"G" Company Lamar Rifles 11th Mississippi Photo Question

All interesting info. I served in the Coast Guard which used the motto Semper Paratus(Always Ready). Well did a little research on the Lamar Rifles of the 11th Mississippi and they also used Semper Paratus. Useless info on a Thursday night. That’s all I could add to this thread😂👍
I'm not a "Coastie", but I am proud to be a civilian member of the US Coast Guard Foundation.

However, regarding this image, ... three facts are very apparent now:

@RochesterBill's great research tracing this scene to Texas.
@Grayrock Volunteer's 1870's rifle detail.
@Biscoitos' observation that these guys were on a paved street.

I say once again, this has been a wonderful thread !
 
Having lived in Oxford for 60+ years and I do not know for sure but would guess the camera is on the West side of the Lafayette County Courthouse facing North. First National Bank is now located were the Ash & Wagner store used to be.

I am no expert but I do know one who probably could identify the unit, date and location. Starke Miller a friend of mine and @Woods-walker, is Oxford historian and expert on Company A, the University Greys, of the 11th​ Mississippi. I am fairly confident he knows a great bit about the Lamar Rifles. I have his facebook page info below. If you are interested in a guided tour of Shiloh? He is extremely knowledgeable about the battle and the roles played by Ole Miss matriculants.

@Biscoitos were you successful with your research at the Ole Miss Library? I have many enjoyable hours in that building going back to index cards of the Dewey Decimal System!
Regards
David

https://www.facebook.com/starke.miller?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDozOTM4NTkzNzE2MjU0Mzc5XzM5Mzg4MzY5Njk1NjMzODc=
Great points. He does know the Lamar Rifles since many were Ole Miss students.
 
In fact, SMU says that photo was taken on Feb 22, 1875 on the occasion of a visit to Dallas of Jefferson Davis. The first file, which dated it as 1885, was mislabeled.

Kudos to all you guys who said the photo looked like 1870's. You were dead on.

They call the Lamar Rifles "a crack guards unit from Dallas" which doesn't really give with Lamar County being on the far north edge of the state, but there we are:

The boys are shown all polished up and turned out waiting to greet Jeff Davis.
 
I believe that I have uncovered the reason for the confusion: there were two Confederate units called the Lamar Rifles.

One was.indeed the 11th Mississippi, as noted. The photo in question was identified as being the Lamar Rifles, and people concluded - not illogically- that it was the Miss. company.

But there was also a unit raised in Lamar County Texas called the Lamar Rifles, also referred to as Maxeys Rifles, ( and formally the 9th Texas) after their first commander, Samuel Bell Maxey who was a West Point grad (he was Stonewall Jackson's roommate).and was brevetted in Mexico.

The unit was badly mauled at Shiloh but Maxey had been sent to build bridges someplace and missed the battle.

Anyway, there's the deal: two units with the same name.
Since I live near Lamar County, I'll take the opportunity to mention that there were also TWO different Lamars, Mississippi's Quintius Lucius Cincinnatius and Texas' Mirabeau Bonaparte! (How's that for a couple of mouthfuls?!) Our own Mirabeau B. followed Sam Houston as the second President of the Republic of Texas, reversing many of his predecessor's actions, including peace with various Indian tribes, chasing the Cherokee out after killing their septuagenarian Chief Bowles in what is charitably called a "battle." Like his rival Houston, Lamar also has many schools and institutions in the state named for him, including an elementary just down the street from me.
 
Perhaps you missed the photo identification above which proves it was not taken in Oxford Mississippi but in Dallas Texas.

Therefore wherever a camera is located in Oxford it will need one heck of a lens to show the spot where Ash & Wagner used to stand, which is approximately 535 miles away at the corner of Main and Jefferson Streets in Dallas.
The object of studying history is to find the truth.
In this case the truth has been positively found.
Good work.
 
Having lived in Oxford for 60+ years and I do not know for sure but would guess the camera is on the West side of the Lafayette County Courthouse facing North. First National Bank is now located were the Ash & Wagner store used to be.

I am no expert but I do know one who probably could identify the unit, date and location. Starke Miller a friend of mine and @Woods-walker, is Oxford historian and expert on Company A, the University Greys, of the 11th​ Mississippi. I am fairly confident he knows a great bit about the Lamar Rifles. I have his facebook page info below. If you are interested in a guided tour of Shiloh? He is extremely knowledgeable about the battle and the roles played by Ole Miss matriculants.

