^"SKETCH OF THE BLACK HAWK RIFLES^"
by Colonel H. J. Reid

    In December 1860, after the election of Mr. Lincoln was an assured fact, Mississippi, closely following South Carolina, held an election for delegates to a State convention, which convened in Jackson in January 1861, passed the ordinance of secession, thereby resuming here{sic} State sovereignty. Volunteers were called for and organized into the "Mississippi Army." These troops were transferred to the service of the Confederate States after its formation. When the United States authorities attempted to provision Fort Sumpter in Charleston harbor in April 1861 the effort was resisted by the Confederates, and led to the capture of the fort by Gen. Beauregard. Mr. Lincoln issued a proclamation April 17th calling for 75,000 volunteers "to put down the rebellion," then the martial spirit of Mississippi reached its zenith and military companies were rapidly formed and services tendered to the State. The first regiments organized including the (18th) Eighteenth volunteered for twelve months, but as longer service was deemed necessary regiments were enlisted for three years or the war and from and including the 19th--(Mott's) the term was for that time.

    The "Black Hawk Rifles" was organized at Black Hawk, Carroll Co., Miss., the 28th of April 1861. H. J. Reid was elected Captain, G. W. Standley, 1st Lieutenant; J. D. Usher, Sr., and J. R. Ware, Jr., Second Lieutenants; W. J. Bell, Orderly Sergeant.

    The company was mustered into the service of the State of Mississippi the 30th of same month with thirteen commissioned officers and fifty one privates, total 64--but so many changes occurred in the original company--many leaving it in their great eagerness to get into active service "before the war ended," joining companies that were getting into Confederate service, that it is unnecessary to give a roster until it was mustered into Confederate service. At that time arms for companies could not be obtained while in State service, as evidenced by the following reply to the captain's application.

    The first accession to the company after entering Confederate service was at Memphis, Sept. 20th, T. L. Bamberg, of Carroll county, was mustered in. At Union City, Tenn., Sept. 27th, C.J. Coleman and Dr. B. F. Kittrell joined. Cal. {Calvin J.} Coleman{see note below} was a member of the company from its organization, but was absent when it was mustered in at Iuka. Dr. G. C. Phillips was detailed to act as assistant surgeon of the regiment, he had been on guard the night before he was detailed and while on post had given up his gun to Col. Bonham, and the boys told him the Colonel thought he would make a better surgeon than soldier. October 14th at Fulton, Ky., J. T. Gardner and L. M. Gardner joined. On 17th M. Cain died, first death in the company, but a few days after J. Cheek died at Union City where he had been left sick. Dr. B. F. Kittrell was detailed into the medical department of the regiment, and M. M. Beard detailed as nurse in hospital. A. L. Heggie was very sick and was discharged from service. Was at Camp Beauregard near Feliciana, Ky., from 1st November to December 25th 1861.  R. E. Cole{1}, J. Chapman, and J. H. McCool died.  Lieut. J. R. Ware tendered his resignation. Dr. G. C. Phillips was appointed assistant surgeon and as Dr. Meares, regimental surgeon, had accepted another position, was acting surgeon and Dr. B. F. Kittrell was detailed as acting assistant surgeon. W. C. Lane was detailed in quarter master department as clerk, and John Ames as wagoner.
{Dunbar Rowland's history of regiment list Colonel  Bonham as one of those who died of pneumonia.}

    At Bowling Green, Ky., from Dec. 29th '61 until Feb'y 12th '62, here A. M. McBride came and was mustered in, had belonged to the company while in State service; he took sick, was, furloughed, and died at home near Vaiden April, '62. Wm. Blair was dropped from the company roll as unfit for a soldier. As the company passed through Nashville on the retreat Feb'y 16th '62 Serg't R. L. Harris was in hospital there too sick to be moved and was captured. Geo. F. Clark had been sent on to Winchester, Tenn., when he died soon after.  He was from Yazoo county. H. H. Hooker was taken sick after leaving Nashville, stopped with some citizen friend, near Lavergne and either died or was killed while returning to his command. He was from Holmes county. Capt. Reid was taken sick at Athens, Ala, and granted sick leave. The casualties of the company in the battle of Shiloh were Felix Catron mortally wounded, died while his father was taking him home; Jerry Coleman wounded in knee, died at home soon after, from it; E. Canterberry severly wounded, and afterward discharged. M. Turner severly wounded, and furloughed, did not return, reported to have joined a North Carolina regiment. The slightly wounded, Lt. G. W. Standley, orderly sergeant, W. J. Bell, L. S. Byrd, P. L. Jordan, R. McLeod, R. R. Noel, J. J. Roger, W. H. Speir. After the battle of Shiloh was at Corinth until May 29th. In April Phil Chew, a boy of fifteen years, and J. W. McCorkle joined the company. Sergeant Harris captured at Nashville, was paroled and soon after exchanged and took his place in the company.

