Posted by Jim Huffman, Gainesville Vols, Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 373, Pearl River County, MS on May 29, 2000 at 23:22:04:
In Reply to: Gaines Invincibles (Wayne County) posted by Wayne Adams on May 28, 2000 at 19:08:42:
Wayne: No, the Gaines Invincibles were not at Shiloh. They were part of Balfour's 6th Battalion Mississippi Infantry, which is an entirely different unit from the 6th Regiment Mississippi Infantry. Your Gaines Invincibles eventually became part of the 46th Regiment Mississippi Infantry. Trust me! Even though the Gaines Invincibles didn't fight at Shiloh, they had an impressive history! Check out their daring deeds in the appended capsule history of both the 6th Battalion (Balfour's) and the gallant 46th Regiment Mississipi Infantry! This should make you proud of your Mississippi ancestors! Please consider joining the Sons of Confederate Veterans at 1-800-MYSOUTH or www.scv.org or www.mississippiscv.org! -- Jim H.
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46th Mississippi Infantry
[formerly 6th Battalion Mississippi Infantry (Balfour’s)]
(from Dunbar Rowland’s “Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898”; company
listing courtesy of H. Grady Howell’s “For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand’)
COMPANIES OF THE 6TH BATTALION MS INFANTRY (BALFOUR’S):
Company A -- Gaines Invincibles (raised in Wayne County, MS)
Company B -- Covington Rebels (raised in Covington County, MS)
Company C -- Yazoo Pickets (raised in Yazoo County, MS)
Company D -- Rankin Farmers (raised in Rankin County, MS)
Company E -- Jeff Davis Rebels (raised in Warren & Yazoo Counties, MS)
Company F -- Lauderdale Rifles (raised in Lauderdale County, MS)
Company G -- Singleton Guards (raised in Smith County, MS)
COMPANIES OF THE 46TH MS INFANTRY:
Company A -- Gaines Invincibles (raised in Wayne County, MS)
Company B -- Covington Rebels (raised in Covington County, MS)
Company C -- Yazoo Pickets (raised in Yazoo County, MS)
Company D -- Rankin Farmers (raised in Rankin County, MS)
Company E -- Jeff Davis Rebels (raised in Warren & Yazoo Counties, MS)
Company F -- Lauderdale Rifles (raised in Lauderdale County, MS)
Company G -- Singleton Guards (raised in Smith County, MS)
Company H -- Raleigh Farmers, aka Raleigh Rangers (raised in Smith County, MS)
Company I -- Southern Rights (raised in Newton County, MS)
Company K -- Kemper Guards, aka Mississippi Rangers (raised in Kemper County, MS)
HISTORY OF THE 6TH BATTALION MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY (BALFOUR’S):
Lieutenant- Colonels -- John W. Balfour, transferred; W. K. Easterling. Majors --
John W. Jones, to December, 1862; W. H. Clark. Adjutants -- J. M. Sublett, G. W. Tiller,
Thomas E. Williams. Surgeon -- P. J. McCormick. Chaplain -- W. W. Keep.
Companies A-E assembled at Meridian in April, 1862, and the battalion was
organized April 19, J. W. Balfour, not a member of the companies, being elected
commanding officer, and J. W. Jones, Company E, as Major. Companies A and E had
been in the Confederate service at New Orleans, which was evacuated about this time.
May 18 the battalion was ordered to Vicksburg, where it was on duty at Smede's Point
during the bombardment of May 10 to July 27, 1862, under the command of Gen. M. L.
Smith, who had charge of the river defenses. The battalion suffered much from sickness
and want of drinking water, and many died. The returns of July showed 17 officers and
161 men present for duty, aggregate present 555, present and absent 818.
Meanwhile Companies F-K were mustered in and joined the original five at
Vicksburg.
Company K had gone to Virginia in July, 1861, had been attached to the
Fifty-ninth Virginia, served in West Virginia, took part in the battle of Roanoke Island,
N.C., February 8, 1862, was captured and had returned to Mississippi on being
exchanged.
