The Companies for the organization of this regiment were assembled at Camp Clark, near Corinth, the post being under the command of General Charles Clark, Army of Mississippi. Balloting by companies for regimnetal officers began May 16, 1861, and seven ballots were taken before all of them were chosen. Capt. henry Hughes, of the Claiborne Guards was the favorite of alarge part of the regiment for Colonel. Finally, the selections were: Richard Griffith, Colonel, W.H. Taylor, Lt. Col., J.R. Dickens, Major.
After the regiment was ready for service it was sent to Union City, Tennessee to co-operate in Gen. Polk's campaign against St. Louis, but the imminence of the conflict in Virginia caused its transfer to that department. On July 9, 1861, telegrams were sent to General Polk and General Clark, asking that the regiment be sent to Lynchburg without delay. It started July 16, and did not arrive in time for Manassas. The regiment was posted in northeastern Virginia, and during the winter of 1861-1862 was quartered at Centerville, attached to the Alabama brigade of General Rodes. President Davis planned to make the Twelfth part of a Mississippi brigade, which was to be under the command of Gen. Charles Clark. However, Clark was needed in the Western Theatre, and Col. Griffith, who had been Adjutant of President Davis' regiment in the Mexican War, and also a General in the State army, was promoted Brigadier General and assigned to command the first Mississippi Brigade. It appears to have been President Davis' plan to form two Mississippi Brigades to be part of a Division for Major-General Van Dorn, but Gen. Johnston opposed this as impractible at that time, and was never effected. The Twelfth did not become part of the brigade of which its' first Colonel was commander.
The first battle of the Twelfth was fought as part of Rode's Alabama brigade, after the army had been transferred to Richmond to meet the advance of McClellan from the Peninsula. Under Col. W.H. Taylor they began the attack of Rodes' brigade at the battle of Seven Pines, and supported by the Fifth Alabama pressed forward under heavy fire into an abatis and from there into the Federal Rifle pits, where they heroically held their ground between the Confederate and Federal batteries. General Rodes mentioned specially the gallantry of Colonel Taylor, Captain Hastings, of Company H, and Sgt. Robert Hall. After General Rodes was wounded inthis bloody fight Col. John B. Gordon took command of the brigade. The brigade of four regiments carried 2,200 men into action and lost 241 killed and 853 wounded. The loss of the Twelfth was 41 killed and 152 wounded. General D.H. Hill complimeted this regiment after the battle, in person, saying in conclusion: "Within the limits of your State resides my only brother, and in your soil rests the remains of my dear departed mother. I had always intended to remove her remains to North Carolina and let them mingle with the ashes of her ancestors, but, Mississippians, since I witnessed your brave conduct on last Saturday, they shall sleep in your soil forever." The regiment had numbered 1,013 men, rank and file, before the battle, making it, at that time, one of the largest regiments at Seven Pines.
In June 1862, the Second Mississippi Brigade was formed, under Gen. Winfield Scott Featherston, including the 12th, 16th, 19th, and the 2nd Ms. Battalion (later 48th Regiment). In the opening of the battle of Savages Station, June 29, on the York River Railroad, General Griffith, in command of the First Brigade received a mortal wound. He was borne from the field and died the next morning.
The Twelfth was in battle June 27 at Beaver Dam Creek (or Gaines Mill), where, under heavy fire, they charged up a hill, driving the Federal line through a forest, capturing a battery. Maj. W.H. Lilly, in command, was wounded at the head of the regiment, and Capt. Thomas then took command. June 30, at the battle of Frazier's Farm, the brigade went into battle at five in the evening and sustained the attack of a large force of the enemy. The casualties of the regiment in the two battles were 34 killed, 186 wounded, and 5 missing. Among the killed were Captains J. Dobbins, and J.E. Vawter, and Lieutenants T.W. Crump, and W.B. Thomas.
In the second Manassas campaign the brigade was in Wilcox's division of Longstreet corps. General Wilcox reported the gallant action of the 12th and 16th, near Kelly's Ford on the Rappahanock river on August 21. Supported by the other regiment, the 12th repulsed a large body of Federal cavalry, the deadly fire of the Mississippians throwing the enemy into great confusion. In the battle of August 30, the brigade had a gallant part in the fighting in the vicinity of the stone house, and the brigade loss was 26 killed, and 142 wounded.
The brigade took part in the capture of Harpers Ferry and the battle of Sharpsburg. September 17, 1862, but there were no official reports of the regiment. Casualties were 6 killed, and 53 wounded, most of these incurred in an ill-fated counter-attack across the Sunken Road. In the battle of Fredricksburg, December, 1862, the regiment, under Col. W.H. Taylor, were three days and night in line of battle, under artillery fire, which caused them the loss of 8 men wounded.
