Mississippi. Militia. Cavalry

The cavalry units in Mississippi’s militia were mostly comprised of men from the upper classes and men who brought their horses and could afford the associated equipment. Like their infantry counterparts, men in the cavalry tended to be older, more established men who were outside the draft age and eager to serve the Confederacy, but desired to stay close to home to work their farms and care for their families. Mississippi’s militia structure was convoluted, and the cavalry was no exception. Official state units, home guard, informal local defense units, and the introduction of the Mississippi State Troops in 1862 blurred the definition of what the militia was. As the war continued, service in the militia in any of its forms did not guarantee a militiaman would stay close to home. Many units saw themselves transferred into Confederate service, such as Perrin’s Battalion Cavalry which became the 11th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry and Davenport’s Battalion Cavalry which was merged into the 6th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry. Many units that were not transferred to the Army were sent from their local area to other parts of the state and placed under the command of Confederate officers. (Tracy L. Barnett, “Mississippi ‘Milish’: Militiamen in the Civil War,” <i>Civil War History</i>, Vol. 66, No. 4 (Dec 2020), 343–379; Rowland, <i>Official and Statistical Register of Mississippi</i>, 885–943; Wikipedia)

The cavalry units in Mississippi’s militia were mostly comprised of the upper class and men who brought their horses and could afford the associated equipment. Like their infantry counterparts, men in the cavalry tended to be older, established men outside the draft age who were eager to serve the Confederacy, but desired to stay close to home to work their farms and care for their families. Mississippi’s militia structure was convoluted, and the cavalry was no exception. Official state units, home guard, informal local defense units, and the introduction of the Mississippi State Troops in 1862 blurred the definition of militia. As the war continued, service in the militia in any of its forms did not guarantee a militiaman would stay close to home. Many units saw themselves transferred into Confederate service, such as Perrin’s Battalion Cavalry which became the 11th Regiment, Mississippi Cavalry and Davenport’s Battalion Cavalry which was merged into the 6th Regiment Mississippi Cavalry. Many units that were not transferred to the Army were sent from their local area to other parts of the state and placed under the command of Confederate officers. (Tracy L. Barnett, “Mississippi ‘Milish’: Militiamen in the Civil War,” <i>Civil War History</i>, Vol. 66, No. 4 (Dec 2020), 343-379; Rowland, <i>Official and Statistical Register of Mississippi</i>, 885–943; Wikipedia)