Col. J. F. Girault was assigned to command in November, But on account of a
protest of the Captains, the assignment was annulled. December 1, yet at Vicksburg, the
battalion elected W. K. Easterling Lieutenant-Colonel, Balfour having been absent since
August, and W. H. Clark Major. Clark had served under Col. Jefferson Davis in Mexico,
enlisted in this battalion as a private, and was later Colonel of the Forty-sixth Regiment,
until killed at Allatoona. On the same day, the order was received designating the
command as the Forty-sixth Regiment (see following).
HISTORY OF THE 46TH MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY:
Colonel -- Claudius W. Sears, promoted Brigadier-General March 1, 1864;
William H. Clark, killed at Allatoona. Lieutenant-Colonels -- William K. Easterling,
resigned December, 1863; William H. Clark. Majors -- William H. Clark, Constantine
Rea, died in Georgia; T. D. Magee. Surgeon -- P. J. McCormick. Assistant Surgeon -- R.
L. Dunn. Quartermaster -- W. R. Sheppard. Adjutant -- John Porter, killed at Vicksburg;
John McRae. Ensigns -- R. H. Wilder, W. P. Chambers. Sergeant-Majors -- R. H. Wilder,
S. S. Griffin.
The organization of this regiment from the Sixth Battalion is described in the
sketch of that command [see above]. The original companies had been on duty at
Vicksburg from May to December, 1862. The order designating the command as the
Forty-sixth Regiment was received December 2, 1862. December 21 the regiment was
reviewed by President Davis and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. On the 27th they were ordered
to the scene of battle at Chickasaw Bayou, north of the city, where General Sherman was
attempting to gain a position, from the river. Three companies, Hart's, Sublett's and Rea's,
had been on picket duty along Chickasaw Bayou three weeks before the battle. The
Forty-sixth was mentioned by General Pemberton as one of the commands entitled to the
highest distinction in the defeat of Sherman by Gen. S. D. Lee's command at Chickasaw
Bayou, December, 1862. Two companies under Capt. J. B. Hart, Company E, were with
the Seventeenth Louisiana and Wofford's howitzer, in the successful skirmish at Lake’s
plantation. At Blake's levee, on the 28th, General Lee reported the demonstration of the
enemy, in force, with artillery, was handsomely held in check by Colonel Withers, with the
Forty-sixth Regiment and Johnston's section of artillery. Nine companies were in this fight,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Easterling, and rendered service of great value. Casualties, 1
wounded. Along the levee Withers reported the Federal advance was held in check all day
long by the Forty-sixth Mississippi, Lieutenant Johnston's section and Bowman's Battery.
Paul Hamilton, Adjutant-General of the brigade, was killed on the 29th.
Col. C. W. Sears was assigned to command of the regiment, which never had a
Colonel selected from its own Captains. He took command January 31, and retained it,
though the men petitioned him to resign. About this time the regiment was about 400
effective. As a battalion the regiment had been a part of the command of Gen. M. L.
Smith, commanding at Vicksburg. After the arrival of Gen. S. D. Lee it formed part of his
brigade, with three Louisiana Regiments. February 20, 1863, Brig.-Gen. W. E. Baldwin
was assigned to command of a brigade, including the Fourth and Forty-sixth Mississippi,
Seventeenth and Thirty-first Louisiana, Wofford's and Drew's Batteries and Haynes' and
Smythe’s Companies. March 25 the regiment started to the lower Deer Creek region, in
Issaquena County, and after some time at or near Haynes' landing on the Yazoo, returned
to Vicksburg April 16. Company E, left on Deer Creek as scouts, did not rejoin the
regiment until November, 1863, having meantime taken part in the battle of Jackson,
Miss., and the campaign culminating in the battle of Chickamauga.
The regiment, with the brigade, marched over 100 miles April 29 to May 4,
Vicksburg to Port Gibson and return, and was engaged in battle with the advance of
Grant's army on the Rodney road, before Port Gibson, May 1. In this action the
Forty-sixth was posted as reserve and in support of a battery, at first, but later was put in
position to make a charge when General Baldwin withdrew the order on account of the
evident great strength of the enemy in front. Subsequently four companies reinforced the
line of the Seventeenth Louisiana, the regiment of Baldwin's Brigade most seriously
engaged. Casualties of brigade, 60 killed and wounded. Mention of Capt. S. D. Harris,
Inspector-General; Lieut. P. Hamilton, Aide, and Capt. A. B. Watts, Volunteer Aide, who
had three horses shot under him, and was wounded.