In January 1863, Gen. Carnot Posey took command of the brigade, which was a part of Anderson's division, Longstreet's corps. They remained near Fredricksburg, with occaisional picket duty on the Rappahanock River, until posted at the United States ford in February. When the Federal army began to cross near Fredrcksburg and above, the two brigades of Anderson's division moved to Chancellorsville, leaving a guard at the ford. From Chancellorsville Anderson withdrew them to the crossing of the old Mine and Plank roads, where they threw up entrenchments and were reinforced. On the morning of May 1, General Jackson came up and Posey's brigade joined him in the flank movment, arriving near the Fedral entrenchments around Chancellorsville about midnight. Next day, in the evening, Posey's brigade attacked the enemy, appearing in strength at the Furnace and gallantly maintained its position against great odds, constructing breastworks during the night. On the May 3rd the brigade took its place in line of battle , and "pressed forward with spirited impetuosity," and drove the enemy from his entrenchments around Chancellorsville. Next day they marched to Fredricksburg and aided in the defeat of the enemy there also. Anderson wrote in his official report, "Where all performed their part with so much zeal and courage it is almost impossible to make distinction, but Brigadier General Posey and his brave, untiring, persevering Mississippians seem to me to deserve special notice.. Their steadfastness at the Furnace Saturday evening, when pressed by greatly superior numbers, saved our army from great peril, while their chivalrous charge upon the trenches on Sunday contributed largely to the successes of that day. After three days of incessant occupation, Saturday night was again passed by them in hard work upon entrenchments in front of the Furnace, while others had an opportunity to take some rest." The twelfth fought as skirmishers for the brigade May 1, and in this gallant action with the Federal skirmish line Lt. Col. Marion B. Harris commanding the regiment was severely wounded. Major Samuel B. Thomas commanded in the charge on the 3rd. the loss of the regiment was 3 killed, 38 wounded, and 23 missing.
At Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Posey's brigade was in the attack of A.P. Hill's corps upon the Federal positions in the peach orchard and toward the heights of Little Round Top and the Devil's Den. The Mississippi Brigade was ordered to support Wright's Georgia Brigade. "Wright's men bore the starry cross on their standards to the crest of the ridge, which they held ten memorable minutes." They believed that if they had been supported the victory was won. But through some fatality they were not supported through the extreme advance. In fact, Posey had been instructed to send only two of his regiments. The Twelfth was held in reserve through the battles of the 2nd and 3rd. The casualties of the regiment were seven wounded.
With the brigade, the Twelfth was in line of battle near Hagerstown, a week or more, and then, with the army, fell back into Virginia, and behind the Rapidan. From a two months' rest near Orange Courthouse they were called in October to thwart the moves of General Meade. The flank movement of Hill's Corps across the Rappahanock River was somewhat effective, but while the brigade was under artillery fire at Bristoe Station, on the 14th, Gen. Posey was mortally wounded. Col. Nathaniel H. Harris of the 19th MS. assumed command of the brigade.
They were in line of battle at Mine Run in November, passed a weary winter of 1863-1864 on the Rapidan, and left their camp May 5, 1864 to go into the battle of the Wilderness. They advanced from the Plank Road, charged and repulsed two Federal columns that threatened to outflank the regiments of Davis, Perry, and Law, and then, in line with these brigades, Harris' men fought throughout the day, repelling all attacks and capturing many prisoners. Many brave men fell in the gallant charge with which the day's work had begun. After the trying quick-time march to Spotsylvania Courthouse, May 9, the regiment was in battle at the Po River bridge, but its main fight, one memorable in the annals of America, was with the brigade at the "Bloody Angle," May 12-13. The casualties of the regiment, May 6-12, were 13 killed, 32 wounded, and 13 missing. They moved from their station across the Po River to recover the line that Gen. Edward Johnson had lost to Union Gen. W.S. Hancock, and were led toward the point of greatest danger by Gen. Robert E. Lee himself, until they prevailed on him to go back. They, with the help of other brigades, closed the dangerous gap in the lines with their bodies, and held it from seven in the morning of May 12, until three in the morning of May 13, without food, and always in danger of being without ammunition, for it was worth a man's life to leave the shelter of the earthworks and the ditches running with water from a steady rain. Lietenant Bew, whose gallantry was conspicuous, was among the killed. It was almost a continuous battle or its equivalent from May 5.
