1st Regiment, Mississippi Infantry (Johnston's)

Brief History
1st Infantry Regiment completed its organization at Corinth, Mississippi, during the spring of 1861. The men were raised in the counties of Marshall, Itawamba, De Soto, Panola, Lafayette, Tishomingo, and Smith. On February 16, 1862, it was captured at Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Exchanged and attached to Beall's Brigade, Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana, it was again captured at Port Hudson. After the exchange the regiment served in General Featherston's Brigade. Surrendered in April, 1865. The field officers were Colonels Thomas H. Johnston and John M. Sumonton, Lieutenant Colonel A.S. Hamilton, and Major M.S. Alcorn.


 * The 1st Mississippi Infantry Internet site has a longer history taken from Dunbar Rowland's Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898.

Regiment Companies with the County of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - (Walker Reserves) - raised in Marshall County

Company B - (Mooresville Darts) - raised in Itawamba County

Company C - (Reub Davis Rebels) - many men from Pontotoc County and DeSoto County

Company D - (DeSoto Greys) - many men from DeSoto County and Panola County

Company E - (Pleasant Mount Rifles) - many men from Panola County and Marshall County

Company F - (Alcorn Rifles) - many men from Marshall County and Lafayette County

Company G - (Dave Rogers Rifles) - many men from Lafayette County and Itawamba County

Company H - (James Creek Volunteers) - raised in Tishomingo County

Company I - (Rifle Scouts) - raised in Itawamba County

Company K - (Mississippi Yankee Hunters) - many men from Itawamba County and Smith County

Information from Military Annals of Mississippi: Military Organizations which Entered the Service of the Confederate States of America from the State of Mississippi, by John C. Rietti, Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company Publishers, 1976, p.16. Includes rosters.

Source Material

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Mississippi in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Mississippi in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Mississippi, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * Hewitt, Lawrence Lee. A place named ... desperate!. (Baton Rouge, Louisiana : VAAPR, c1982),


 * Howell, H. Grady. For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand!: A Muster Listing of All Known Mississippi Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines. (Chickasaw Bayou Press, 1998),


 * Rowland, Dunbar. Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898: taken from the Official and Statistical Register of the State of Mississippi, 1908. (Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company),


 * Wilson, LeGrande James. The Confederate soldier. (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1990),