The Prairie Guards

The Prairie Guards is a firsthand account by a member of the Mississippi 11th Infantry Regiment. The Mississippi 11th Infantry Regiment was organized at Corinth, Mississippi, in May, 1861, and mustered into Confederate service at Lynchburg, Virginia. Its companies were recruited into Confederate service at Lynchburg, Virginia. Its companies were recruited in the counties of Neshoba, Yazoo, Monroe, Coahome, Noxubee, Chickasaw, Lowndes, Lamar, Carroll, and Lafayette. The 11th fought at First Manassas under General B.E. Bee, then was assigned to General Whiting's, Law's, and J.R. Davis' Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. The 11th served with the army from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor except when it was with Longstreet at Suffolk. Later it was involved in the Petersburg siege south of the James River in the Appomattox Campaign. This regiment lost 7 killed and 21 wounded at First Manassas and totaled 504 effectives in April, 1862. It had 18 killed, 142 wounded, and 3 missing at Gaines' Mill, 4 killed and 55 wounded at Second Manassas, and 8 killed and 96 wounded in the Maryland Campaign. Of the 592 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-four percent were disabled, and there were 9 casualties en route from Pennsylvania. It surrendered 3 officers and 15 men. We have added information and pictures of the officers, rosters of the companies and an index and bibliography.