They fought on North Anna May 24, skirmished on the Totopotomy later, took position on the lines, close to the Federal lines at Cold Harbor June 3, and was there was engaged in constant battle under the fire of sharpshooters and artillery. There Captain Hennegan, an accomplished officer and brave soldier, was mortally wounded by a mortar shell. The brigade marched into the Petersburg lines June 18, and was in battle in front of that line on the 22nd, on the Weldon Road on the 24th, and then returned to the trenches where, on the next day, Col. Marion B. Harris was shot by a Federal sharpshooter, being mortally wounded in the head. A casualty report in June showed 10 killed, 20 wounded, and 8 missing. They were under heavy fire at the battle of the Crater July 30, took part in the battle of Darbytown Road, north of the James River, August 18, and in the battle of Ream's Station on the Weldon Road on August 21. The Twelfth and Sixteenth Regiments entered the new Federal entrenched line across the railroad, and being overwhelmed, many were captured. The Federal command attacked was Gen. E.S. Bragg's brigade of Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan regiments, posted on the left of the railroad fronting the Vaughn Road. He reported the capture of six field officers, fifteen line officers, and 101 enlisted men, two stands of colors, and a number of wounded men. Among those wounded and captured were Col. Samuel B. Thomas, Major Bell, Adjutant Howard McCaleb, and Captain Joseph Johnson of the Twelth. In August, up to and including this battle, the regiment reported 4 killed, 26 wounded, and 63 missing.The Next battle was at Hatcher's Run bridge for the defense of Boydton Plank Road, and again on this road, at Burgess' Mill, the brigade fought in support of Gordon's Corps February 6, 1865. This was part of a campaign of seven days, in intensely cold weather, in which great endurance and determined courage were shown by the men.
The brigade served on the Swift Run line and at the time of Sheridan's raid on Richmond. From the former position they marched early in the morning of April 2 to Petersburg, whence they were sent on the double-quick to the place where Gen. Wilcox's line had been broken. Reporting to Wilcox near the Newman house on the Boydton Plank Road, they saw the Federal troops as far as the eye could reach, moving in great imposing force to seize the advantage gained. the Mississippians actually went into line of battle to meet this demonstration so adroitly as to give the impression of considerable numbers, when they were not stronger than one full regiment, if as strong. An order soon reached Gen. Harris not to sacrifice his men, but occupy the earthworks near him. The 12th, under Lt. Col. James H. Duncan of the 19th, who had been assigned to command it, and the 16th, in all, about 150 men, were put in Battery Gregg, and the 19th and 48th were placed in Battery Whitworth. General John Gibbon, commanding the XXIV Army Corps, reported: "At 6:50 A.M. an order was received from Major General Ord directing me to send all my available force to the support of the VI Corps, which had broken through the enemy's line near Fort Welch. I at once ordered the whole of Foster's division and two of Turner's brigades to move to the right, and almost immediately afterward Harris' brigade of Turner's division carried the enemy's line in front of them and , pushing down forward Birney's division, we occupied the enemy's line and met the VI Corps coming down from the right, sweeping everything before them. Harris' brigade was now pushed up toward Petersburg, followed by that portion of the VI Corps which had come down the line and by Birney's division. On reaching the vicinity of Fort Welch, where the VI Corps had broken through, I found Foster already in line of battle perpendicular to the enemy's old line and confronting two strong works, Fort Gregg, and Fort Baldwin (Whitworth), which the enemy had erected to protect his right of the town. Harris' brigade was formed on Foster's left, and as soon as they arrived Turner's other two brigades were formed in rear of foster. As the VI Corps came came up it went into position, two divisions on my left, and one on my right, and as soon as they reached within supporting distance Foster's line was ordered to charge the works in its front. The troops moved steadily and rapidly forward, under a heavy fire from both artillery and musketry, and gained Fort Gregg, to find it surrounded by a deep, wide ditch partially filled with water and flanked by fire from both right and left. Turner's two brigades were pushed rapidly up in support from the second line, whilst Harris, at the same time rushed against Fort Baldwin. The enemy made the most desperate resistance, and it was not until Fort Gregg was almost entirely surrounded, and our brave men had succeeded in climbing upon the parapet under a murderous fire, that the place was finally taken by the last of several determined dashes with the bayonet, Harris and a portion of the First division at the same time carrying Fort Baldwin. This assault, certainly one of the most desperate of the war, succeeded by the obstinate courage of our troops, but at a fearful cost. Fifty-five of the enemy's dead were found inside Ft. Gregg, whilst my own loss during the operations of the day, most of which occurredaround these two forts, was 10 officers and 112 men killed, and 27 officers and 565 men wounded. We captured two pieces of artillery(a section of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans was in Fort Gregg) , several colors, and about threehundred prisoners." General Robert S. Foster reported the capture of Fort Gregg General Robert S. Foster reported the capture of Fort Gregg "with two guns and the entire garrison of 250 officers and men," and he said, "The fighting on both sides at this point was the most desperate I ever witnessed, being a hand-to-hand struggle for twenty-five minutes after my troops had reached the parapet. Fifty-seven o the enemy's dead were found inside the work."
It may be surmised that a large part of the regiment was not in Fort Gregg. 54 men of the regiment were surrendered at Appomattox, including those on detached service, the remnant being under the command of Sgt. William Brown of Co.K, Lawrence Rifles.
