Over 78,000 Mississippians served in the Confederate army, but few people know about the one regiment of white Mississippians that served in the Union army as part of the 1st Mississippi Mounted Rifles. Organized at Memphis, Tennessee, in 1864, the regiment was involved in numerous raids in their home state, taking part in expeditions to Grand Gulf, Bolivar, Port Gibson, Oxford, and many other places. Documentation on the regiment is hard to find, but while doing some research recently I found the following recruiting ads for the regiment:
Vicksburg Daily Herald, July 7, 1864
Vicksburg Daily Herald, August 4, 1864
I also found this article about Major Samuel Shorey, one of the officers of the 1st Mississippi - it's from the
Vicksburg Daily Herald, August 2, 1864:
George N. Leoni
Residence
Delavan IL;
Enlisted on 9/6/1861 as a Sergeant.
On 9/26/1861 he was commissioned into "H" Co.
IL 4th Cavalry
He was discharged for promotion on 1/16/1865
On 1/16/1865 he was commissioned into "E" Co. MS 1st Cavalry
He was Mustered Out on 6/26/1865
Promotions:
* 2nd Lieut 2/25/1863
* Capt 1/16/1865 (As of Co. E 1st MS Cavalry)
Intra Regimental Company Transfers:
* 6/14/1865 from company H to company E
Sources used by Historical Data Systems, Inc.:
- Illinois: Roster of Officers and Enlisted Men
- Index to Compiled Military Service Records
- Official Army Register of the Volunteer Force 1861-1865
- Photo courtesy of John Wernick
(c) Historical Data Systems, Inc. @
www.civilwardata.com
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MISSISSIPPI VOLUNTEERS.
1st REGIMENT MOUNTED RIFLES.
Organized at Memphis, Tenn., March, 1864. Attached to District of Memphis, Tenn.,
16th Army Corps, Dept. Tennessee, to June, 1864. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division,
District of West Tennessee, to July, 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, District
West Tennessee, to December, 1864. 1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, District West Tennessee,
to June, 1865.
SERVICE.-Duty in the. Defences of Memphis, Tenn., till August, 1864. Expedition from
Memphis to Grand Gulf, Miss., July 7-24. Near Bolivar July 6. Port Gibson July 14.
Grand Gulf July 16. Smith's Expedition to Oxford, Miss., August 1-31. Tallahatchie
River August 7-9. Hurricane Creek August 9. Oxford August 9 and 11. Hurricane Creek
August 13-14 and 19. At Memphis and in District of West Tennessee, till December.
Grierson's Expedition from Memphis against Mobile & Ohio Railroad December 21, 1864,
to January 5, 1865. Verona December 25, 1864. Okolona December 27. Egypt Station
December 28. Franklin and Lexington January 2, 1865. Mechanicsburg January 3. The Ponds
January 4. Moved from Vicksburg to Memphis and duty there till June, 1865. Expedition
from Memphis into Southeast Arkansas and Northeast Louisiana January 26-February 11.
Mustered out June 26, 1865.
Frederick A. Dyer "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" vol. 3
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The following was taken from the Supplement to the Official Records:
Record of Events for First Battalion,
Mississippi (Union) Mounted Rifles,
December 1863-April 1865.
Field and Staff
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, January-April 1865.
Regiment
Stationed at White's Station near Memphis, Tennessee, August
1864.
Stationed at Camp Kargi near Memphis, Tennessee, December
1863-November 1864.
Company A
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, enrollment to June 30, 1864.
Stationed at White's Station, Tennessee, July-August 1864.
Next roll on file February 1865.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, January April 1865.
Company B
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, enrollment to April 30, 1864.
Station not stated, May August 1864.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, February 28-April [30], 1865.
Company C
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, June 30, 1864.
Next roll on file February 1865.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, January-April 1865.
February 26-27.— Eight men of this company, with others of the
regiment, left Memphis, Tennessee on the Hernando Road,
reaching Hernando City in the morning of February 27. Pressed
east through [illegible] Cross-Roads across the Coldwater; thence
northeast near Byhalia and crossed the Coldwater again through
Olive Branch.
February 28.— Reached camp on the evening of February 28,
traveling near seventy-five miles.
March 24.— Thirteen men made scout of thirty miles.
March 26.— Fifteen men made scout of thirty miles.
Company D
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, enrollment to April 30, 1864.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, January-April 1865.
Company E
Stationed at White's Station, Tennessee, August 31, 1864.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, November 1864-April 1865.
Company F
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, February 28, 1865.
Company G
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, enrollment to April 30, 1864.
Stationed at Memphis, Tennessee, May-June 1864.