The 10th Mississippi Infantry Regiment was a regiment of infantry in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in several campaigns and battles in the Western Theater.

"Old" 10th Mississippi

The 10th Mississippi Infantry was organized in March 1861 with an original enrollment of 841 officers and men for a term of one year. Among the officers was future Confederate 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 ...

, a nephew of President

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

. The original companies, under the command of Col. Seaburne M. Phillips, were:Howell, ''For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand'' * Company A - Mississippi Rifles (Hinds County) * Company B - Ben Bullard Rifles (Itawamba County) * Company C - Port Gibson Riflemen, aka Port Gibson Rifles (Claiborne County) * Company D - Lowndes Southrons (Lowndes County) * Company E - Southern Avengers (Lowndes County) * Company F - Hill City Cadets (Warren County) * Company G - Rankin Rifles (Rankin County) * Company H - Bahala Rifles (Copiah County) * Company I - Madison Rifles (Madison County) * Company K - Yazoo Minute Rifles (Yazoo County) The troops assembled in

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

, and were transported to

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ...

, for garrison duty there to help man the coastal defenses. They encamped near Fort Barrancas, opposite Fort Pickens and Santa Rosa Island, both held by Union troops. Several companies engaged in building new fortifications or strengthening existing ones, as well as supporting the artillery crews during periodic bombardments over four months. Colonel Phillips and scores of other men died of disease while stationed near Pensacola. The depleted regiment fought in the Battle of Santa Rosa Island in October 1861. In February 1862, the regiment was sent back to Mississippi, where it was brigaded with other Mississippi troops under the overall command of Col.

James R. Chalmers James Ronald Chalmers (January 11, 1831April 9, 1898) was an American politician and senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry and cavalry in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. After the war, Chalmers s ...

. The term of enlistment expired in March.

"New" 10th Mississippi

The regiment was reorganized at Corinth on March 15, 1862, for a term of two years. The new companies were: * Company A - Horn Lake Volunteers ormerly Co. E, 9th MS Infantry(DeSoto County) * Company B - Natchez Southrons lso listed as Co. C(Adams County) * Company C - Ben Bullard Rifles lso listed as Co. D(Itawamba County) * Company D - Mississippi Rifles lso listed as Co. G(Hinds County) * Company E - Lowndes Southrons (Lowndes County) * Company F - Port Gibson Rifleman (Claiborne County) * Company G - Fulton Guards lso listed as Co. B(Itawamba County) * Company H - Rankin Rifles lso listed as Co. A(Rankin County) * Company I - Bahala Rifles (Copiah County) * Company K - Beauregard Relief (Tippah County) * Company L - Capt. Finley’s Company * Company M - Capt. Dobson’s Company * Company N - Capt. Bell’s Company * Company O - Capt. Inge’s Company * Company P - Capt. Betts’ Company In April, the new 10th, now under the command of Col. Robert A. Smith and numbering only 360 men, fought in the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

in West Tennessee. It later participated in Braxton Bragg's Kentucky Campaign and suffered significant casualties at the Battle of Munfordville, including Colonel Smith. Chalmers' Brigade, including the 10th Mississippi, was part in the advance toward Louisville in September. Under Col. James Barr Jr., the 10th fought in the Battle of Perryville before retreating with Bragg's beaten army across the Cumberland Gap on October 20. Marching through Tennessee, the regiment camped near

Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

, in November. It fought in the subsequent Battle of Stones River in late December and early January 1863. The 10th again was part of a general Confederate retreat, finally encamping near Tullahoma, Tennessee, until July 1863 when it advanced to

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

and then on to Bridgeport, Alabama. It subsequently participated in the Chickamauga Campaign in September and in the attack on Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga in November before retreating to winter quarters near Dalton, Georgia. In the spring and summer of 1864, the 10th participated in the Atlanta Campaign. Colonel Barr was mortally wounded in the Battle of Marietta and replaced by James M. Walker. The survivors were part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign in November before wintering near

Meridian, Mississippi Meridian is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, seventh largest city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 41,148 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and an estimated population in 2018 of 36,347. It is the count ...

. In the spring of 1865, the consolidated regiment took part in the Carolinas Campaign before surrendering with the army of Joseph E. Johnston at Bennett Place in North Carolina in April.

Colonels

* Seaborn M. Phillips, died at Pensacola * Robert A. Smith, killed at Munfordville * James Barr Jr., died in Georgia * James M. Walker, resigned

Notes

References

* Howell, H. Grady, ''For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand!: A Muster Listing of All Known Mississippi Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines'', Chickasaw Bayou Press, 1998, . * Rowland, Dunbar, ''Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898: taken from the Official and statistical register of the State of Mississippi, 1908'', Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company, 1978, {{ISBN, 0-87152-266-7.

External links