3rd Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry (Ashcraft's)

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Brief History

Ashcraft's Cavalry Regiment was organized in May, 1864, with eight companies. It was formed by consolidating the 2nd and 3rd Battalions State Cavalry. Surrendered in May, 1865. The field officers were Colonel Thomas C. Ashcraft, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas W. Harris, and Major E.L. Hawkins.

• The 3rd Battalion Mississippi State Cavalry (aka Ashcraft’s Battalion State Cavalry) Internet site more information taken from Dunbar Rowland's Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898.

Regiment Companies with the County of Origin

Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - Davis’ Company (raised in Itawamba County) [also called Co. B]
Company B - Fears’ Company (raised in Pontotoc County) [also called Co. C]
Company C - Patton’s Company (raised in Pontotoc County) [also called Co. E]
Company D - Kohlheim’s Company (raised in Itawamba County) [also called Co. F]
Company E - Story’s Company (raised in Itawamba County) [also called Co. A]
Company F - Hankins’ Company (raised in Itawamba County) [also called Co. D]

Other Sources

Reference links to CWSS, DUNBAR & GRADY (Dixie)

• Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in ‘Mississippi in the Civil War’ and ‘United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865’ (see below).
  

• National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.
  

• Mississippi in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Mississippi, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.
  

• United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.
  
• Rowland, Dunbar, Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898: taken from the Official and statistical register of the State of Mississippi, 1908 (Spartanburg, South Carolina: Reprint Company).
  
  
• Howell, H. Grady, For Dixie Land, I’ll Take My Stand!: A Muster Listing of All Known Mississippi Confederate Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines (Chickasaw Bayou Press, 1998).