Mississippi 29th Infantry (Regimental History)

 

The regimental unit history of the 29th Miss. Inf. [Note Ms-17] includes additional information:

 

Company I -- DeSoto Brothers (raised in DeSoto County, MS)

 

This regiment was organized at Grenada, April 11, 1862, and was attached to Chalmers’ Brigade of infantry, during the siege of Corinth. In July the brigade went to Chattanooga, with the Amy of the Mississippi, and then advanced into Kentucky, where they were part of Chalmers’ desperate assault at Munfordville, Sept. 14. Later, they were in action at Murfreesboro [Dec. 28, 1862 -. Jan. 2, 1863].

 

In July, 1863, Walthall’s Brigade was at Camp Cobb, near Atlanta, then moved to the reserve camp near Chickamauga in August. In the Chickamauga campaign, the 29th fought at Alexander’s Bridge [Sept. 18, 1863], Byram’s Ford [Sept. 19th], and crossed the Chattanooga Road [Sept. 20th]. They camped in General Bragg’s siege line before Chattanooga, after Sept. 22nd, and on Nov. 20th they marched up upon the northern and western slopes of Lookout Mountain. The morning of Nov. 24th was excessively foggy, the air filled with a fine mist rain, and on account of the low-lying fog, it was known as “the battle above the clouds”; at the Battle of Lookout Mountain, Walthall's Mississippi Brigade lost 8 killed, 48 wounded and 845 captured [including Erastus G. McAninch] [Ms-5, Ms-17].

 

In 1864, the regiment fought to protect the vital railroad supply lines in north-western Georgia, at Snake Creek Gap [aka Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia; May 7-13, 1864], Resaca [May 13-15], Cassville [May 19], New Hope Church [aka Pickett’s Mill, May 25-27, 1864, Paulding County , Georgia], Kennesaw Mountain [June 27, 1864, Cobb County, Georgia], and Jonesboro [Aug. 31–Sept. 1, 1864, Clayton County, Georgia]. Later, they moved to Gadsden, Alabama, crossed the Tennessee River at the end of October, and fought at Spring Hill [Nov. 29, 1864, Maury County, Tennessee], Franklin on the Harpeth River [Nov. 30, 1864, Williamson County, Tennessee], and Nashville [December, 1864]. In 1865, the brigade went to North Carolina, and fought at battle of Bentonville [March 19-21, 1865, Johnston Co., North Carolina]; the army was surrendered April 26, and paroled at Greensboro, N. C.

 

Mississippi Blythe’s Battalion (State Troops) ((Zachary) Taylor McAninch)

 

(Zachery) Taylor McAninch was the youngest son of William and Maria (Starr) McAninch. His birth can be estimated 1846-48 from census records [age 4 in 1850 census, age 12 in 1860 census, Ms-12]. As a teen-ager, 16-18 years, and late in the War, he enlisted as a Private in Co. A, Blythe’s Battalion (Mississippi State Troops), at Senatobia, DeSoto Co. (now Tate Co.) [Note Ms-5, “Z.T. McAninch”]. The only Muster Card in his file, marked “Nov.+Dec. 1864”, confirms his enlistment, by Col. Blythe, for one year; the same muster card lists his status as “Absent”, and, in the Remarks field, states “Abs. without leave since 1 Jan. 1865” [there are no 1865 cards].

 

Little information regarding Mississippi State Troops survives. The information in this section is taken from Dunbar Rowland’s survey of Mississippi’s Confederate units [Ms-18].

 

“In August, 1864, Governor Clark was authorized to call out every able-bodied man in the State to repel invasion, and all capable of bearing arms were called to assemble at Grenada, Okolona or Macon. In August also, the Legislature authorized General Forrest to order on military duty for thirty days boys and men between the ages of 16 and 55 years.

 

McAninch for the Confederacy, Eight Who Fought for Southern Independence   Conf Sold .doc

McAninch Family History NL, v.X.n.1  January 2002  Copyright Frank McAninch   page 2002-06

 

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