National Event- Shiloh

[Dale Beasley]

Hope you guys enjoy the picture.

[coastaltrash]

It's a good one Dale. I wish Grady was a little easier to get in touch with, his books, including the one with all of the pictures are top notch research tools.

[Dale Beasley]

Hope everyone can look as dashing... Put a stash and grow his hair longer, my oldest could pass.

[Archie R. Lib]

Well Patrick, at the very least we're in shape to march a ways and have plenty of powder to burn!

If you'll have us, just toss us in wherever you need some help. We're really looking forward to it! Each of us has a 6th Miss impression we're bendin' to haul out.

VR,
Rich

[Justin Morris]

Just a reminder on the company options for you to sign up with.

Independent Rifles/ Company C - Justin Morris
Old Northwest Volunteers/ Company F - Rod Miller
Texas Ground Hornets - Cody Mobley
Breckinridge Grays - Chad Wrinn
Lazy Dog Mess - TBD- Contact at this time is John Spain

[ohpkirk]

Ya'll are welcome to pitch in with the rest of the Trans-Miss trash....whatever company assignment we end up having.

[GenuineInformation]

Gents,

I have been doing some research on the 6th Miss. in the main library here at Ole Miss. I checked out "Going to Meet the Yankees," Grady Howell's regimental history on the 6th. If there is anything you want me to look for in that book or in something else at the library, let me know and I'll be glad to, as I realize copies may be difficult to come by for many of us. What I've gathered so far is this:

When the regiment was first armed, it was with a mix of Hall rifles (of which they had 400, given to them by the Governor of Louisiana--he got them from the Baton Rouge Arsenal), flintlocks, and flintlock conversions (records have them receiving cartridges for Hall rifles, cartridges for muskets, and musket caps). This is evidenced by a telegram from Col. Thornton (in Camp Johnston in Union City, TN) to Gen. Polk, dated September 29, 1861, quoted on pp. 51-52 of "Going to Meet the Yankees." Thornton complains of the need of a blacksmith to "fit up some of the guns in camp" and to drill touchholes in the barrels. Perhaps this means to complete flintlock conversions?

Howell notes on p. 51 that until arriving in Trenton, TN, all previous supplies had been drawn from Mississippi's arsenals and commissaries.

Over the winter of '61-62, which the 6th spent in Bowling Green, Kentucky, they received lots of clothing and equipment, noted on pp. 67-68 of Howell's book.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is my pure conjecture:
They may have been receiving shipments from Nashville (closer, more direct by rail, and there is one account of soldiers faking sick to get to ride the train to the hospital in Nashville) or perhaps Memphis (which in turn, looking at documents scanned and hosted on the Missouri Boot & Shoe webpage, was receiving goods through a contract with Magee & George and I believe also through the Baton Rouge Arsenal, who was marking things on its own as well as buying Magee and George stuff), which was only 150 miles downriver from Columbus, KY where there seems to have been a major supply depot.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to Howell's book:

The 6th was in the rear guard for the retreat toward and through Nashville in February. They went from Nashville to Huntsville to Corinth, where they arrived on March 27. Howell writes:

"Sometime between March 29th and the 3rd of April, the balance of the regiment was issued Enfield Rifles with accoutrements recently run through the Union Gulf blockade..." (Howell 74)

***It's not really clear what Howell means by "the balance of the regiment," since he doesn't talk about what the other part of the regiment had at Corinth.***
His sources on that footnote are from The Confederate Veteran magazine, from issues dating from 1910 and 1917, so it might just be a unclear/imprecise reminiscence of a soldier in the 6th fifty years after the fact.
He later directly quotes one of the soldiers listed in the "balance of the regiment" footnote, Sgt. T.B. Cox of Co. I, "The Rankin Greys":

"Col. Thornton, standing cool and unflincing in the rear of the regiment and within ten paces of the position I held in the line, ordered a 'lie down,' then a charge, then again 'lie down,' another charge, at which the regiment cleared the branch and opened with their Enfields upon the enemy, pushing up the line of battle and their encampment." (Howell 84)

This suggests that the whole regiment had Enfields--and at least Co. I had them. However, this quote is taken from the same page and issue of The Confederate Veteran, in 1910, that is listed as the footnote for the "balance of the regiment" quote on p. 74 of Howell.

Some ordnance return records posted in another thread by Will MacDonald state that the majority of the ammunition used by the 6th was .69 cal. Buck and Ball.
That thread is located at this link: http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...enfield+shiloh

The following is historical conjecture on my part:

Judging from "Portraits of Conflict: Mississippi," I saw a ton of forked tongue buckles on early war Mississippi troops. This is the pattern similar to those documented to Magee & George. These troops, however, are from Mississippi units that wound up in the ANV. Still, if they were equipped before arriving in Virginia, it might help with determining what Mississippi was supplying her troops.

However, after referencing "Going to Meet the Yankees," and looking at the ordnance return records posted by Mr. MacDonald, it seems that an Enfield rifle with English leathers may be the most specifically documented equipage for the regiment in general, even if it did not represent an overall majority for the regiment. The problem of course with Howell's sources is that they were published approx. 50 years after the battle of Shiloh.

My hunch is that by the time the 6th arrived at Shiloh, the regiment's soldiers without Enfields would have likely had a mix of unmarked leathers, Magee & George stuff either that they got in Winter of 61-62 via Memphis or Columbus, KY, but also some Nashville stuff in there as well. Other than that, I suspect Corinth probably had (in addition to the English stuff documented) stuff from Memphis due again to proximity (with Memphis having received some stuff from Baton Rouge/Magee & George). So, in short, any of that stuff is fair game in my opinion.

At any rate, when the 6th arrived at Shiloh, they were certainly muddy (See Ch. IV in Howell).

I hope this helps and is not a hindrance.

Note to Moderators: I have attributed information in this post where it is applicable. If anything in this post creates copyright issues, regardless of citation, please edit it out. As I am new to this forum, I'm getting used to what is and is not postable.

Best regards,

[Justin Morris]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to share all of this info Joseph! I don't have this book, so any info you can post I for one will greatly appreciate it.

Justin

[GenuineInformation]

At some point there is a reference early on to receiving "Infantry buttons." I will try to find it. If it was before they got to Trenton, these might be the Mississippi star I buttons made by Hyde & Goodrich of New Orleans. If after Trenton, who knows what sort of Confederate I button they would have been.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I found the reference to Infantry buttons--in the excellent posted by Mr. MacDonald, linked at: http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...055#post191055

In it, Col. Thornton notes in May 1861 of getting 4 gross of "small Infantry buttons". Thanks for posting this, Mr. MacDonald. This date would put their receipt well before the regiment arrived at Trenton, TN, and began receiving items from sources outside Mississippi.

[Coatsy]

Joe has some spare time and a nice library to peruse in Oxford.. Lucky dog! For being out of reenacting for big kid school Joe is jumping back in with both feet. Very cool stuff.