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-List of Civil War Battles <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_Civil_War_battles>
-Mississippi Units in the Civil War: <http://mississippiscv.org/MS_Units/mississippi_history.htm>
-Battle of Vicksburg, Confederate Order of Battle: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicksburg_Confederate_order_of_battle>
History:
Order of War Department, January 24, 1865, the following companies, now forming what is known as Moorman's Battalion, will constitute the Twenty-fourth Mississippi Battalion Cavalry:Histories are generally written by the winners. Thus, we can easily learn the disposition of the Federal forces who were engaged in the many battles of the Civil War. While compiling these vignettes of the many Confederate Regiments, the task is to put together the dispositions of the enemy forces--our veterans-- who were engaged, creating a historical narrative.
The facts contained in the following narrative were gleaned from multiple sources, chief of which was "24th Battalion, Mississippi Calvary," Military History of Mississippi (1803-1898), 1908. <http://mississippiscv.org/MS_Units> 18 May 2015.
Lieutenant-Colonel -- George Moorman; Major -- Calvitt Roberts.
Company A -- Captain E. A. Miller's Company [raised in Clarke and Wayne]
Company B -- Captain Banister Hudnall's Independent Company [raised in Lawrence County, MS]
Company C -- Captain John Wilkinson's Company
Company D -- Captain Thomas J. Hargrave's Company [raised in Claiborne and Copiah]
Company E -- Captain James P. Beesley's Company [raised in Copiah and Franklin]
Company F -- Captain Joseph W. Davenport's Calvary Company [raised in Claiborne and Copiah]This battalion was formed by Major Moorman, formerly Adjutant-General on the staff of Gen. W. H. Jackson, when the latter was in command of cavalry in Mississippi. The official reports mention the battalion, Maj. Calvitt Roberts commanding, in Gen. Wirt Adams' Brigade, spring of 1864.
-Return of June 10, Moorman's Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel George Moorman, in Mabry's Brigade, Wirt Adams' Cavalry.
-June 30, Mississippi Battalion, Lieut.-Col. George Moorman brigaded with Wirt Adams' Regiment, under Colonel Wood.
-The battalion was with Colonel Wood in the engagement at Coleman's crossroads in Jefferson County, July 4, 1864. A newspaper account mentions the companies of Captain Wilkinson, Hargrave and Davenport as actively engaged in the defeat of Ellet's expedition, and adds: "Moorman's Cavalry Battalion, of Wood's Brigade, is still increasing in numbers and efficiency. Whittaker's Scouts, a fine company and heretofore independent, reported to Colonel Moorman last week."
-Inspection report August 1 [1864]-- "The battalion commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Moorman is composed of four companies only. He was appointed by Department Commander." Wood's Brigade was increased from the reserves in the fall of 1864.
-Major Roberts reported in command in September.
-General Gardner reported in October that he had assigned Miller's, Hudnall's and Whittaker's companies, the latter of Gillum's proposed regiment, to Moorman's Battalion, they being old and good companies, and he proposed to do the same with Moore's company.
-November 20 return brigaded with the reserves under Colonel Dennis.
-Part of Moorman's Battalion took part in the battle of Concord Church, near Yazoo City [MS], December 1, 1864, after being in the field during Osband's raid from Vicksburg to Canton.
-On December 30, during Grierson's raid from Memphis, Moorman's Battalion returned to Livingston from North Mississippi, but did not reach the field in time to take part in the battle of Franklin, January 2, 1865.
-The battalion was part of Wirt Adams' command at the close of the war.Organization
From the previous record of the Confederate War Department dtd 1/24/1865, we learn that the Confederate States Army had begun reorganizing the hundreds of under-strength regiments into battalions. Prior, a regiment consisted of about 1000 soldiers from the same locale. And, similar regiments were brigaded together. These homogeneous Brigades were the primary fighting force deployed by both Confederate and Union Armies. Considering the state of their Army and the military reverses suffered by the Confederacy, reorganization gave the Confederate Army an opportunity to continue the fight and preserve the hopes of this new, but doomed nation.
In February of 1864, the Seven Stars Artillery was reorganized as Moorman's Battalion (Mississippi Cavalry), later to be designated as the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry with LTC George Moorman as commander and Major Calvitt Roberts as adjutant. How does an Artillery Battery become a Cavalry Company? They turn in their cannons and draw rifles while keeping the draft horses which previously pulled the cannons.
