17th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry

United States     U.S. Military      Mississippi      Mississippi Military      Mississippi in the Civil War      17th Regiment, Mississippi Infantry

Brief History
17th Infantry Regiment was organized at Corinth, Mississippi, in June, 1861 and soon movd to Virginia. The men were drawn from the counties of Pike, Chickasaw, Marshall, Quitman, Alcorn, Tishomingo, Panola, Grenada, and Benton. It fought under D.R. Jones at First Manassas and in April, 1862 contained 692 effectives. During the remainder of the war it served under Generals H. Cobb, Griffith, Barksdale, and Humphreys. After fighting at Leesburg, the 17th was active in the difficult campaigns of the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, except when detached to Chickamauga and Knoxville. It was involved in Early's Shenandoah Valley operations and later the Appomattox Campaign. This regiment took 600 men to Leesburg and lost 2 killed and 9 wounded. It reported 15 killed and 92 wounded during the Seven Days' Battles, 9 killed and 77 wounded of the 270 at Sharpsburg, 13 wounded at Fredericksburg, and 10 killed and 70 wounded at Chancellorsville. Of the 469 engaged at Gettysburg, forty-three percent were disabled. Many were lost at Sayler's Creek, and only 3 officers and 62 men surrendered. The field officers were Colonels Winfield S. Featherston, John C. Fixer, and William D. Holder; Lieutenant Colonel John McGuirk; and Majors William L. Duff, John M. Lyles, and Edward W. Upshaw.

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.