The companies that comprised the 2^nd Mississippi were raised in the then four counties that made up the northeastern corner of the state - Tishomingo, Itawamba, Tippah, and Pontotoc. Following the Civil War, these counties were partitioned into several new ones that, in addition to the four "old" counties above, include all or parts of these "new" counties: Alcorn, Prentiss, Lee, Union and Benton (see northeast Mississippi map, circa 1895. Note: hyperlinked map is large size - 657kB. Old county lines are approximate only. Towns close to a line could have actually existed slightly to either side).

          With the addition of Company L in April 1862, the 2^nd Mississippi contained eleven companies instead of the usual complement of ten per regiment. You will note that there is no "lettered" Company J. Although there are several arguments as to why this long-standing tradition exists within the military, just rest assured that my compiled roster does not, in fact, skip a company! In addition to the eleven lettered company rosters, there is a separate roster for the Field and Staff of the regiment and a roster for individuals for which a company could not be identified.

          Notes regarding the military record summaries: The information obtained on the members of the 2^nd Mississippi in almost all cases comes only from their Compiled Military Service Records (CMSR) as recorded on microfilm in the National Archives. The information provided was generally transcribed "as is." However it became clear as the research was continuing that the company commanders and regimental staff in some circumstances were often uninformed as to the true status of members of the regiment, particularly those who were furloughed home to recover from wounds, for instance. It must be recalled that for a large part of the war, northern Mississippi was essentially under occupation by Federal forces. Even though Federal soldiers were not always in evidence in all communities at all times, periodic "sweeps" by cavalry and infantry would be conducted to round up Confederate soldiers. Thus, recuperating members of the regiment often would be seized by these sweeps and sent to northern prison camps. Because of the poor communications from within Federally occupied parts of the Confederacy back to the Confederate authorities, the regiment often never received word as to the true status of these men. The company commanders therefore, had no choice but to record the men as "absent without leave" (AWOL) or to presume in some cases that they had actually deserted. In fact, during the Civil War, the term "AWOL" did not seem to carry the stigma that we tend to associate with the term today. Many officers and men were listed as AWOL at one time or another. And, although there were of course, many genuine deserters from the 2^nd Mississippi (and the reasons were many and varied), please keep in mind that some of these men were not actually deserters at all, but simply caught up in circumstances similar to those discussed above. Thus, individuals researching ancestors who were members of the regiment should not jump to conclusions if they happen to see the terms "AWOL" or "deserter" within the CMSR summaries unless it is made quite apparent from additional information that these were truly deliberate acts by the soldiers in question and not simply an unfortunate misclassification in their records.

          Most of the field titles in the listings should be self-explanatory. "ROH" stands for Roll of Honor, a Confederate award for bravery in battle. There were generally two "Terms" of service for the men who mustered into the regiment. The early volunteers were for the most part enrolled for a 12-month term of service. Most re-enlisted for "three years or the war" when the regiment reorganized in April 1862. Those who became members of the regiment in 1862 and later, generally enlisted for 3-years or the war.

          Alphabetical Listing Roster (Note: Large page - 376kB - will be slow-loading for people with standard modem connections. Please be patient): If you have a particular soldier in mind, this listing will show you the appropriate company roster to go to for a full summary of his Compiled Military Service Records. If the soldier served in more than one company, his full listing may be found in either.

          The individual companies were assembled at Corinith in early May 1861, assigned letters and were organized into the 2^nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment on 3 May 1861 with the election of regimental officers.

          In addition to the rosters listed below, for additional information, especially with respect to places of burial, dates of birth and death, and full names for many of the members of the regiment, please also see Fred Cox's 2^nd Mississippi listing at his Tippah County Confederates website.

Field and Staff

Company A - Tishomingo Riflemen - Tishomingo County: Mustered into State service at Corinth on 20 February 1861. Its officers were commissioned on 30 April 1861.

Company B - O'Connor Rifles - Tippah County: Mustered into State service at Ripley on 4 March 1861. The Governor commissioned its officers on 4 February 1861. The company was presented a flag by Mrs. Judge Green; it marched to Saulsbury, Tennessee and took the train to Corinth.

Company C - Town Creek Riflemen - Itawamba County: Mustered into State service at Verona on 27 February 1861.

Company D - Joe Matthews Rifles (also called the Beck Rifles) - Tippah County: Mustered into State service at Toombs' Store on 9 March 1861.

Company E - Calhoun Rifles - Itawamba County: Mustered into State service on 18 February 1861.

Company F - Magnolia Rifles - Tippah County: Mustered into State service on 4 March 1861 at Ripley. Presented a flag by Mrs. W. R. Cole on 30 April 1861.

Company G - Pontotoc Minute Men - Pontotoc County: Mustered into State service at Pontotoc on 2 March 1861. For additional information on individual members of this company, please see Bob Thompson's roster of Company G.

Company H - Coonewah Rifles - Pontotoc County: Mustered into State service at Chesterville on 1 March 1861.

Company I - Cherry Creek Rifles - Pontotoc County: Officers commissioned by the Governor on 1 April 1861.

Company K - Iuka Rifles - Tishomingo County: Mustered into State service at Iuka on 6 April 1861.

Company L - Liberty Guards - Tippah County: Enrolled on 5 March 1862 at Ripley for three years. This company joined the regiment at Fredericksburg, Virginia on 6 April 1862.

Company Unknown