Key Campaigns:
Dates Major Action Results 02/1864 Organized as Moorman's Battalion; re-designated as the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry 02/1864 to 03/1864 Sherman's Meridian Expedition Meridian MS burned. Federals lost Yazoo City MS 04/1864 to 01/1865 The Mississippi Campaign Degradation of Confederate Military Resources 02/1865 to 05/1865 Forrest's Alabama Campaign Surrendered 5/4/1865 Sherman's Meridian Expedition
On 2/3/1864, MG Sherman began his march from Vicksburg to Meridian MS. Confederate MG S.D. Lee in Mississippi attempted to marshal all available reserves to throw in front of Sherman. And, BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Brigade was perhaps the largest unit in the Confederate Line.
From the histories, we know that a local artillery unit, most probably the Seven Star Artillery, marched on Meridian where they were in the Confederate line and skirmished with Sherman's Army. But, did they fight as Artillery or Cavalry? Unfortunately, there is no Confederate Order of Battle for the Meridian Expedition.
The Mississippi Campaign
Per the Inspection Report dtd 8/1/1864, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry consisted of four companies: C, D, E, & F. And by 10/1864, the Battalion was augmented with two additional companies: A & B. The Confederate soldier's database at NARA shows the soldiers of Cpt. Beesley's Company E of the 24th Cavalry as assigned to both Co B and Co E. From this report, we learn how Cpt Beesley's Co B of the old Seven Stars Artillery became Co E in the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry.
Patrick Henry Beesley enlisted Oct. 22, 1862, Brookhaven, Miss., as Pvt., Co. K., 1st Miss. Light Art., CSA.; transferred Apr. 3, 1863, to Capt. Roberts' Co., Miss. Art., known as Seven Stars Art.; Co broken up in Feb., 1864, and formed Cos. C, D, and E, Moorman's Batt, Miss. Cav.; muster-roll of Co. E, 24th Batt., Miss Cav., dating from Feb. 23, to April 39, 1864, shows P.H. Beesley, 1st Sergt., killed in action near Red Lick Church [north Jefferson Co], Miss., March 4, 1865.
-Citation Lost.By 6/30/1864, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was brigaded with BG Wirt Adams' (old) Cavalry Regiment, under Colonel Wood. So now, we can delineate the Confederate Command with which the 24th fought during the final year of the war: 24th (Moorman's) Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry, Col. Wood's Cavalry Brigade, BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Division, under MG Franklin Gardner, District of Mississippi and East Louisiana. Later, BG Wirt Adams' command would fight with LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest in Alabama, surrendering on 5/4/1865 near Ramsey Station (now Emelle), Sumter Co AL and paroled along with the rest of Forrest's Command on 5/12/1865 at Gainesville AL.
In July of 1864, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was with Colonel Wood's Brigade in the engagement at Coleman's crossroads in Jefferson County, July 4, 1864. A newspaper account mentions the companies of Captain Wilkinson, Hargrave and Davenport as "actively engaged in the defeat of Ellet's expedition," and adds "Moorman's Cavalry Battalion, of Wood's Brigade, is still increasing in numbers and efficiency. Whittaker's Scouts, a fine company and heretofore independent, reported to Colonel Moorman last week."
In the 7/25/1864 report for Wood's Brigade of Adam's Cavalry Division, Moorman's Battalion is listed with an aggregate strength of 180. But, that's not combat strength; that's the number of soldiers present. As Col Wood reported that only 68% of his total command was fit for duty (661 fit / 966 aggregate). With those figures, we extrapolate to find that Moorman's Battalion may have had as few as 123 (180 * .68) soldiers fit to fight.
In the Inspection Report dtd August 1 [1864]: "The battalion commanded by LTC Moorman is composed of four companies only." Wood's Brigade was increased from the reserves in the fall of 1864.
Research Note per Rowland's History:
-In February 1864, the Confederate Congress increased the age of eligibility for mandatory military service for every (white) male to 17 through 50.
-In August 1864, Mississippi Governor Clark called out the Militia in response to an urgent request from MG Maury at Mobile. Previous exemptions were cancelled. And, active conscription intensified.
-This is when Grandpa William Case, veteran of the 2nd Infantry MST, wound up back on active duty with the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry.Rowland, Dunbar, ed., "Encyclopedia of Mississippi History, p. 139" 1907 <https://books.google.com/books> 1 June 2015.
