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16th Mississippi Infantry

Editor’s Note: Do you have information on this unit’s role at the Siege of Petersburg?  Please contact us using the Contact button in the menu at the top of the screen.  We are happy to exchange information with other researchers.

Muster In: Organized on June 8, 18611
Muster Out: April 9, 18652

Commander(s):
Colonel Edward C. Councell
Commander Image

Lieutenant Colonel James H. Duncan
Commander Image

Captain Jonathan S. Lewis
Commander Image

Commander 4
Commander Image

First Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army3

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Second Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army4

  • Commander:
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Third Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Anderson’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army5

  • Commander: Colonel Edward C. Councell6
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Fourth Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army7

  • Commander:
    • Colonel Edward C. Councell (mortally wounded on August 21, 1864 and died on September 10, 1864 from his wounds)8
    • Captain Jonathan S. Lewis (at least August 21 & 30, 1864)9,10
  • Unit Strength:
    • 166 officers and men PFD (August 30, 1864)11
  • Weapons: Springfield and/or Enfield Rifles12

Fifth Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army13,14

  • Commander: Captain Jonathan S. Lewis15,16
  • Unit Strength: 125 officers and men PFD (September 30, 1864)17
  • Weapons:  Springfield Rifles and Enfield Rifles18

Sixth Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army19

  • Commander:
    • Captain Jonathan S. Lewis20
    • Lieutenant Henry S. Arnold21
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Seventh Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army22,23

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel James H. Duncan (November & December 1864)24,25
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Eighth Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army26,27,28,29

  • Commander: Lieutenant Colonel James H. Duncan (January & February 1865)30,31
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Ninth Offensive Order of Battle: Harris’ Brigade | Mahone’s Division | Third Corps | Army of Northern Virginia | Confederate Army32,33

  • Commander:
    • None listed. (March 1865)34
    • Lieutenant Colonel James H. Duncan (captured April 2)(commanded both the 12th and 16th Misssissippi in Fort Gregg on April 2)(April 1-2, 1865)35,36
  • Unit Strength:
  • Weapons:

Dyer’s/Sifakis’ Compendium Info:
Siege of Petersburg Battles37:

  • Petersburg Siege (June 1864-April 1865)
  • Appomattox Court House (April 9, 1865)

Bibliography:

Siege of Petersburg Documents Which Mention This Unit:

Sources:

  1. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 99-100
  2. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 99-100
  3. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112
  4. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 112
  5. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 121
  6. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 121
  7. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
  8. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
  9. Confederate Inspection Report 5-P-17: Harris’ Brigade, August 30, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  10. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 130
  11. Confederate Inspection Report 5-P-17: Harris’ Brigade, August 30, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  12. Confederate Inspection Report 5-P-17: Harris’ Brigade, August 30, 1864Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  13. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 138
  14. Sommers, Richard J. “Grant’s Fifth Offensive at Petersburg: A Study in Strategy, Tactics, and Generalship.  The Battle of Poplar Spring Church, the First Battle of the Darbytown Road, the Second Battle of the Squirrel Level Road, the Second Battle of the Darbytown Road (Ulysses S. Grant, Virginia).” Doctoral Thesis. Rice University, 1970. Print. p. 1312.
  15. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 138
  16. Confederate Inspection Report 13-P-24: Harris’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  17. Confederate Inspection Report 13-P-24: Harris’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  18. Confederate Inspection Report 13-P-24: Harris’ Brigade, September 30, 1864; Inspection Reports and Related Records Received By the Inspection Branch in the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General’s Office. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M935, Roll 10: Inspection Reports P-12 – 39-P-24); War Department Collection of Confederate Records, Record Group 109; National Archives Building, Washington, D.C.
  19. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
  20. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
  21. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 149
  22. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157
  23. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165
  24. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 157
  25. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 165
  26. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
  27. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1174: “Organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General R. E. Lee, January 31, 1865”; This list contains many commanders who were not there.  They were the “official” commanders but may have been gone on leave.  I have used none of the leaders from this list as a result.
  28. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
  29. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Volume XLVI, Part 2 (Serial Number 96), page 1272: “Organization of the Infantry and Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia, General R. E. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding, February 28, 1865”; This order of battle was based off of inspection reports from February 28, 1865.  However, leaders listed are from January.  I’ve chosen to ignore the leaders and just use this source for the organization of the order of battle.
  30. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 175
  31. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 185
  32. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193
  33. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203
  34. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 193
  35. The Confederate Order of Battle, Volume 1: The Army of Northern Virginia by F. Ray Sibley, Jr., page 203
  36. “The Death Grapple at Petersburg! Last Days of Harris’ Mississippi Brigade.” The Clarion (Jackson, MS). September 24, 1884, p. 1 col. 4-6: “Gen. Harris placed the 12th Mississippi under Capt. A. K. Jones, and the 16th Mississippi regiment under Capt. J. H. Duncan, both under the immediate command of Lt. Col. James H. Duncan, of the 19th Mississippi regiment, in Fort Gregg. The 19th Mississippi and 48th Mississippi regiment were placed in Whitworth, and were under the personal command of Gen. Harris. Cols. R. H. Phipps and Joseph M. Jayne commanded the latter two regiments.”
  37. Compendium of the Confederate Armies: Mississippi by Stewart Sifakis, pp. 99-100
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