Company K, 7th Mississippi “Quitman Rifles” enlisted at Bunckley Ferry, in southeast Franklin Co. by the forty-three year old Methodist minister Newton Lawrence Huff on 26 Aug. 1861. Huff was a beloved minister as diaries of soldiers in different units attest. The soldiers would write if they were killed, they wanted Reverent Newt Huff of Franklin County to preach their funerals. Being a good minister does not make a good commanding officer, therefore, he gracefully bowed out and went home and joined the militia. After the war, he was elected sheriff and was killed by a criminal.
As a sad side note to history, we are told that a prominent citizen of Meadville acquired the land where the Huff Cemetery was located and moved the tombs and later built his house over the site where Newt Huff is buried. Our Civil War heroes have been forgotten by so many.
THE MEN OF COMPANY K
Captain Newton Lawrence Huff — resigned 4 May 1862; enlisted in Co. C 2nd Militia 1st Lieut. Joseph Ferdinand Sessions — from 10th Miss; resigned; joined 23rd Cavalry as Captain and later Major. Lost an arm in the war. Served as State Representative from Franklin Co. after the war; was attended all during the war by his servant, Gibbs Sheppard. 2nd Lieut. Thomas J. Godbold — resigned due to tubercu1ous; died in 1863 3rd Lieut. B. W. Harris — resigned “could not get along with the men” 1st Sgt. William L. Godbold — acquired M. Roddy as substitute; later served in the Legislature; owned over 1000 acres at Knoxville 2nd Sgt. A. F. Davis - hurt in railroad accident; wounded at Shiloh and Chickamauga; on last roll as Captain; buried at Union Baptist Church. He was born 30 July 1840; educated in Mexico, Missouri; was a school teacher in Amite Co. Ms and later a merchant in Roxie, Ms. He died 22 Apr 1897. 3rd Sgt. Samuel O’Neil/O’Neal — discharged Mar 1862 as 1st Sgt. 4th Sgt. Marshall Day — died of Shiloh wounds; he and Sam Day were brothers 5th Sgt. E. T. Anderson — discharged for lung trouble; “died” 1st Corp. Sumpter M. Wilson — died 27 Apr 1862 of typhoid 2nd Corp. Dougald L. McMillan — probable disability discharge 3rd Corp. Thomas J. Edwards — killed in railroad accident at Ponchatoula, La. The men of the company used their blankets to wrap up the dead before burial and some were without blankets at Shiloh. A descendant of this man married my brother. 4th Corp. Joel Freeman — captured and exchanged in KY; on last roll
Privates Manfield L. Aldridge — from Co. A; hurt in railroad accident; to 3rd Engineers John E. Allred — transferred to Co. A 7th Miss; transferred to 44th Miss; died in Lincoln Co. Ms William H. Allred — wounded at Shiloh arid Murfreesboro; surrendered in N. C. D. L. C. Anderson — killed in train wreck at Ponchatula, La James Elam Bane Miles Bass — on roll Aug 1864; from Amite Co. Ms Robert Bass — killed at Chickamauga; from Amite Co. Ms A. Block - discharged by Conscript Act Obediah Bradshaw — died of typhoid 20 Apr 1862 (probably wounded at Shiloh) William H. Bradshaw — on last roll Aug 1864; died 1895/6 James A. Bright — died at New Orleans due to railroad accident Cicero C. Brown — captured in KY and paroled; surrendered in N. C.; a distant cousin Joseph S. Burckhalter — captured at Kennesaw Mountain; released May 1865 Joseph H. Butler — died of typhoid June 1862; son of Mrs. Mary Butler of Amite Co. Ms James Pollard Butler — died 29 May 1862, son of Zachariah Butler William Lovell Butler — died 26 Mar 1862; son of Zachariah Butler B. Cain - discharged as overage; enlisted in Captain Hall’s Company James Isaiah Cain — transferred to 3rd Confederate Engineers *William Cain — widow’s pension; he was captured at Shiloh and died in prison R. T. A. Caraway — did not return from leave 4 Feb 1864; joined Co. C 23rd Conf. Cavalry George R. Thomas Carlock - discharged for disability Nov 1862 James J. Carlock — died of disease at Chattanooga, Tn Ransom W. Carlock — died of typhoid; wife and one child on Confederate Relief William Thomas J. Carlock - apparently discharged due to illness in 1862 R. M. Cassella — wounded at Chattanooga; to various hospitals Ferdinand L. Causey — killed in railroad accident 27 Feb 1862; mother was Mrs. Priscilla NoSehee Richard W. Clark - discharged Nov 1862 Griffing P. Claughton, Jr. - wounded Murfreesboro; paroled at hospital in N. C. George P. Claughton — was ill and not required to go into battle at Shiloh but went in and was wounded in the breast. His servant was bringing him home when he died at Summit, Ms Robert H. Cloy — died of disease at Rome, Ga Alex