After the return to Vicksburg the brigade was posted at or near Hall’s ferry, until
May 15, when they moved to Mount Alban, and General Baldwin was commander of the
forces on the Big Black. On the 16th the Forty-sixth advanced to Bovina. and that night
news came of the disaster at Baker's Creek, after which the brigade was advanced to the
Big Black bridge, to cover the crossing of troops. Baldwin's Brigade brought up the rear
on the march to Vicksburg, and on the 18th, occupied the outer line of works north of the
city where they sustained and repulsed an assault, and then were withdrawn to the inner
line to a position where the brigade right was near the Riddle house. Colonel Sears
commanded the regiment through the siege "and merited," said Baldwin, "favorable
notice." Lieutenant-Colonel Easterling and Major W. H. Clark were also honorably
mentioned.
Of the surrender General Baldwin wrote: "My command marched over the
trenches and stacked their arms with the greatest reluctance, conscious of their ability to
hold the position assigned them for an indefinite period of time. During the whole siege
the entire command had exhibited the highest degree of patience, fortitude and courage,
bearing deprivations of sufficient food, constant duty in the trenches under a broiling sun
by day and heavy fatigue and picket duty at night, without a murmur, willing to bear any
hardships, confident in sustaining the brunt of any assault, in the hope of anticipated relief
and ultimate triumph. The command was daily aroused and under arms at 3:30 A.M., to
guard against surprise, and nightly our pickets were in advance of our defences and nearly
contiguous to the sentinels of the enemy. The loss in killed and wounded was severe."
The order for march of the division from Vicksburg at 4 P.M., July 11, 1863, on
the Baldwin's Ferry road, was as follows: 1, Baldwin's Brigade; 2, Shoup's Brigade; 3,
Vaughn's Brigade; 3, Harris' State troops; the division under the command of Gen. Shoup,
Gen. Smith remaining at Vicksburg to fulfill the capitulations. The regimental colors,
originally the flag of the Gaines Invincibles, were brought out by Captain Sublett, wrapped
around his body under his shirt. The paroled men were furloughed for sixty days, to report
at Enterprise.
October 24 the Fourth and Forty-sixth and General Pemberton and staff were
announced exchanged.
Baldwin's Brigade, at Enterprise, November 20, included, exchanged and armed,
2,279, the regiments being the Fourth, Thirty-fifth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth and Forty-sixth.
General Johnston was ordered to send the brigade to reinforce Bragg at Missionary Ridge,
November 2, but the brigade did not receive marching orders until the 21st. They arrived
at Dalton, Ga., too late for the battle of November 25, and were ordered to Resaca, and
Sugar Valley. They were listed as part of W. H. T. Walker’s Division, Hardee's Corps.
The brigade was returned to General Polk January 15-16, and sent to General Maury at
Mobile. Maury sent them to Meridian February 7, and Polk sent them to aid Polk [sic;
should read “S.D. Lee”?] in meeting Sherman’s raid to Meridian, but Polk immediately
ordered them back to Mobile. The experience was discouraging to the men, and the
regiment did not contain more than 146 men on its return to Maury. General Baldwin was
killed by accident February 19, and Colonel Sears was promoted Brigadier-General. This
resulted in a disorganization of the brigade. It was reorganized to include the Fourth,
Thirty-fifth, Thirty-sixth, Thirty-ninth and Forty-sixth Regiments and Seventh Battalion.
The brigade was moved to Pollard, Ala., in April to Selma, and early in May to
Anniston, whence they moved to Adairsville, Ga., joining the army of General Johnston
just after the battle of Resaca. With the smaller brigades of Cockrell's Missourians and
Ector's Texans and North Carolinians, they were under the division command of Gen. S.
