Quinn's 2nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment (State Troops)

-List of Civil War Battles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Civil_War_battles>
-Mississippi Units in the Civil War: <http://mississippiscv.org/MS_Units/mississippi_history.htm>
-Battle of Vicksburg, Confederate Order of Battle: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg_Confederate_order_of_battle>

My Confederate Ancestors

Recreating a Forgotten History

Histories are generally written by the winners. Thus, we can easily learn the disposition of the Federal forces who were engaged in the many battles of the Civil War. While compiling theses vignettes of the many Confederate Regiments, the task is to put together the dispositions of the enemy forces--our veterans-- who were engaged, creating a historical narrative.

The history of the 1861-1862 Mississippi State Troops [MST] is not found in the Military History of Mississippi (1803-1898), dtd 1908. <http://mississippiscv.org/MS_Units> 18 May 2015.

The facts contained in the following narrative were gleaned from multiple sources including personal correspondences over many years.

Mandatory Military Service and Confederate Conscription

William Case (aged 37) enlisted 7/14/1862 as the Senior Corporal in Co E, Quinn's 2nd Miss Infantry, CSA. At this point, we have to discuss Laws of the Confederate States of America:

On April 16th [1862], the Confederacy adopted a law that provided for support of the army by extending the terms of enlistment of currently enrolled soldiers to three years from the date of original enlistment.  In addition, the law made all white males between the ages of 18 and 35 who were citizens of a state in the Confederacy subject to national military service for a term of three years, unless released at an earlier date by the President.

    "Civil War Conscription Laws," Library of Congress, 2012 <http://blogs.loc.gov/law/2012/11/civil-war-conscription-laws/> 3 June 2015.

So from the updated Confederate law, we learn that Grandpa William Case, aged 38, enlisted as a patriot as opposed to being subject to conscription. From Cousin Jim, we learned about Grandpa William Case's first enlistment.

This is interesting because there are a number of known transfers between the McWillie Blues [3rd MST] and the Seven Stars Artillery, which artillery unit would later become part of the 24th Battn. MS Cavalry.

William Case, Corporal, 2nd MS Infantry (Quinn's) who enlisted July 14, 1862, at Meadville, Franklin Co., MS, which is west of and adjacent to Lawrence/Lincoln Co., MS. This William Case is present on the last existing muster roll for this company, dated Sept. 4, 1862.

Jim Huffman, Adj.,
Gainesville Vols, SCV Camp 373
Pearl River County, MS
5/30/2015

Organization

The State Troops Regiments were envisioned as a Civil War version of the Revolutionary War's Minute Men for the State of Mississippi. Men who may not have qualified for service in regular Confederate regiments enrolled in their local company and attended drill. And when the need arose, the Regiment would be assembled.

Colonel Daniel Hillary Quinn of Pike Co MS raised the Regiment from neighboring counties in southwest Mississippi. And, his name has been perpetually affixed to this unit. Col. Quinn was not a professional soldier, but a physician instead. The soldiers were enrolled as early as July of 1862, and the Regiment was organized 8/11/1862 at Camp Tupper, Hinds Co MS.

From the records of Company A, we know that there were multiple musters:

The last known roster for the entire 2nd Miss Infantry (State Troops) [MST], was on 9/4/1862.

The 3rd and 5th MST were deployed to Vicksburg, fought in the battles outside of Vicksburg and were eventually locked inside the fortified city during the siege. Where was the 2nd MST?

