the 5th Texas of Wofford's Brigade, it advanced to the northeast corner of Miller's Cornfield and the woods adjacent, from which it was dislodged by the advance of the Twelfth Corps. It withdrew to the fields south of the Dunkard Church and was not again engaged. |
September 19 | Recrossed the river to Virginia |
November 17 | Moved to Richmond to join Davis' Mississippi Brigade. |
December 15 | Arrived at Goldsboro, North Carolina |
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February 2 | Moved to Blackwater Bridge, Virginia |
April 8 | To Suffolk. Attached to Longstreet's command for the Siege of Suffolk |
June 3 | Moved to Fredericksburg and attached to Archer's Brigade of Heth's Division in the newly created Third Corps. |
June 15 | Began the march for the Shenandoah Valley which led to Pennsylvania. |
June 25 | Crossed the Potomac at Shepherdstown |
June 30 | Camped near Cashtown |
July 1 | Battle of Gettysburg (day 1) The regiment was commanded by Colonel John M. Stone and was in the second brigade in the line of march to move toward Gettysburg. They ran into Federal cavalry northwest of town and deployed into line of battle, slowly pushing forward until encountering Union infantry. Colonel Stone was wounded crossing a fence along the Chambersburg Pike and Lieutenant A.K. Roberts was killed trying to capture the flag of the 56th Pennsylvania. A Federal gun and limber was captured on the Chambersburg Pike. Every field officer but two became a casualty and Major Blair took command. The regiment again moved forward in a flank attack, part of it advancing throught the Railroad Cut that paralleled the Chambersburg Turnpike. But Federal troops charged the Cut and enfiladed the regiment. There was a vicious fight for the regiment's colors. All of the color guard were killed or wounded, the colors themselves pierced a dozen times and the flagstaff hit and splintered. The flag was finally taken from Color Corporal William Murphy, who was in the process of ripping the flag from the shattered staff. The fighting briefly ended as Major Blair handed his sword to Lt. Colonel Rufus Dawes of the 6th Wisconsin and surrendered 7 officers and 225 men of the 2nd Mississippi. Later in the day a detachment of the regiment under Lieutenant A.K. Roberts captured the colors of the 149th Pennsylvania south of the Chambersburg Pike. Roberts was killed. Private Henry McPherson, who had taken the Federal colors back to the safety of the Confederate lines amid heavy Federal fire, turned down the offer of a promotion to take the place of Lieutenant Roberts, choosing instead a furlough. |
July 2 | Battle of Gettysburg (day 2) The badly battered and reduced regiment spent the day in reserve, collecting discarded weapons from the battlefield. Men of the 2nd who had been detached as wagon guards arrived at the end of the day, boosting the depleted numbers. |
July 3 | Battle of Gettysburg (day 3) Sixty survivors of the regiment took part in Pickett's Charge, led by Lt. Colonel Humphreys. Only one man made it back from the charge unwounded. The official casualties for the regiment at Gettysburg list 56 men killed and 176 wounded, No mention is made of the large number of men captured at the Railroad Cut on July 1. Colonel Stone was wounded but would resume command of the regiment. Lt. Colonel Humphreys was killed, and Major Blair was captured. Captain John Buchanan was wounded and captured and Lieutenant Moody, who had commanded the regiment at Sharpsburg when all higher ranking officers had become casualties, was wounded in the leg and captured on July 3. Major Blair, still a prisoner, was promoted to lieutenant colonel effective July 3 and Captain Buchanan of Company B, also still a prisoner, to major |
July 6 | Williamsport Reached the Potomac to find that high water made the fords unusable. A defensive line was set up incorporating the wagoners, the sick and lightly wounded, which held off the probing Unon cavalry. Three men were wounded, one mortally, and two capured. |
July 14 | Falling Waters Heth's Division served as rear guard at the Potomac ford, with the 2nd Mississippi anchoring the right flank of the line. Federal cavalry attacked the rear guard as the last Confederates were crossing the river to safety. The regiment lost two men killed, six men wounded, two of whom were captured, and twelve unwounded men were captured. The 2nd Mississippi thus took part in the opening and closing fights of the Gettysburg campaign, losing 85 to 90 percent of its strength. |
October | Bristoe Station The regiment lost 8 men killed, 38 wounded and 2 missing. |
November-December | Mine Run Campaign |
December | Wintered in camp near Orange Court House |
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March | Lieutenant Colonel Blair and Major Buchanan were exchanged and returned to the regiment. |
May | General Davis was absent on sick leave as Grant opened the 1864 campaign. Colonel Stone took command of the brigade as senior colonel, and Captain J.H. Buchanan commanded the regiment. (Captain Thomas Crawford is also reported as commanding the regiment during the battle.) |
May-June | The Overland Campaign In the month of fighting betwen the Wilderness and Cold Harbor the 2nd Mississippi would lose 24 men killed and 107 wounded. |
