The Eleventh Mississippi, one of the first regiments formed in Mississippi as part of the Confederate Army, was composed of volunteers from the older and more developed counties in North Mississippi.
The 11th served for the duration of the Civil War and participated in nearly all of the major campaigns in the East. Battles include First Manassas, Seven Pines, Gaines' Mill, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Gettysburg, Falling Waters, Bristoe Station, Wilderness, Talley's Mill, Spotsylvania Court House, Hanover Junction, Bethesda Church, Weldon Railroad, Davis' Farm, Hawke's Farm, and Hatcher's Run.
The University Greys were students in the University and therefore were rather widely drawn from the State. Since the personnel was not limited to Lafayette County men, that county claimed the right to contribute another company to the regiment. This company was the Lamar Rifles. At that period of the war to contribute a company to a glamourous regiment such as the Eleventh was considered a privilege.
July 3, 1863 during the Pickett/Pettigrew charge at Gettysburg, the 11th Mississippi had 386 men present in the ten companies and regimental staff. The 11th suffered a total of 336 casualties during this charge (87% of the men fell). The 11th Mississippi Regiment sustained the highest casualty percentage of any regiment at the battle of Gettysburg, North or South.
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✙ Company G "Lamar Rifles" ✙
Information Company G "Lamar Rifles" of the 11th Mississipi, wears the grey coats with eight red chest bars with a button on each end and grey trousers with a red stripe down the legs. They also wear "Hardee" style hats with an infantry bugle on the front. Company G are excellent shots and have accurate weapons and hence serve as our Light Infantry company.
Company History The unit was formed in Oxford, Mississippi, and practiced military maneuvers and rifle tactics. The company decided to adopt the nickname, "Lamar Rifles" in honor of L.Q.C. Lamar, who was a popular local congressman. They also adopted the motto, "Semper Paratus," or "Always Ready!".
The regiment earned a hard fighting and dependable reputation, but they were also somewhat unruly. For these reasons they were often put in positions of vital military importance. During the Battle of Gettysburg the 11th filled the left flank of Pickett's charge and was one of only a few units to breach the Union lines. The 11th's soldiers were also reputed to have been excellent marksmen, and the men of Company G considered among the finest. Because of this prowess, they were often deployed as skirmishers for the regiment. Company G was the last company of the Confederate army to cross back into Virginia after the Battle of Gettysburg.
In all, the Lamar Rifles participated in 30 battles. Of the men that were in any battle, 20 were never wounded; 30 were wounded more than once; one man was wounded eight times; and one man made it through twenty-five battles without sustaining any wounds.
Rank's
Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain
Volunteer Private Corporal Sargeant Colour Sargeant Sargeant Major
✙ Company A "University Greys" ✙
Information Company A "University Greys" of the 11th Missisipi, can be recognized by the grey jackets they wear and serves as our line infantry. They are expected to fare well in Melee rather than shooting, they charge and lead the way to glory for other to follow. The university greys are a disciplined force, holding the line when being charged and recieving shots, the pride of the regiment.
Company History The "University Greys" were an "all-state" unit composed of students from the University of Mississippi at Oxford. They formed Company A of the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment and saw hard fighting in most of its major battles.
Their name "University Greys" derived from the gray color of the men's uniforms and from the fact that almost all of the Greys were students at the University of Mississippi.
The most famous engagement of the University Greys was at Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg, when the Confederates made a desperate frontal assault on the Union entrenchments atop Cemetery Ridge. he Greys penetrated further into the Union position than any other unit, but at the terrible cost of sustaining 100% casualties—every soldier was either killed or wounded.
Rank's
Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain
Volunteer Private Corporal Sargeant Colour Sargeant Sargeant Major
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