5th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry

Brief History
5th Cavalry Regiment was assembled at Columbus, Mississippi during the summer of 1863. Many of the men had seen prior service in various state commands, and some were from Panola and Kemper counties. It was assigned to Chalmers', W.F. Slemons', R. McCulloch's, Mabrey's, and W. Adams' Brigade. Companies C, D, E, H, and K were captured at Selma in April, 1865, and the remaining companies were included in the surrender of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. Its commanders were Colonel James Z. George; Lieutenant Colonels James A. Barksdale, P.H. Echols, W.M. Reed, and Nathaniel Wickliffe; and Majors W.G. Henderson and William B. Perry.


 * Associated unit: 19th (George's) Cavalry Battalion, organized during the late summer of 1863. Disbanded early in 1864. Some of its members joined the 5th Mississippi Cavalry Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel James Z. George was its commander.


 * The 5th Mississippi Cavalry (formerly 19th Battalion Mississippi Cavalry [George’s)] Internet site has a longer history taken from Dunbar Rowland's Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898.
 * A similar history can be found on the 5th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry Internet site of the Attala County, Mississippi USGenWeb page. It also has a link to all company rosters.

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.

Rosters arranged by company can be found on the 5th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry Company RostersInternet site. In addition to those shown below, there are links to rosters for Company Unknown and Company F&amp;S (Headquarters Staff)

Company A - (Mississippi Rangers) - raised in Carroll County see Roster

Company B - (Trotter’s Company) - raised in Carroll County see Roster

Company C - (Curtis’ Company) - raised in Carroll County see Roster

Company D - (Scales’ Company) - raised in Carroll County see Roster

Company E - (Love’s Company) - raised in Attala County see Roster

Company F - (Povall’s Company) - raised in Madison County see Roster

Company G - (Allen’s Company) - raised in Lauderdale County see Roster

Company H - (Hill’s Company) - raised in Panola County see Roster

Company I - (Turner’s Company) - raised in Attala County see Roster

Company K - (Ward’s Company) - raised in DeSoto County see Roster

Company L - (Saunders’) - county of origin not specified see Roster

Company Unknown - see Roster

Company F&amp;S (Headquarters Staff) see Roster

Other Sources

 * 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.


 * 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),