The dearth of records would indicate that the citizen-soldiers of the 2nd MST were just sitting on their hands while the Confederate Army was fighting at Vicksburg. However, the few known facts indicate that individual companies of the 2nd MST periodically mustered and deployed in support of the Confederate war effort, only to be released to their homes with weapons in hand, literally to defend the home-front as the Union Army of the Tennessee swept back and forth across the state during the battle for and siege of Vicksburg:

Key Campaigns:

Vicksburg Campaign:

In December of 1862 having repulsed Confederate General Bragg at the Battle of Shiloh, MG Grant moved south with the main body of his army from the railhead at Grand Junction TN and sent MG Sherman's Corps by boat down the Mississippi to affect a coordinated attack from the river. Grant's Army of the Tennessee marched south toward Vicksburg. But, Confederate MG Van Dorn blunted Grant's advance and BG Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry cut Grant's supply lines back to Tennessee. These attacks compelled Grant to withdraw back to Memphis. And, Grant's withdrawal gave the Confederates time to rush disparate units, including the 3rd and 5th Miss Infantry (State Troops) to Vicksburg.

When the 5th Mississippi Infantry Regiment (State Troops) arrived by train from eastern Mississippi, the regiment was posted to the northern salient with BG Baldwin's Brigade. And by 12/27/1862, the Regiment, along with the 46th Mississippi Infantry, was pushed forward just in time to repel MG Sherman's attack along the banks of Chickasaw Bayou, north of the city. This is where our forefathers, the citizen-soldiers of lower Mississippi, enter the picture. Sherman reported the action writing, "I reached Vicksburg at the time appointed, landed, assaulted and failed."

On 5/1/1863, MG Grant and the bulk of the Army of the Tennessee attacked Grand Gulf MS and crossed the Mississippi south of Vicksburg. Many units were rushed out of Vicksburg in an attempt to block two of Grant's Corps and maintain the Confederate supply line by rail over the Big Black River to Jackson. And, that's where the 5th MST were posted, right on the bridge over the Big Black River.

With the defeat at Port Gibson, MG Sherman pushed his Corps towards the City of Jackson and MG Grant slammed the other two Corps against the hastily assembled Confederates at Champion Hill. With the horrific defeat at Champion Hill, the entire Confederate Army fled back toward Vicksburg. The 5th MST fought and held the bridge until ordered to destroy the bridge and retreat, leaving many Confederate units on the wrong side of the river. As the 5th MST retreated down the road back to Vicksburg, they were reassured that their friends and neighbors from the 46th Miss Infantry were covering their retreat.

Back inside the fortified perimeter at Vicksburg, the 5th MST returned to the northern salient where they withstood two frontal assaults from MG Sherman's Corps on May 19 and May 22. Finding the fortified City of Vicksburg impregnable, MG Grant settled for a siege stating, "Let them starve."

The siege was punctuated by sporadic bombardment from the Federal Army on land and from the Brown-water Navy in the Mississippi River. And, the Regiment settled down to a routine. Through May, then June, and into July, the soldiers of the Army of Vicksburg and the citizens of the town did starve. The civilians dug caves into the levee. The soldiers dug trenches where they slept below ground to survive the bombardments. And, many times, the soldiers were effectively digging their own graves. With no options left, Gen. Pemberton surrendered the Army on 7/4/1863. And, the Army was paroled, able to reenroll after about 60 days.

My Veteran:

6. CPL William Case of Co E, Quinn's 2nd Miss (State Troops), CSA.

First Enlistment

William Case (aged 37) enlisted 7/14/1862 as the Senior Corporal in Co E, Quinn's 2nd Miss Infantry (State Troops), CSA. This was in response to new Confederate legislation for organization of State Reserves. In Mississippi, persons 17 to 18 and 35 to 45 were assigned to regiments known as State Troops.

Grandpa William attended the many musters with Co E, but never deployed with the Quinn's 2nd Miss Infantry (State Troops) [MST] to combat. And, the last known roster for Co E, 2nd MST was on 9/4/1862.

Individual companies of the 2nd MST periodically mustered and deployed in support of the Confederate war effort, only to be released to their homes with weapons in hand, literally to defend the home-front as the Union Army of the Tennessee swept back and forth across the state during the battle for and siege of Vicksburg. Along with the other soldiers over 40 and under 18, Great Grandpa William was discharged in 6/1864; as he had just turned 40. And, Grandpa William's second enlistment was in 8/1864 with Co E, 24th Battalion Miss Cavalry, CSA.