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While Art gets a general information thread going on this event slated for next year, I wanted to bring some information about the "Bloody" Sixth Mississippi to the table. I am doing the research on the company out of H. Grady Howell's book "Going to Meet the Yankees".
The Sixth Mississippi was raised by Colonel Thornton, whom is buried in Pass Christian, Ms, in Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery. His grave was one of the HUNDREDS damaged during Hurricane Katrina, and I was able to locate it, and with the assistance of the grounds keeper, put the marker back in place.
The Sixth was raised mostly in Middle Mississippi, what most of us in this state call the Pinebelt. The regiment were members of Cleburne's Brigade at Shiloh along with the 15th Arkansas (Cleburne's old unit) , 24th Tennessee, 5th Tennessee, 2nd Tennessee and 23rd Tennessee. Cleburne's brigade is often remembered for making a hard charge up a steep ravine at Shiloh and into the teeth of General William T. Sherman and the 53rd Ohio. The Sixth was the first part of Cleburne's brigade to break through the thicket and aline for battle. After the assaults Cleburne wrote the following:
"Again and again the Sixth Mississippi, unaided, charged the enemy's line, and it was only when the regiment had lost 300 officers and men killed and wounded out of an aggregate 425, that it yielded and retreated in disorder over its own dead and dying. Colonel Thornton and Major Lowry, the field officers, were both wounded. It would be useless to enlarge on the courage and devotion of the Sixth Mississippi. The facts of recorded speak louder than any words of mine"
The Sixth Mississippi was raised by Colonel Thornton, whom is buried in Pass Christian, Ms, in Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery. His grave was one of the HUNDREDS damaged during Hurricane Katrina, and I was able to locate it, and with the assistance of the grounds keeper, put the marker back in place.
The Sixth was raised mostly in Middle Mississippi, what most of us in this state call the Pinebelt. The regiment were members of Cleburne's Brigade at Shiloh along with the 15th Arkansas (Cleburne's old unit) , 24th Tennessee, 5th Tennessee, 2nd Tennessee and 23rd Tennessee. Cleburne's brigade is often remembered for making a hard charge up a steep ravine at Shiloh and into the teeth of General William T. Sherman and the 53rd Ohio. The Sixth was the first part of Cleburne's brigade to break through the thicket and aline for battle. After the assaults Cleburne wrote the following:
"Again and again the Sixth Mississippi, unaided, charged the enemy's line, and it was only when the regiment had lost 300 officers and men killed and wounded out of an aggregate 425, that it yielded and retreated in disorder over its own dead and dying. Colonel Thornton and Major Lowry, the field officers, were both wounded. It would be useless to enlarge on the courage and devotion of the Sixth Mississippi. The facts of recorded speak louder than any words of mine"