The 1st Battalion, Mississippi Mounted Rifles was a unit in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, and was the only Union Mississippi unit created during the Civil War other than regiments of the United States Colored Troops The battalion was organized in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

, in March 1864, and consisted of Unionist and anti-Confederate volunteers from Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Alabama. Vicksburg,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, and

Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government refor ...

were recruiting centers for the battalion. Several of the enlistees were former Confederate soldiers who had left Southern service either via desertion or capture by Union forces. The battalion deployed from Memphis on July 4, 1864 to Grand Gulf, Mississippi alongside the 7th Indiana Cavalry, 2nd New Jersey Cavalry, and 19th Pennsylvania Cavalry in pursuit of units of the 1st Mississippi Cavalry under General

William Wirt Adams William Wirt Adams (1819–1888) was a banker, planter, state legislator, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army. Early life Adams was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, to Anna Weisiger Adams and Judge George Adams (a personal frien ...

operating in the area. The Union expedition skirmished with Confederate forces in the Port Gibson area before returning to Memphis later that month. In August 1864, the battalion along with other Union units led by Colonel

Joseph Kargé Joseph Kargé (July 4, 1823 in Poznan, Grand Duchy of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia – December 27, 1892 in New York City) was a military officer and educator. He was involved in the unsuccessful 1848 revolutions in Poland and was sentenced to de ...

was sent to

Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is a city and college town in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Oxford lies 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, and is the county seat of Lafayette County. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British city of Ox ...

and later Holly Springs to oppose General Forrest's cavalry, returning to Memphis the same month. In December 1864, the battalion took part in General Grierson's raid against the Mobile & Ohio Railroad in Mississippi, participating in the

Battle of Egypt Station The Battle of Egypt Station (December 28, 1864) was an engagement in Mississippi that took place during a successful Union cavalry raid during the American Civil War. A 3,500-man Union cavalry division under Brigadier General Benjamin Grierson d ...

on December 28th alongside the 2nd New Jersey Cavalry, 4th Missouri Cavalry, and 7th Indiana Cavalry under Colonel Kargé. The battalion returned to Memphis in January, 1865. Later that month the battalion participated in its last action, an excursion into Arkansas and Northeast Louisiana led by Colonel Embury D. Osband. The unit was mustered out of service on June 26, 1865 at Memphis. A total of 665 men organized into five companies (A-G) served in the battalion. Officers of the 1st Battalion, Mississippi Mounted Rifles: * Lt. Col. Samuel O. Shorey * Capt. George N. Leoni * Capt. Napoleon Snyder

References

{{Reflist Military units and formations established in 1864 1864 establishments in Mississippi Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 1865 disestablishments in the United States Mississippi in the American Civil War Military units and formations of the Union Army

See also

References