Cockran — discharged for disability; enlisted in 14th Confederate Cavalry F. Cockran - died 2 Dec 1861 Zachariah Monroe Coward — transferred to Co. A 7th Miss Samuel Cruise — transferred to Co. A 7th Miss R. Harmon Day — died 20 Apr 1862; probably wounded at Shiloh Iverson Day — discharged Jan 1863; joined Yerger’s State Troops; became Captain of a Company J. M. Day — from Co. C; discharged Aug 1862 J. V. Day - discharged Aug 1862 William H. Day -. from Co. C; was a nurse in Ga Aug 1864 H. C. Dillon — became 1st Lieut.; received a leave in 1864 *J. D. Dooley — captured at Selma, Al Apr 1865 William H. Durham — sixteen year old boy killed at Mumfordville, Ky John W. Ewell — discharged as under aged; enlisted in 23rd Confederate Cavalry A. E. Ford - killed at and received Cross of Honor for battle of Murfreesboro E. J. Foreman — hurt for life in railroad accident; captured in Ga F. C. Foreman - last hospital report showed in a Ga hospital Oct 1864 R. V. Foreman — on last roll Aug 1864 Francis Marion — killed in train accident at Ponchatoula, La James M. Freeman — captured at Nashville; died in a Union prison Benard “Bear’ Gardner — discharged by Conscript Act H. Z. Gardner — wounded severely at Atlanta; thirty days leave in Feb 1865 George W. L. Green — was forty seven years of age; apparently discharged in 1862 Isham Griffin -. died of Shiloh wounds; lived at Knoxville John F. W. Griffin - on last roll Aug 1864 Bryant D. Halford — right arm and shoulder ruined and ribs broken by wounds at Murfreesboro; drew a pension James M. Halford — discharged due to rupture in 1863; drew a pension Thomas N. Halford — wounded Murfreesboro; joined Co. I 14th Cavalry W. S. Haygood — died Apr 1862 of typhoid; born Iberville, La Lawson Hickenbottom — discharged Jan 1863; enlisted in Co. I 14th Confederate Cavalry S. Howell — discharged by Conscript Act Ferdinand C. Huff — from Co. A; discharged; joined Co. I 14th Confederate Cavalry William H. Huff — died of typhoid Apr 1862; probably wounded at Shiloh K. W. Hughey — discharged in 1862 *J R. Jackson - captured at Selma, Al. Apr 1865 Calvin L. Jones — captured and exchanged in Ky; on last roll John P. D. Jones — 3rd Sgt. killed at Nashville N.B. Jones - possibly joined another company G. Washington J. Jones — killed in railroad accident; son of William F. Jones William Jones — died at Pass Christian of pneumonia; son of F. P. Jones Lemuel Keith — discharged as under aged; enlisted in Co. I 14th Confederate Cavalry W. F. Keith — discharged in 1862 “died” S.T. King - died at home in Amite Co. 14 May 1862 Thomas M. Lard/Laird - wounded at Shiloh; permanently disabled at Murfreesboro F. T. Lard/Laird — wounded at Shiloh; died of wounds at Murfreesboro Goshen Lee — discharged and re-enlisted; died in Ga Dec 1863 *P. V. Lester — captured at Selma, 41 Apr 1865 Jacob Levy - regimental tailor; discharged as Prussian Subject S. Levy — discharged as French Subject; a merchant Samuel G. Long— transferred to Co. E 7th Miss Francis Long - discharged; joined 4th Cavalry J. Fleming Mayhall — straggled in Ky; conscripted in Forrest Cavalry John H. McGehee — discharged for disability: forty-seven years old Louis McGehee - discharged as over aged Thomas W. McGehee — discharged for Shiloh wounds; a doctor David McKey — wounded at Mumfordsville, Ky and died Thomas S. McKnight — captured in Ky and paroled; leave in 1864 Ellis C. McManus - from Co. A 7th Miss; discharged at Jonesboro, Ga 1864 William G. Mercer - killed in railroad accident Briant Moore — elected 2nd Lieut.; not reelected George W. Moore — wounded at Shiloh, Atlanta and at Meridian in Apr 1865 Asa Morgan — from Co. A 7th Miss; deserted 10 Feb 1864 Joel R. L. Parker — wounded and captured Murfreesboro; exchanged; in hospital Aug 1864 John H. Parker — transferred to Sharpshooters; drew a pension T. Elam Parker - captured in May and exchanged; various hospitals William H. Parker — promoted to Adjutant; wounded 19 Aug 1864. B. F. Parsons - died in Tn of pneumonia; born in Amite Co. Ms J. Y. Parsons - killed in railroad accident Samuel E. Rawlingson/Robinson — discharged for dropsy; born in Pike Go- Ms Hiram C. Reynolds — discharged and re-enlisted; captured at Franklin, Tn; died in prison James N. Reynolds — died in Tn Alexander Robinson — sixteen year old musician; missing at Atlanta John H Robinson — from hospital to Armstrong’s Command; captured in Al N. H. Robinson — discharged as under aged; re-enlisted; on last roll W. P. Robinson — wounded at Chickamauga; to various hospitals ‘dead’ M. Roddy — thirty—six year old substitute; died of fever Davis B. Steele — wounded at Atlanta; on hospital roll Sept 1864 Samuel Steele — shown on Liberty, Ms monument as killed J. N. Sterling — transferred to Sharpshooters V. P. Sterling — discharged for disability in 1862; born in Amite Co. Ms Thomas Swearingen — died at Shieldsboro; from Amite Co. Ms J. D. Taylor — on last roll Aug 1864 N. B. Taylor — twenty—five days leave Feb 1864 “dead” James N. Tillery — over aged and sick Dec 1861 John L. Tillery — discharged for disability; nineteen years old J. S. Turner - killed at Shiloh Solomon C. Weathersby -- discharged; enlisted in Powers’ Confederate Cavalry E. K. Webb - transferred to Sharpshooters John White — died at Shiloh Joseph A. White - discharged in 1862 “health always bad” Thomas A. White — from Co. A 7th Miss; on last roll Webster “Webb” White — died in Amite Co. Ms 10 May 1862 of fever Dempsey Whittington — injured for life in railroad accident; joined Co. K 33rd Miss Franklin Whittington — killed in railroad accident; son of Noah Whittington George B. Whittington - discharged; joined Co. K 33rd Miss Hampton C. Whittington — from Co. C to Co. K; apparently joined another company J. L. Whittington — transferred to 3rd Confederate Engineers Leander J. Whittington — from Co. A; wounded Murfreesboro and captured N. C. Whittington — died at Marietta, Ga Napoleon Bonaparte Whittington - killed in railroad accident; son of Elam Whittington Stephen Y.. Whittington — died 20 Apr 1862; son of Wiley Whittington S. D. Wilkinson - on last roll; surrendered with cavalry Alexander Wilson — wounded in Ga; on wounded furlough at surrender N. B. Wilson — killed in railroad collision; brother of Alexander and Sumpter Wilson
*means someone whom we feel was not a member of the 7th Mississippi ,but the person named is found on the microfilm records of the regiment. Although there were some elderly and some very young in the Regiment, these were discharged in 1862 if they wanted to get out which left a group of healthy young men. A large number died of diarrhea or as it was a called “camp sickness” and the physically unfit were weeded out. Those physically unfit, many times were able to regain their health a few months at home and were placed in other Confederate Units.
It is hoped that the low desertion rate was due to patriotism, honor and love of native state Where was perhaps an overlooked reason for the low absent without leave rate and that was the type of men who commanded the cavalry in the home counties of Amite, Covington, Franklin, Lawrence, Marion and Pike Counties.
In May of 1862, elections were held in the Regiment and in nearly all companies, the officers were not reelected. These disgruntled officers went home and in many cases joined cavalry companies who were often ordered to catch deserters and return them to their Commands. The men in the cavalry companies were mainly men who had earlier received medical discharges. Therefore, neither the officers or enlisted men looked with kindness on absent without leave and they made concerted efforts to catch absentees. Absentees found it was safer to go to the Yankees than it was to remain in various counties of southwest Mississippi. This was particularly true until after the Confederate defeat at Nashville.
It is heart rending to read that most companies were so decimated after Shiloh that usually two were combined to form one good company. After the losses at Chattanooga, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, some officers returned home to recruit - but there was no one left to recruit. The Georgia Campaign followed and the last official company records after August 30, 1864 are lost but, it is believed that every company lost at least half of their number killed in the Tennessee Campaign. Finally on April 9, l865, the 7th, 9th, 12th, 41st and 14th Mississippi Regiments consolidated into one regiment called the 9th Mississippi with the majority of the old Seventh Mississippi being in company A, 9th Mississippi. This group surrendered with General Joseph Eggleston Johnston in North Carolina.
Years later many widows when applying for a Confederate pension might get minor facts wrong relating to the war record of her husband, but, when she would write the terse ‘statement ‘He was a rebel until he died she was writing an eloquent testimony to her man who had fought, bled and often died for the Stars and Bars.
THIS COMPLETES THE LISTING OF MEN WHO SERVED IN THE 7TH MISSISSIPPI REGIMENT * * * * * * * * * * * *
