Why my interest in the 2^nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment? Well, I've had a lifelong interest in the American Civil War - I suppose that would only be natural for someone who grew up only 30-miles from Shiloh National Military Park - but it was only in 1993 that I discovered my maternal great-grandfather, Private Thomas Benton Weatherington, was a member of this particular regiment. I had long known from verbal family history that he had fought for the Confederacy and had been wounded and disabled during the war, but it took bumping into a distant cousin and finding out some of the details of his service that finally "got the ball rolling" for me. I discovered, to my dismay, despite its impressive combat record, that the 2^nd Mississippi had no written regimental history. Even more discouraging, I found that even the vaunted Official Records contained few references to the regiment. Unlike many other civil war units, both Federal and Confederate, there were no "after action" reports on file from the commanders of the 2^nd Mississippi, merely passing references from the reports of other regimental and higher echelon leaders.

         Thus, it was these discoveries and my determination to try and do something to capture the true historical record of this regiment that led to my research to compile a regimental history (hopefully to be published in book form within the next few years) and of course, to the creation of this website.

         A few visitors may be curious as to my own background. Well, I was born and raised in West Tennessee, near where my great-grandfather moved following the Civil War. I was born in 1952 and served 20 years in both an enlisted and officer capacity in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Major in 1991. My present work still involves supporting the Air Force's space-related research and development activities.

         As for my education, I graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1975 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. While still in service in 1983, I obtained an MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Later, after I retired from the Air Force and vowing not to allow any of my G.I. Bill educational benefits to go unused, I obtained a MA in history (with a specialty in Civil War Studies) in 1999. I hope with the newly acquired "formal" history background and credentials, I will be able to write a much better regimental history for the 2^nd Mississippi, and perhaps have it viewed as a more serious historical work than would otherwise have proved the case.

         I would like to express my thanks for the many people who have helped me during my research over the years. This site and the information it contains would not have been possible without their assistance.

         Let me once again welcome you to the Internet home of the 2^nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment. I hope you find something of interest during your visit.