Allow me to add a few comments regarding Featherston:
5/23/62 Lee to Beauregard-Letters have been rec’d from Col J A Orr [31st Ms] at Saltillo, Col Tucker [41st Ms] at Saltillo & Verona, & from Col Barry [35th Ms] reporting his Regt at West Point all fully organized & ready for their arms & equipment. The only arms available have been sent to you at Corinth & the Regts will be directed to report to you if you can arm them. Col Orr also requests these 3 Regts be organized into a Bgde for Gen Featherston. If the Regts report to you, then Bgde compositions can be determined on. The President desires, & the law authorizes that troops from the same state shall compose Bgdes.
10/27/62 Lee to Adjt Gen-requesting promotions:
Carnot Posey to Brig Gen replacing Featherston absent sick
11/6/62 R.E. Lee to Davis-…I find on my arrival that Gen Featherston has returned to his Bgde. I do not know what to disposition to make of him. I shall have to withdraw the commission of Col Posey unless he can be placed in service in Miss.
Featherston had returned to duty somewhat unexpectedly. Apparently, until almost the eve of Featherston’s decision to go South, the transfer of Posey to some other army was under consideration.
Featherston had decided he preferred duty in the Gulf states. The delayed appointment of Posey became effective.
Lee’s Lieutenants-Freeman
Official Records Vol 21
Special Orders,) Hdqrs. Army of Northern Virginia, No. 19.) January 19,1863
VII. Agreeably to instructions from the Secretary of War, Brig. Gen. W. S. Featherston is relieved from duty with this army, and will proceed to Jackson, Miss., and report for duty to General J. E. Johnston, commanding Army of the West, or, should he be absent, to Lieut. Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding in Mississippi. He will take with him Capt. W. R. Barksdale, assistant adjutant-general, and Maj. L. S. Scruggs, quartermaster, who are hereby relieved from further duty with this army.
VIII. Brig. Gen. C. Posey will report to Lieut. Gen. J. Longstreet for assignment to the command of the brigade formerly commanded by General Featherston.
1/22/63 Gen Baldwin has been ordered to a command at Vicksburg. He visits the 14th Ms to bid them farewell.
1/31/63 the 22nd Ms was assigned to Rust's Bgde, Loring's Div, the Ms Regts of which constituted Featherston's Bgde after Feb.
2/1/63 In Jan 1863, Gen Featherston, was transferred from the Army of Northern Virginia to Ms. Gen Featherston was a prominent attorney in Holly Springs at the start of the war & entered CS service by raising a Co of Vols in that city. He was then elected Col of the 17th Ms Infy Regt, served with distinction with that Regt, & was promoted Gen on 3/4 for skill & gallantry in the Battle of Leesburg. He was known to the men as "Old Sweat" & would be Bgde cdr for the 33rd Ms until the end of the war.
In Feb, 1863, the Bgde was designated Rust's-Featherston's Bgde, Loring's Div, Army of Dept of Ms & East La. In March of 1863 the Bgde was re-designated as Featherston's Bgde, Loring's Div, 2nd Military Div, Dept of Ms & East La. The 33rd Ms remained in this Bgde & Div from March, 1863, until the reorganization of the army in NC near the end of the war.
2/3/63 Waddy [Pemberton’s AG]to Pemberton-Gen Featherston here with orders to report to you; requests week’s leave to get an outfit
2/5/63 Jackson, Maj R. W. Memminger, AAG: Assign Gen Featherston to the command of Moore's Bgde, Maury's Div.
Gen Featherston was given a Bgde command about this date, including the 3rd Ms, which was detached with Hebert at Snyder's Bluff. The Bgde operated on the Rolling Fork & Sunflower against Federal expeditions in March, & on March 28 the 3rd went to Fort Pemberton, at the junction of the Tallahatchie & Yazoo, & was attached to Gen Loring's command. After this Featherstone’s Bgde, Loring's Div was composed of the 3rd, 22nd, 31st, 33rd & 1st Bn, Col Mellon cdg, May 30; Maj S. M. Dyer, July 30.
2/20/63 [about] 3rd Ms attached to Featherston’s Bgde w/ 4-5 other Regts, Arty & a Cav Bn