    A number of the company were sick and sent south to hospital, among them, W. C. Baldridge who died at Columbus, Miss., S. Clement died at Aberdeen and C. H. Robinson died at home at Black Hawk. W. H. Jordan, W. H. Ball{2} and M. O. Keife were discharged and also Corporal E. F. Moore. The command to which the company belonged was on rear guard and left the earth work at Corinth about one o'clock the morning of May 30th crossed Tuscumbia river and halted to guard the bridge until Sunday, 1st June, 5 p.m. then made a night march of twenty-six miles, and ten the next day to Town Creek, near Baldwyn. Only two of the company, J. R. Grubb and W. A. Nevel, broke down on this forced march, but they came up Monday evening. Mr. Richard Davis, of Holmes, was along with the company on this march and aided many of the tired boys by carrying their guns and knapsacks on his pony during the night. From Tupelo via Pontotoc and Abbeville to Vicksburg where Breckinridge's Division arrived June 29th. Lt. J. D. Usher was severly wounded, and Sergeant N. W. Truitt slightly while on picket duty south of the city the night of July 7th, '62. S. Goodman, Jesse H. Jordan and P. L. Jordan exchanged into a cavalry company and in lieu company "G" got J. M. G. Howell, G. Simmons and A. Bishop and J. H. Spann was transferred to Co. "G" from the Duck Hill Company in 15th Mississippi.

    In trenches in Jackson near the Moody place from 9th to 17th of July when the army retreated east. A number of the boys left the command after the army got out of Jackson and went home but returned while the army was at Newton in August. While at Newton L't. Usher was ordered to report to Gen. Pillow, and with him went W. C. Lane, and they were assigned the duty of catching deserters, stragglers, and returning them to the army. In September moved to Enterprise* where Co. "G" was detailed to guard the railroad bridge over the Chickasawha river at Shubuta until December when it rejoined the regiment at Goodman. Here H. J. Barrentine{5} was discharged and John Gilbert conscripted and sent to the company from the camp at Lexington was discharged as being unable to perform service as a soldier. Left Goodman the 4th of February 1864 for Canton, crossed Pearl River the night of 5th or morning of 6th at a ferry about ten miles north of Jackson. Here A. Minyard, O. Minyard, A. Carpenter, W. A. Jackson deserted. Arrived at Morton ahead of Sherman's army and was in his front to Meridian, at that place, W. Haney deserted. At Demopolis until 1st of April and moved to Monticello{sic}, Ala., remained there until May 7th going thence by railroad toward Blue Mountain, and May 11th, after several days' very hard marching, after leaving the cars, arrived at Rome, Ga., and went immediately on to Resaca, in the engagement there on 13th W. J. Bell, orderly sergeant, was killed. In the campaign from that place to Atlanta, J. A. Hobbs was killed at New Hope and Corporal David Lagrone and R. McLeod were killed at Atlanta.
{* Enterprise, MS was location of a Texas Hospital established during seige of Vicksburg and later a cemetery.}

    Lt. J. D. Usher and W. C. Lane, who had been on detached duty, returned to duty with the company while it was near Marietta. C. J. Coleman{see notes} was badly wounded, losing one of his eyes in the trenches at Atlanta, W. M. McGee was slightly wounded, quite a number were sick and were sent to hospital among them, I. R. Heggie seriously ill with pneumonia, A. Braswell deserted after a fight he had in the trenches with Tom Merriwether. In the movement in Sherman's rear toward Florence, Ala., several of the boys were taken prisoners, I. E. Byrd, A. Bishop, J. W. Chadwick, C. Craig and L. M. Gardner. I do not know the number of men in the company at the battle of Franklin, but the company was small and the following were killed, Sergeant R. L. Harris, Corporal J. W. Robinson, Owen Carpenter, Wm. Galey, Rob't C. James, Henderson M. Melton, Thos. N. Nevel. Wounded, L. O. Lane. The company and regiment got to the enemy's works but all efforts to hold them were unavailing, and Lt. J. D. Usher was captured there. In the last day's fight at Nashville M. A. Duffey was taken prisoner. He was of northern birth, but had cast his fortune with his southern friends, was a brave and gallant soldier. At Pulaski Thos. L. Bamberg was severly wounded.

