Pound's Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters
Historical Notes:
Pound's Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters was comprised of men from Companies Company A, F, H (primarily), and I of the 43rd Mississippi Infantry and of men from Company A, 38th Mississippi Infantry. It is likely that small numbers of men from several other regiments were in the battalion.
No formal list of companies available.
Company H, 43rd Mississippi Infantry, served as the nucleus of Pound’s Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters. Indeed, Capt. Merriman Pound, captain of Co. H, gave his name to and served as commander of Pound’s Sharpshooters.
Co. H, 43rd MS Infantry, had served on detached service in the Deer Creek, MS, Expedition (part of the Vicksburg Campaign). Later, most of this company was on detached service when the Federals surrounded and laid siege to Vicksburg, MS. Consequently, only a few men of Co. H were captured and paroled at Vicksburg. The detached members (the majority of the company) became Pound’s Sharpshooters, were attached to Ector’s Brigade of Walker’s Division, and saw service at Second Jackson, MS, and the Battle of Chickamauga, GA, there serving on the same part of the field as Walthall’s Brigade.
While Co. H, 43rd MS Infantry, contributed the majority of men to the battalion, it has been shown by Jeff Giambrone of the Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg, MS, that Co. A, 38th MS Infantry, also contributed men to the unit. These men from the 38th were probably similarly cut off from their regiment when the Confederates fell back into the Vicksburg defenses.
It is likely that a number of other units contributed small numbers of men who had likewise been cut off from their regiments by Grant’s assault on Vicksburg.
Casualties of the 43rd MS Infantry at Second Jackson, MS, July 15-17, 1863 (all assumed to be casualties of Pound’s Battalion):
COMPANY F -- Private William V. Futrell, captured
COMPANY H -- Private Ephraim Johnson, wounded
Casualties of the 43rd MS Infantry at Chickamauga, GA, September 19-20, 1863 (all assumed to be casualties of Pound’s Battalion):
COMPANY A -- Private James Richardson, possibly wounded (patient at Rome, GA, after battle)
COMPANY H -- 1st Lieutenant Corydon E. Stewart, captured; Private James Hammons, killed; Private Francis M. Turner, wounded
COMPANY I -- Private William H. Robinson, possibly captured
The Sharpshooters were reunited with the 43rd Mississippi Infantry in the fall of 1863. It is probable that members of other units that had served in Pound’s Battalion were also reunited with their respective commands at that time.
Battles:
Chickamauga
Bibliography for Research:
No formal list of companies available.
Company H, 43rd Mississippi Infantry, served as the nucleus of Pound’s Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters. Indeed, Capt. Merriman Pound, captain of Co. H, gave his name to and served as commander of Pound’s Sharpshooters.
Co. H, 43rd MS Infantry, had served on detached service in the Deer Creek, MS, Expedition (part of the Vicksburg Campaign). Later, most of this company was on detached service when the Federals surrounded and laid siege to Vicksburg, MS. Consequently, only a few men of Co. H were captured and paroled at Vicksburg. The detached members (the majority of the company) became Pound’s Sharpshooters, were attached to Ector’s Brigade of Walker’s Division, and saw service at Second Jackson, MS, and the Battle of Chickamauga, GA, there serving on the same part of the field as Walthall’s Brigade.
While Co. H, 43rd MS Infantry, contributed the majority of men to the battalion, it has been shown by Jeff Giambrone of the Old Courthouse Museum in Vicksburg, MS, that Co. A, 38th MS Infantry, also contributed men to the unit. These men from the 38th were probably similarly cut off from their regiment when the Confederates fell back into the Vicksburg defenses.
It is likely that a number of other units contributed small numbers of men who had likewise been cut off from their regiments by Grant’s assault on Vicksburg.
Casualties of the 43rd MS Infantry at Second Jackson, MS, July 15-17, 1863 (all assumed to be casualties of Pound’s Battalion):
COMPANY F -- Private William V. Futrell, captured
COMPANY H -- Private Ephraim Johnson, wounded
Casualties of the 43rd MS Infantry at Chickamauga, GA, September 19-20, 1863 (all assumed to be casualties of Pound’s Battalion):
COMPANY A -- Private James Richardson, possibly wounded (patient at Rome, GA, after battle)
COMPANY H -- 1st Lieutenant Corydon E. Stewart, captured; Private James Hammons, killed; Private Francis M. Turner, wounded
COMPANY I -- Private William H. Robinson, possibly captured
The Sharpshooters were reunited with the 43rd Mississippi Infantry in the fall of 1863. It is probable that members of other units that had served in Pound’s Battalion were also reunited with their respective commands at that time.