16th Mississippi Infantry Regiment

On June 27, 1862 this flag, carried by the 16th Mississippi Infantry, was shot 11 times and the color bearer killed. Though unreadable, in the upper quadrant bears a handwritten inscription "Through God we shall do valiantly, for He is that shall tread down our enemies."

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Organized June 8, 1861 at Corinth, Mississippi, Colonel Carnot Posey commanding.  Reorganized April 28, 1862.  Surrendered with General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865.

Colonel Carnot Posey, 16th Mississippi Infantry Regiment.

Colonels-Carnot Posey, promoted Brigadier-General, mortally wounded at Bristoe Station; Samuel L. Baker, killed at Bloody Angle; Edward C. Councill, mortally wounded at Weldon Railroad.

Lt.-Colonels-Robert Clark, James J. Shannon; Abrom M. Feltus, killed at Spottsylvania; Senaca McNeil Bain.

Majors-Jeff H. Bankston, Samuel E. Baker, E. C. Councill, S. M. Bain, Thomas R. Stockdale.

Surgeons-A. B. Snell; G. Alston Groves, died at Gettysburg. Penn.

Assistant Surgeons- Gwin and Groves.

Chaplains-S. H. Ross, died 12 February, 1865; A. H. Lomax, 1863-1865.

Battles

Skirmishes Centreville, and Fairfax Court House, Virginia, Oct. 10-17, 1861                                             

Skirmishes Warrenton Station, and Kelly's Ford, Virginia March 15-23 , 1862                                              

Battles of Front Royal, and Winchester, Virginia, May 23-25, 1862                                                         

Operations against Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, May 28-30, 1862

Battle of Cross Keys, (Union Church), Virginia, June 8, 1862     

Battles before Richmond, at Cold Harbor and Malvern Hill, Virginia, June 27-July 1, 1862                                 

Skirmish at Stevensburg, Virginia, August 20, 1862               

Battle of Second Bull Run (Manassas), Virginia, August 30, 1862

Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam), Maryland, September 17, 1862   

Skirmish at Hazel Run, Virginia, Nov. 9-11, 1862               

Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Dec. 11-15, 1862           

Battle of Chancellorsville, and Second Fredericksburg, Virginia, April 29-May 6, 1863                                      

Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2-3, 1863             

Skirmish at Falling Waters, Maryland, July 14, 1863           

Skirmishes near Culpeper Court House, Virginia, August 1-4, and September 12-14, 1863                                           

Skirmish Bristoe Station -near Broad River, Virginia, October 14, 1863           

Battle of Mine Run, Virginia, November 25-December 3, 1863     

Skirmishes along the Rapidan, Virginia, February, 1864          

Battle of the Wilderness, Virginia, May 6-7, 1864               

Battle of Spottsylvania, Virginia, (Po River, Mule Shoe), May 9-17, 1864                                                      

Skirmish at North Anna River, (Jericho Mills), Virginia, May 26, 1864                                                       

Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, June 2-11, 1864                

Skirmishes near Weldon Rail Road, Virginia, June 21-July 30, 1864                                                            

Battle of Fussell's Mills, Virginia, August 18-19, 1864         

Skirmishes South of Petersburg, Virginia, September 10-Dec. 7, 1864                                                            

Skirmishes near Belfield, Dinwiddie Court House, Burgess's Mills, Virginia, January 25- February 7, 1865                   

Skirmishes at Swift Run and Richmond, Virginia, February 28-April 1, 1865                                                

Battle of Fort Gregg, April 2, 1865                             

Surrender with Gen Robert E. Lee, Appomattox Court House, Virginia, April 9, 1865

Notes

Cross Keys, Virginia, June 8, 1862.  General Trimble's Brigade (which included 21st Georgia, 15th Alabama, 21st North Carolina and the 16th Mississippi) slaughtered the 8th New York Infantry. Hidden behind a rail fence bordering a small patch of woods Trible's Brigade awaited the 8th New York. In a double battle line the 8th New York marched unknowingly toward the fence. Five hundred Union troops against nearly thirteen hundred Confederate troops.  The Confederates were prone behind the fence with their weapons sticking through the spaces between the rails.  The bottom two rail spaces had been stuffed with leafs to hide the men from view.  The 16th Mississippi was carrying the Harpers Ferry Musket loaded with ball and three buckshot. At forty yards the command for men in the rear of the Confederate line to stand was given.  Swiftly they rose and then the command to fire was heard.  A sheet of fire ran along their line, followed by a crash that resounded through the woods.  The deadly volley killed 80 men and more than 100 wounded.  The Confederate brigade sprang across the fence, shouting and firing as they went.  The Southerners captured another 74 as the surviving Union troops fled.  The 16th Mississippi continued across the field and attacked the 27th Pennsylvania and Buell's battery of artillery.  Colonel Posey was wounded in this attack. The Mississippian's were being stopped and taking heavy losses when the 21st Georgia arrived and both units attacked the Union line causing it to retreat.

Fort Gregg, Petersburg, Virginia, April 2, 1865. Portions of the 16th and 12th Mississippi, Brig. Gen J. Lane's North Carolina, one rifled cannon manned by the New Orleans Washington Artillery, and one rifled cannon manned by the 4th Maryland Artillery, a total of 214 men, were asked to man Fort Gregg. The time  was urgent.  Robert E. Lee and his army was about to be destroyed and they needed the men at Fort Gregg to hold of the Union army for two hours to allow General Lee to escape with his army intact.  What faced the Mississippians that day were nearly 8000 union assault troops and heavy artillery.  Fort Gregg held out for three hours against four heavy assaults.  When finally the Union troops surrounded the fort and climbed over it's walls.  Then there was another 30 minutes of savage hand to hand fighting in which all manor of weapons were used from bayonets and clubbing rifles to bricks gathered form chimneys toppled by artillery fire.  Finally the Confederates surrendered.  Inside the fort lay 55 dead Confederates, nearly 40 forty being killed after they surrendered, 129 wounded.  Only 30 Confederates survived any injuries.  Outside the fort nearly 700 Union troops lay dead or wounded.  General Lee and his army (which included the rest of the 16th Mississippi) escaped to Appomattox Court House.

Company A, Summit Rifles, Pike County

Company B, Westville Guards, Simpson County

Company C, Crystal Springs Southern Rights, Copiah County

Company D, Adams Light Guard (#2), Adams County  

Company E, Quitman Guards, Pike County

Company F, Jasper Grays, Jasper County

Company G, Fairview Rifles, Claiborne County

Company H, Defenders, Smith County

Company I, Adams Light Guard (#1), Adams County

Company K, Wilkinson Rifles, Wilkinson County

References

Grandfathers Journal, Austin C. Dobbins, Morningside, 1988.

Conquering The Valley, Robert K. Krick, William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, 1996.

Last-Ditch Stand at Petersburg, By Ronald E. Bullock, America's Civil War Magazine, May 1997.

A Mississippi Rebel in the Army of Northern Virginia, David Holt, Thomas D. Cockrell and Michael B. Ballard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana State Univ. Press, 1995.

The Bloody Acute Angle, A. T. Watts, Galveston News, July 15, 1893. Baltimore: Press of the Friedenwald, Co., 1897.

Historical Sketch of the Quitman Guards, Company E, 16th Miss. Reg., New Orleans, LA, Isaac T. Hinton, printer, 1866.