G. French, a Mississippian, one of the four divisions of Lieut.-Gen. Leonidas Polk's Army
of the Mississippi, after his death Lieut.-Gen. A. P. Stewart's Corps, Army of Tennessee.
From that time until September 6, they were every day but one under fire. In the early part
of the Atlanta campaign the companies were commanded as follows: A, Capt. N. Pace; B,
Lieut. J. S. Duckworth; C, Lieut. W. L. Stanford; D, Capt. James Boswick; E, Lieut.
Smith; F, Capt. T. Wiggins; G, Capt. D. D. Heslip; H, Lieut. David Anderson; I, Capt. T.
Burgess; K, Capt. D. C. Durham. D.C. Chamberlain was Acting Adjutant. The casualties
of the regiment were: at Cassville, 4 wounded; at New Hope Church, 3 killed, 6 wounded,
1 missing; at Latimer House, 1 killed, 1 wounded, 1 missing; at Kenesaw Mountain, 9
killed, 26 wounded, 20 missing; at Smyrna, 5 wounded; at Chattahoochee, 2 killed, 4
wounded, 3 missing; in front of Atlanta, 7 killed, 25 wounded, 7 missing; at Lovejoy's
Station, 1 killed, 2 wounded. Total, 7 killed, 21 wounded, 82 missing. The casualties
named in front of Atlanta occurred August 4, when the Forty-sixth, under Colonel Clark,
constituting the main picket line of the brigade, charged the enemy and drove him back,
regaining our position against heavy force, and taking 21 prisoners. "The gallantry of the
Forty-sixth was highly commended in this affair," wrote General Sears. Colonel Clark had,
occupied the ditches with his regiment and 120 of the dismounted cavalry, in all 420, the
night of August 2, and his advanced vedettes were driven in August 4. In his charge Clark
was supported by another Mississippi regiment. August 27 the regiment joined in the
reconnaissance to the Chattahoochee River, and in the night of September 1 they marched
out of Atlanta as the rear guard, the final fighting of the campaign being at Lovejoy's,
September 2-6.
During this campaign Major Rea commanded the detail of sharpshooters until
mortally wounded near the Chattahoochee River, July 9. He was acting Lieutenant-
Colonel, Captain Magee Acting Major.
General Hood advanced the army northward of Atlanta late in September.
Stewart's Corps moved to Lost Mountain, October 2, and tore up the railroad near Big
Shanty, after which French's Division marched on the night of the 4th to fill the cut at
Allatoona. This place was defended by three redoubts and a star fort on the ridge at
opposite sides of the cut. French attacked and a bloody struggle followed for three or four
hours. General French reported: "Among the killed from Sears' Brigade is Col. W. H.
Clark, Forty-sixth Mississippi. He fell in the advance near the enemy's works with the
battle-flag in his hands. He was an excellent and gallant officer." Three officers of the
regiment were killed, 1 wounded, 4 missing. Total of the regiment, 18 killed, 26 wounded,
56 missing.
After this, Stewart's Corps destroyed the railroad between Resaca and Dalton.
French's Division captured the blockhouse at Tilton, October 13, and next was in battle at
Decatur, Ala., October 26-29, moving thence to Tuscumbia.
They crossed the Tennessee River, November 20, marched against Schofield's
Federal command at Columbia, and on November 29 moved with Stewart's Corps toward
Spring Hill. Following the Federal troops to Franklin, on the Harpeth River, Stewart's
Corps attacked about four in the evening, November 30, on the right of the Confederate
line, French's Division on the left of the corps next to Cheatham's Corps. The first line was
carried, but to reach the second line of works, Sears' Brigade was exposed to a destructive
crossfire of artillery. Maj. T. D. Magee, commanding the Forty-sixth, was among the
wounded before the works were reached. Some were able to reach the ditch in front of the
works, where they remained until next morning, when the Federal troops were withdrawn.
Among these "foremost of the forlorn hope," were the following of the Forty-sixth.