@Biscoitos were you successful with your research at the Ole Miss Library? I have many enjoyable hours in that building going back to index cards of the Dewey Decimal System!
Regards
David

https://www.facebook.com/starke.mil...zOTM4NTkzNzE2MjU0Mzc5XzM5Mzg4MzY5Njk1NjMzODc=
Yes, I had success at the Ole Miss Library. I had called ahead and the two items that I wanted to see were already pulled for me, which sped up my work. I appreciated that and told the staff so.

I was impressed at the strict adherence to the facemask rule in the Library. Everybody I saw was wearing one, and social distancing the way it should be done.

Haven't been many places where that was true.

Not so the UPS store, where I went to make quite a few photocopies. It was one of the most non facemask places I have been in and the staff was as guilty as the customers. The sign on the door suggesting social distancing was the only hint of covid

And YES, I did go to the best place in Oxford for chicken on a stick! (Across the street from Abner's)
If I say where, some people on CWT will say, "Only in Mississippi."
 
The governor has ended the required mask rule and so has the mayor of Oxford. I am 71 with both shots and I wear a mask. Ole Miss still requires mask wearing including sporting events. When sitting you may take it off but wear when moving.
Next time you visit Oxford let's try to get together maybe for lunch, if you would like?
Regards
David
 
The governor has ended the required mask rule and so has the mayor of Oxford. I am 71 with both shots and I wear a mask. Ole Miss still requires mask wearing including sporting events. When sitting you may take it off but wear when moving.
Next time you visit Oxford let's try to get together maybe for lunch, if you would like?
Regards
David
Thanks for the update David. I really want to make it down there this summer. But my wife wants to come too - and there in-lies the problem. We have a farm, which requires one of us here 7 days a week. We’ve never had a vacation together- and in fact didn’t go on a honeymoon. I really want her to see MS but don’t know how to do it under the circumstances. Last year she offered the trip to me, not sure that offer still stands.
I mainly want to do some research at the Madison county courthouse so I can wrap up research on my next book. 7thMississippi helped some with what I need to research but it went to a dead end. I wrote the clerk of court but got no reply. So I need to get there ASAP.
My wife (Darlene) communicates with Starke frequently and in fact he was telling her about Oxford this AM. He wants her to come try chicken on a stick.
So we’re going to have to see how this plays out. If we/I fail to make it I plan to meet up with you at the Sharpsburg muster. But regardless I still need to get to Madison.
I haven’t heard back from any magazines on my University Greys essay. I planned to give them until the end of March but have since decided to wait until the end of April. If I don’t hear by then I plan to publish it on CWT.
Regards Dennis
 
Dennis I sure hope y'all can work things out to have a couples trip!!
Regards
David
 
Gonna try real hard. Like I said I need to get to records in the Madison county clerks office. I am waiting for an appropriate time to pop the question- whether or not her offer last year stands for a solo trip. When things slow down on the farm in late summer we’ll be setting around starring at one another most of the day and she’s gonna get tired of looking at me and want me out of her sight. Lol
 
And YES, I did go to the best place in Oxford for chicken on a stick! (Across the street from Abner's)
If I say where, some people on CWT will say, "Only in Mississippi."
Hah !

Not trying to get off topic, but since you conjured up my memories of Oxford eateries ...
I may start a separate thread about such places .

:smile coffee:

No doubt @Ole Miss can add details !

I'm remembering the early 1980s, when Oxford was a still a little unique/eccentric antebellum town that was home to The University of Mississippi & William Faulkner.

The Beacon, The original Sizzler, Mistilis', The Warehouse, Pizza Den, Ruth and Jimmie's (up at Abbeville) and many more come to mind when thinking about the 1980s era.

But back to the topic ...
we now know this famous image of the 11th Mississippi is not antebellum !
 
The governor has ended the required mask rule and so has the mayor of Oxford. I am 71 with both shots and I wear a mask. Ole Miss still requires mask wearing including sporting events. When sitting you may take it off but wear when moving.
Next time you visit Oxford let's try to get together maybe for lunch, if you would like?
Regards
David
I don't get to Oxford very often.
But I will contact you the next time that I'm headed that way and if your schedule permits, we could have lunch or otherwise meet.
It may be a while.
 
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