The 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment: A Day to Day History of Its Soldiers 1861-1865 - Paperback

by Robert C. Wells (Author)

This book is a daily record of every soldier of the 27th Mississippi Infantry Regiment from its organization in Pensacola in 1862 until its surrender in North Carolina in 1865. The regiment was formed by men from the following Mississippi counties: Oktibbeha, Choctaw, Winston, Jones, Pontotoc, Tallahatchie, Leake, Covington, Perry, Jasper, Scott, Monroe, and Jackson. Extensive research of official records of each soldier, casualty reports, pension applications, cemeteries, hospital registers, and letters can hopefully give a more comprehensive account of what happened to every soldier during the war. The regiment was in the center of the fighting in the Battles of Perryville, Stones River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Atlanta, Ezra Church, Jonesboro, Franklin and Nashville. They served in the brigades of two excellent leaders, General Edward Walthall and General William Brantley. One hundred and fifty-three were captured and imprisoned during the war. Special attention is given to hardships of prisoners of war, escapes, those who volunteered to fight Indians with the Union army, and the few that fought with the Union navy. A total of about 500 perished in the war, somewhere around one hundred and thirty-five were killed in action with the rest dying from disease and accidents. Approximately 400 were wounded. Twenty-three amputations were counted but lack of casualty records suggest there were higher numbers. Many lost several sons in the war with one couple losing five. Several men died leaving behind a wife and as many as six children. Most of the survivors returned to Mississippi but many migrated to other states. The greatest number moved to Texas with others finding their way to Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Others relocated as far as Colorado, Montana, and California.Most returning soldiers were farmers, but others became doctors, merchants, educators, preachers, and state legislators. One became a Lieutenant Governor and another the Danish Consulate to the city of San Francisco. Listed are many ancestors of the 27th Mississippi who served proudly in the United States military in the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.