May 5 | Battle of the Wilderness (First Day) Moved up the Orange Plank Road to meet Federal forces moving through the wilderness. The regiment was on the left of Heth's Division, north of the Plank Road, and held off a series of attacks by Hancock's Federal Second Corps. The brigade was relieved at dusk by Thomas' Brigade of Wilcox's Division and moved south of the Plank Road. |
May 6 | Battle of the Wilderness (Second Day) The Federal pre-dawn attack broke the Confederate line and swept away most of the rest of Heth's Division, but the 2nd, 11th, 29th and 42nd Mississippi held the line for two hours until Longstreet's reinforcements reached the battlefield and launched a counterattack. The brigade reformed and attacked when Longstreet was wounded and his attack stalled. It pushed back Federals threatening an Alabama brigade, then built and defended a log barricade until withdrawn to Lee's defensive line. |
May 7 | The brigade remained on the battlefield to bury the dead while Lee moved to Spotsylvania. |
May 10 | Battle of Talley's Mill (Beaver Dam Station) |
May 10-21 | Battle of Spotsylvania Court House The regiment was positioned on the east side of the Confederate lines, successfully fighting off attacks by Burnside's Ninth Corps. |
May 23-26 | North Anna Repelled a Federal demonstration at Jericho Ford |
June 3 | Battle of Cold Harbor Stationed on the far left of the Confederate line near Bethesda Church. |
June 1864- April 1865 | Siege of Petersburg |
June 3-18 | The regiment remained north of the James River with the rest of the Third Corps until Lee established that Grant really had shifted his entire army to Petersburg. |
August 18 | Weldon Railroad (Ream's Station) Marched three miles in intense heat to counterattack Federal forces that had seized the vital railroad line. The brigade formed on the west side of the railroad and attacked southward, driving two lines of Federals until reaching the main enemy line which badly outnumbered the Confederates and was reinforced with artillery. The Confederates broke off the attack and dug in. Major Buchanan was wounded in the hand. |
August 19 | Weldon Railroad (Globe Tavern) Davis' Brigade attacked what was thought to be weakened Federal defenses but were thrown back, leaving the Federals in posession of the Weldon Railroad. The regiment lost 5 men killed and 31 wounded in the two day battle. Lt. Colonel Blair, Major J.H. Buchanan and Lieutenant Story were wounded. |
September 13 | Captain Walker was killed by a sharpshooter while he, Colonel Stone and General Lee were inspecting the lines. |
September | A.I.P. Varin of the 2nd Mississippi writes in his diary,“…the enemy frequently shoot very large shells into Petersburg & do some damage to buildings, but the people are getting used to it, so they don’t mind them….” The quote is used on the 'Dictator' wayside marker in the Petersburg battlefield park. |
October 1 | Fort Bratton |
October 3 | Squirrel Level Road (Jones' Farm) In a raging downpour Heth launched a number of uncoordinated attacks against what he mistakenly thought was a hanging Federal flank. The attacks were beaten back by the well entrenched Federals, and the regiment lost 3 men killed, 25 wounded and 2 missing. |
October 27 | Hatcher's Run (Burgess' Mill) The regiment helped turn back a flanking attack that attempted to seize Boydton Plank Road, losing 2 men killed. |
Winter | The regiment wintered in the trenches six miles outside Petersburg. |
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January 8 | Colonel Stone left for Mississippi with a small detail to recruit and to return absentees to the regiment. Lt. Colonel Blair took command of the regiment. Stone would not return to Virginia. He made it back as far as Salisbury, North Carolina when Stoneman's Federal cavalry raided the city. Stone organized his recruits and the local self defense forces in its defence but was outnuumbered, surrounded and captured. |
January 16 | Major Buchanan resigned to assume his duties as sherriff of Tippah County. |
February 5-7 | Hatcher's Run Lt. Colonel Blair was captured. Captain William P. Harvey of Company K was the last remaining captain in the regiment and took command. |
February | Several companies of the regiment were consolidated over the winter due to their badly reduced numbers. The strength of the 2nd Mississippi was probably about 150 men. |
March 25 | Fort Stedman Supported Gordon's attack on the fort with a demonstration at Hawks' Farm |
April 2 | Hatcher's Run The Confederate defensive line collapsed after the defeat at Five Forks. The 2nd Mississippi, commanded by Lt. Colonel Blair, was positioned near Burgess' Mill near Hatcher's Run. The regiment was trapped between the Union breakthrough and the Run, which was swollen by heavy rains and impassible. Most of the regiment was taken prisoner on the bank of Hatcher's Run, although a few men attempted the swim. Before the 97 (or 99) survivors of the regiment surrendered, Private Nathaniel M. Bynum (one of five Bynum brothers in Company A) tore the colors from their staff and hid them under his coat. |
April 9 | Appomattox Court House Surgeon James Holt, Quartermaster Sergeant J.M. Cayce and 18 enlisted men surrendered with Lee, probably all men on detached duties from the regiment |
Antietam