The 46th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, originally designated as the 6th Battalion, Mississippi Infantry was a

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

from

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

which fought in many battles of the Western theater of the American Civil War.

History

Volunteer companies A-E were originally organized as the 6th Battalion, Mississippi Infantry, at

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

on April 19, 1862. In May the 6th Battalion was sent to

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

, while companies F-I were organized elsewhere in the state that month and then sent to join the others in Vicksburg. Company K had originally been raised in 1861 and attached to the 59th Virginia Infantry, after fighting at the

Battle of Roanoke Island The opening phase of what came to be called the Burnside Expedition, the Battle of Roanoke Island was an amphibious operation of the American Civil War, fought on February 7–8, 1862, in the North Carolina Sounds a short distance south of the ...

this company was captured and later sent back to Mississippi, where it was assigned to join the 6th Battalion. The 6th Battalion was redesignated as the 46th Mississippi Infantry Regiment on December 2, 1862. In that same month, the 46th Regiment was personally reviewed by Confederate 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 ...

and General

Joseph E. Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston (February 3, 1807 – March 21, 1891) was an American career army officer, serving with distinction in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and the Seminole Wars. After Virginia seceded ...

. During the

Vicksburg Campaign The Vicksburg campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in the Western Theater of the American Civil War directed against Vicksburg, Mississippi, a fortress city that dominated the last Confederate-controlled section of the Mississippi Riv ...

, the Regiment fought at the

Battle of Chickasaw Bayou The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, also called the Battle of Walnut Hills, fought December 26–29, 1862, was the opening engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton repulse ...

, receiving praise from Confederate general

John C. Pemberton John Clifford Pemberton (August 10, 1814 – July 13, 1881) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the Seminole Wars and with distinction during the Mexican–American War. He resigned his commission to serve as a Confederate Stat ...

for its contribution to victory in that battle. The Regiment's total strength reported in February 1863 was 407 men. In 1863, Company E was detached from the rest of the 46th, fighting at the Battle of Jackson and the Chickamauga campaign before rejoining the Regiment in November. The rest of the regiment remained in Vicksburg during the siege of the city, where they surrendered along with the rest of the Confederate garrison on July 4, 1863. The Regiment's colonel,

Claudius W. Sears Claudius Wistar Sears (November 8, 1817 – February 15, 1891) was a United States Army officer, an educator, and a Confederate general during the American Civil War. During the war, Sears was part of the Confederate garrison that was captured ...

, was promoted to brigadier general for his leadership during the siege, and given command of a brigade that included his former Regiment. The 46th was exchanged in November 1863 and ordered to Georgia, but they arrived too late to take part in the Chattanooga campaign. The Regiment was then quickly ordered to

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 ...

, then to Meridian, Mississippi, then back to Mobile in quick succession without seeing combat. Finally, the 46th was sent to take part in the Atlanta Campaign in May of 1864, fighting at Cassville, New Hope Church,

Kennesaw Mountain Kennesaw Mountain is a mountain between Marietta and Kennesaw, Georgia in the United States with a summit elevation of . It is the highest point in the core (urban and suburban) metro Atlanta area, and fifth after further-north exurban counties ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, and

Lovejoy's Station Lovejoy is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,422, up from 2,495 in 2000. During the American Civil War, it was the site of the Battle of Lovejoy's Station during the Atlanta C ...

. While attacking a defended position guarding a railroad at the

Battle of Allatoona The Battle of Allatoona, also known as the Battle of Allatoona Pass, was fought October 5, 1864, in Bartow County, Georgia, and was the first major engagement of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. A Confederate States A ...

, the 46th's Colonel William H. Clark was killed. During the

Franklin–Nashville campaign The Franklin–Nashville campaign, also known as Hood's Tennessee campaign, was a series of battles in the Western Theater, conducted from September 18 to December 27, 1864, in Alabama, Tennessee, and northwestern Georgia during the American Civ ...

the Regiment was heavily engaged at the Battle of Franklin, with acting commander Major Turpin D. Magee wounded. The remainder of General Sears' brigade then fought at

Murfreesboro 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 ...

and

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, where Sears' leg was shot off by a cannonball and he had to be left behind, subsequently to be captured, while his brigade retreated to Mississippi. Greatly reduced by losses, the Regiment was ordered to Mobile, and the remnants of the 46th were captured at the

Battle of Fort Blakeley The Battle of Fort Blakeley took place from April 2 to April 9, 1865, in Baldwin County, Alabama, about north of Spanish Fort, Alabama, as part of the Mobile Campaign of the American Civil War. At the time, Blakeley, Alabama, had been the count ...

on April 9, 1865. The prisoners were taken to

Ship Island Ship Island is a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, one of the Mississippi–Alabama barrier islands. Hurricane Camille split the island into two separate islands (West Ship Island and East Ship Island) in 1969. In early 2019, t ...

prisoner of war camp, and paroled in May after the war ended.

Commanders

Commanders of the 46th Regiment: * Col.

* Col. William H. Clark, killed at Allatoona * Lt. Col. John W. Balfour * Lt. Col. William K. Easterling

Organization

Companies of the 46th Regiment: * Company A, "Gaines' Invincibles", of Wayne County. * Company B, "Covington Rebels", of Covington County. * Company C, "Yazoo Pickets", of

Yazoo County Yazoo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,065. The county seat is Yazoo City. It is named for the Yazoo River, which forms its western border. Its name is said to come from a ...

. * Company D, "Rankin Farmers", of Rankin County. * Company E, " Jeff Davis Rebels", of Yazoo County and

Warren County Warren County is the name of fourteen counties in the USA. Some are named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War: * Warren County, Georgia * Warren County, Illinois * Warren County ...

, served on detached service at the Battle of Jackson and Chickamauga campaign. * Company F, "Lauderdale Rifles", of Lauderdale County. * Company G, "Singleton Guard", of Smith County. * Company H, "Raleigh Rangers", of Smith County. * Company I, of Newton County. * Company K, "Kemper Guards", of

Kemper County Kemper County is a county located on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,456. Its county seat is De Kalb. The county is named in honor of Reuben Kemper. The county is part ...

, originally attached to the

59th Virginia Infantry Regiment The 59th Virginia Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in Virginia's western counties for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia, and in the Carolinas ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:046 Mississippi Infantry Regiment Military units and formations established in 1861 1862 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

History

Commanders

Organization

See also

References