    After disastrous Tennessee campaign the company was with the troops collected under Johnston to check Sherman's march toward Virginia, and in the last engagement of the two armies at Bentanville {sic, Bentonville}, N.C., W. Harvey Speir was killed. He was one of the company from its organization in the State service. W. A. Nevel and M. S. Street were wounded,{.} At the surrender 26th of April 1865 at Greensboro, N. C., a company roll was made showing those present for duty, and accounting for all who were not there. I have a copy of that roll, but I know it is not exactly accurate as it does not mention several I know belonged to the company, towit: H. J. Barrentine{5}, H. W. Cooley, M. A. Duffy, John Gilbert, "Buck" Kittrell, and Wm. Blair. I have added those names to it. Some reported wounded but the battle at which it occurred is not named. S. Speir is reported as having died from wound received, but I can not say at what battle he received it, possibly may have been Franklin.

    I gave the roll showing the status of those then living that belonged to the company as made out by the company officers on the 26th of April, '65, and I follow it with the names of those who had been promoted out of the company, resigned, killed, died, discharged, dropped, and were not on the roll as members of the company so as to account for all who ever belonged to Co. "G".

Captain G. W. Standley Lieut. B. F. Standley Lieut. D. C. Wright Sergeant H. J. Marshall Sergeant W. J. Ware {4} Sergeant L. S. Byrd Corporal J. W. Beck  Corporal A. J. McCorkle Corporal J. S. Purcell  {3}

Ames, J. Beard, M. M Bryant, A. W.(Drummer) Chew, T. H. Chew, Phil Harris, H. J. Hines, E. W. Jordan, W. H. Lane, W. C.

McCorkle, J. W. Matthews, R. McLeod, G. W. Noel, R. R. Pate, A. S. Powers, J. P. Rogers, J. J. Smith, A. G. Truitt, N. W.

    The following had been wounded and were absent on furlough: Thos. L. Bamberg, W. R. Bryan, C. J. Coleman, J. M. G. Howell, L. O. Lane, S. F. Marshall, W. A. Nevel, J. L. C. Pate, S. Street.

    Absent without leave: N. Carpenter, I. R. Heggie, W. M. McGhee, T. N. Merriwether, G. L. Smith, J. H. Spann, M. Turner.

    At hospital: W. H. Ball {2}, J. Rigdon

    The four following names had written after them words that did not belong to the military vocabulary: A. J. Duren, "hospital rat"; J. T. Gardner, "hospital rat"; W. W. Hobbs, "played out"; J. Marsh, "played out".

    Deserted: A.Braswell, A. Carpenter, W. Haney, W. A. Jackson, A. Minyard, O. Minyard, J. D. Smith.

    J. R. Grubb was with command in North Carolina, though the roll does not say on duty but I think he was present.

    Ike E Hirsch was reported as having died at Columbus, but that was an error for he was alive afterward and in business in Sidon.

    I have tried to give a plain statement of facts from the data I had in possession, i.e. a copy of the roll of Sept. 6th, '61, a company pay roll of 1862, and the copy of the roll made April 26th, 1865, and to account for every one who ever belonged to the Black Hawk Rifles after it became Co. "G" of the 22nd Mississippi. The roll made at Greensboro, N. C. April 26th, left out some names that ought to have been on the roll as I have previously stated, and {had}names of some who belonged to the company while in State service on the roll. Having in my possession the original roll of the company while in State service I have corrected that error, and believe I have given the names of every one who belonged to, and did service in Co. "G".

    The company was mustered in with total 78. During service 34 new names were on roll but of these four were exchanges, leaving recruits, 30; two(2) who were discharged, rejoined, 2. --110.

    Promoted out of company, 3; resigned out of company, 1; killed, 18; died from disease, 10; discharged permanently, 8; dropped by the captains, 3; accounted for by roll 26th of April, '65, 67. --110.

ERRATA.