General Notes

Custom Field:<_FA#> His rank was Sergeant Major.@@S726784@@Date of Import: Jul 31, 2003
[coosa1.ged]
Francis served in the 31st Inf. Regt., Company D.  (Organized early 1862
from increase of 5th Inf. Bn., Col. Jehu A. Orr; consolidated April 9,
1865 with 3rd and 40th Inf. Regts. and designated 3rd Inf.
Regt.Consolidated)
THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY
Military History of Mississippi
Dunbar Rowland
While this regiment was being mustered in at Saltillo, the men could hear
the roar of the cannon at the battle of Shiloh. April 11, 1862 they
arrived at Corinth under orders to report to General Breckenridge,
commanding the Reserve Corps, and were assigned to a Kentucky Brigade
commanded by Colonel Trabue. The regiment was engaged in skirmishing
during the advance of the Federal army on Corinth, and after the
evacuation May 29 were on guard at Twenty Mile Creek until the sick and
wounded had been carried past, after which they followed the army to
Tupelo. Breckenridge was ordered to the support of Vicksburg, then under
bombardment by a river fleet, and the regiment reached the vicinity of
Vicksburg June 16, moving into the city July 1. At the close of the
attack, in the latter part of July, the brigade, then under General Helm,
moved to Camp Moore, La. Colonel Orr being sick, Lieutenant Colonel
Stephens was in command of the regiment. August 1 they marched to attack
the Federal force at Baton Rouge, expecting the co-operation of the ram
Arkansas, the passage of which through the Federal fleet they had
witnessed at Vicksburg. Early in the morning of August 5 a body of
partisan rangers in their front, galloping back, produced some confusion,
which led to rapid firing for a few minutes. General Helm was disabled by
a fall from his horse. His Aide-de-camp and brother-in-law, Lieutenant
Todd, brother of the wife of President Lincoln, was killed, and several
men of the Thirty-first were killed or wounded. At daylight, under
command of Gen. Charles Clark, the attack was made, and the Federals were
forced back to the grove in rear of the penitentiary, where a stubborn
resistance was made. The Arkansas was lost some distance up the river and
the battle was in vain. General Clark was dangerously wounded and
captured. Major H. E. Topp, commanding the Thirty-first, was commended
for gallant conduct. The casualties of the regiment were killed and
mortally wounded, 16; wounded, 31.
The troops returned to Jackson, Miss., and about September 1 moved to
Gray's Creek, north of Holly Springs, where there was a reorganization
and the First, Third, Twenty-second and Thirty-first Mississippi formed
Rust's Brigade, under command of Colonel Stephens, while General Rust
commanded the division until General Loring took command. The Federal
troops occupied Corinth and neighboring points and were concentrating at
Grand Junction and LaGrange, Tenn. The regiment took part in VanDorn's
advance in September and the brigade had a light skirmish at LaGrange,
after which they retired to Holly Springs, where Colonel Stephens was
post commandant during the battle of Corinth, October 3-4, 1862, his
regiment remaining there on guard. However, they advanced as the army was
retreating and met the enemy at Chewalla Creek. When General Grant
advanced from Memphis down the Central Railroad they fell back from Holly
Springs to the Tallahatchie River and thence in December to Coffeville,
where they participated in the battle of December 5. Colonel Orr
commanding the brigade and Stephens the regiment. The brigade pursued the
Federal advance back to the main army at Water Valley, and then retired
to Grenada. VanDorn's raid to Holly Springs followed and Grant retreated
to Memphis. The regiment was then sent to the support of S. D. Lee at
Chickasaw Bayou. The brigade was met at Edwards as it moved to Vicksburg
by General Featherston, who took command, the brigade t