Major Roberts was reported in command in September 1864. MG Gardner, Commander of the District of Mississippi and East Louisiana, reported in October 1864 that he had assigned Miller's, Hudnall's and Whittaker's companies, the latter of Gillum's proposed regiment, to Moorman's Battalion, they being "old and good companies," and he proposed to do the same with Moore's company. [Whitaker's Company went off do do something else.]
In the 11/20/1864 report, the First Mississippi Cavalry Reserves, Second Mississippi Cavalry Battalion Reserves, Third Mississippi Cavalry Battalion Reserves were brigaded with Moorman's [24th] Battalion, under Col. Jules Dennis of the 1st Mississippi Cavalry Reserves.
According to Confederate records, on 11/25/1864, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was in the field with BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Division during Osband's raid from Vicksburg to Canton. No report is found for the 24th BN, Miss Cavalry. But, the report from the 5th Illinois Cavalry states that they assaulted an equal sized force at the bridge over the Big Black River, north of Canton MS, driving off the Confederate defenders and burning the bridge. Most probably, the defenders were the 24th.
On 12/1/1864, "part of Moorman's [24th] Battalion" took part in the battle of Concord Church, near Yazoo City MS. After December of 1864, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was split to perform separate duties, never to be reunited again; as Cpt. Wilkinson's Co C was detached to hold the Confederate line on the Big Black River.
On 12/30/1864. the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was in the field during Grierson's raid from Memphis to Meridian MS. In early January of 1865, Moorman's Battalion returned to Livingston MS (just north of Jackson) from North Mississippi, but "did not reach the field in time" to take part in the Battle of Franklin MS on 1/2/1865.
The Mobile Campaign
In early 1865, MG Thomas of the Union Army of the Cumberland sent his Cavalry Corps south to destroy the Confederate military industry at Selma AL. This Cavalry Raid was in conjunction with MG Canby's operations against Mobile AL. With the two Union Army advances, the remnants of the Confederate forces of Mississippi and Alabama had to split up to cover both advances. Most Infantry brigades went south to Mobile. And, newly promoted LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest took the Cavalry east into Alabama.
On 2/18/1865, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was cited as part of BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Division in LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry Corps near Meridian MS and in Alabama where LTG Forrest engaged Union forces who had been marching toward Selma AL. Of note, Union BG Wilson of the Army of the Cumberland led 13,500 Cavalry troopers armed with "the formidable 7-shot Spencer repeating rifle" against Forrest's 2,500 troops.
By the end of March 1865, Union Cavalry forces had had their way in the campaign, including burning furnaces and foundries near present-day Birmingham and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. On 4/2/1865 at the Battle of Selma, the remnants of Forrest's Corp deployed on a three-mile, semicircular line tied on both ends at the Alabama River. With the frontal attack by dismounted Union Cavalrymen, the exhausted veterans and the untrained militia broke and ran. For LTG Forrest, the last Confederate General to surrender, the war was over.
BG Wirt Adams' Division surrendered 5/4/1865 at Ramsey Station, Sumter Co AL. Confederate LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest surrender the remains of his Cavalry Corps on 5/9/1865. Instead of marching off to one of the infamous prison locations, Forrest's Cavalry Corps stacked arms and bivouacked in place where they were fed by the Federals. The last Confederate Corps was paroled 5/12/1865 at Gainesville AL.
My Veteran:
6. SGT William Case of Co E, 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry, CSA.
Second Enlistment
[SGT] In February of 1864, the Seven Stars Artillery was reorganized as Moorman's Battalion (Mississippi Cavalry), later to be designated as the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry with LTC George Moorman as commander and Major Calvitt Roberts as adjutant. In August of 1864, Great Grandpa William Case chose to enlist as a Sergeant and serve with his friends and neighbors in Co E, 24th Battalion, Miss Cavalry, CSA.
The 24th BN, Miss Cavalry served with Col. Wood's Cavalry Brigade, BG Wirt Adams' Cavalry Division, under MG Franklin Gardner, District of Mississippi and East Louisiana. The unit rode back and forth from the Federal Vicksburg perimeter at Big Black River to the Confederate railhead at Meridian. In early 1865 when Federal forces threatened Mobile from the sea and central Alabama from the north, the 24th Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry was assigned to LTG Nathan Bedford Forrest's Cavalry Corps and fought in Alabama. The last record for Grandpa William is on 5/12/1865 after LTG Forrest surrendered when the entire Corps was paroled at Gainesville AL. <http://www.gainesville-vols.org/activitiesevents.html>