Company A -- Capt. Nicholas Pace, Privates C. L. Nichols, Isaac Whatley. Company B --
Lieut. J. T. Duckworth. Company D -- Lieut. W. H. Barnett, Sergt. J. W. Pennington,
Privates W. Deavers, J. S. Hill, A. Phillips, J. C. Phillips, J. M. Ross, R. H. Sewell.
Company E -- Sergt. D. Hildebrand, Corporal A. Screws (wounded). Company F -- Capt.
T. P. Wiggins, Sergts. W. M. McElroy, W. W. Harvey (wounded severely at main ditch),
Private J. W. Kittrell. Company G -- Lieut. J. A. Epting, Corporals W. Warren, A. M.
Anderson, J. M. Eakin, Privates J. Drummond (w), S. B. Windham (w). Company H --
Private J. B. White. Company I -- Capt. T. Burgess (wounded twice severely near main
ditch). Company K -- Private T. A, Florence. There were only five men of Company C left
at the time of this battle, under Sergeant Blakeman. Corporal William Chew was killed and
the Sergeant and James Cattle and William Hagan were wounded, leaving John Bowen for
duty.
The casualties of Sears' Brigade were said to be 30 killed, 168 wounded, 35
missing. The remnant marched to Nashville. Some were detached with Bate's Division to
support Forrest in the siege of Murfreesboro, and were in battle at Overall's Creek,
December 4, and before Murfreesboro December 7. December 9 the brigade effective
was 210 men. Marching back to Nashville over icy roads, many barefooted, they fought in
Walthall’s line, December 15-16. Walthall's remnants of two divisions were almost
surrounded before they gave way.
"Brigadier-General Sears, late in the day, lost a leg, and subsequently fell into the
enemy's hands." (Stewart). "A solid shot passed through his horse and struck him just
below the knee; the lower part of his leg was amputated. It was found impracticable to
bring him out, so he was left near Pulaski. Captain Henderson and Lieut. Harper were
both very badly wounded and left in the enemy's hands. I was slightly wounded in the foot
by a shell." (E. T. Freeman, of French's staff). Walthall’s command crossed the Tennessee
River, December 26, and marched to Tupelo. "My shoes fell from my feet between
Franklin and Columbia, and I was forced to march all the way down to Tupelo, a distance
of about three hundred miles, barefooted, in a constant snowstorm and sleet the like of
which I never saw before or since," writes Lieut. R. N. Rea.
Major Freeman wrote, January 10: "The whole army cannot muster 5,000 effective
men. Great numbers are going home every day, many nevermore to return, I fear.
Nine-tenths of the men and line officers are barefooted." W.P. Chambers wrote, in his
journal, January 15: "The regiment numbers about 150 men, about half of whom are
barefooted. All are ragged and dirty and covered with vermin. There are, perhaps, twenty
guns, but not a single cartridge box in the regiment. The men are jovial enough regarding
their condition, but when one speaks of the prosecution of the war they are entirely
despondent, being entirely convinced that the Confederacy is gone. Captain Heslip, of
Company E, is in command of the regiment. Major Nelson, of the Fourth, commands the
brigade, which is attached to Walthall's Division. I do not think there is a stand of colors in
the brigade." January 19 Captain Hart assumed command of the regiment.
French's Division was ordered to report to General Maury at Mobile, February 1,
1865. The return of March 10 showed Sears' Brigade commanded by Col. Thomas X.
Adair, the Forty-sixth Regiment commanded by Capt. J. A. Barwick. General Steele,
commanding the Union expedition from Pensacola, reported that on April 1 an outpost
four and a half miles in front of Blakely was carried by assault and the battleflag of the
Forty-sixth Mississippi and 74 prisoners taken. This was about half the regiment. When
Fort Blakely was captured, April 9, 1865, another portion of the regiment because
prisoners of war. They were taken to Ship Island and paroled in May. Another portion
escaped and about twenty-five represented the regiment at Cuba Station, Ala., when
informed of the capitulation of Lieut.-Gen. Richard Taylor, commanding the department,
at Citronelle, Ala., May 4, 1865.
Authorities: Register of Officers, History of Regiment by W. P. Chambers, notes
by Robert Bowman and R. N. Rea.