Mississippi: 4th Cavalry Battalion
(aka 2nd Cavalry Battalion)
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Unit History
Organized in the fall of 1861.
Apparently disbanded in the spring of 1862.
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Also called Second Battalion and Pope Walker Battalion
Major -- Charles Baskerville.
December 17, 1861, order of War Department:
Major Charles Baskerville's Battalion, Mississippi Cavalry, now at Columbus, Miss., report to Gen. A. S. Johnston at Bowling Green, Ky. At Paris, Tenn. on January 1862.
After the fall of Fort Donelson, Baskerville, with two companies of Mississippi Cavalry, was ordered by General Ruggles, at Corinth, to Purdy's, on the Tennessee River. Col. D. W. Adams, with 350 Louisiana Infantry, and Baskerville, with his battalion, 130, and a section of a battery, were on the river when Sherman's troops began landing. Attached to Chalmers' Brigade, in organization of "First Division Confederate States Troops, Second Grand Division of the Army of the Mississippi Valley," March 9, 1862.
The battalion was merged with Brewer's Battalion as the Alabama and Mississippi Battalion, Lieut.-Col. R. H. Brewer, Major Baskerville, and before the battle of Shiloh this battalion and Lindsay's improvised regiment of cavalry were attached to Cheatham's Division. Preston Smith, commanding at Purdy, March 31, sent Brewer with a detachment on reconnaissance to Adamsville; skirmished with Federal outposts.
Brewer and Miller covered the front while the army advanced from Corinth to Shiloh field. One company was taken as escort by General Polk, Corps Commander, two were sent to watch the advance of Wallace, and Brewer, with the three other companies, fought on the skirmish line Sunday morning on April 6, and in the afternoon, in attempting to gain the rear of the Federal army, engaged a detached regiment, with losses on both sides.
As the army retreated, they remained three days collecting arms and helping remove artillery. Major Baskerville was honorably mentioned in Brewer's report. Casualties, 5 killed, 12 wounded, 2 missing.
After the retreat, they were on outpost duty for Johnson's Brigade, (later Maxey's), stationed at Bethel, with an outpost at Purdy. They were at work destroying bridges on April 20, when Halleck was advancing. Their orders were to protect the Mobile and Ohio Railroad as long as practicable and retire on Bolivar to protect the Mississippi Central.
The report of April 28 showed seven companies, 16 officers and about 500 men on duty. Included with commands of Wirt Adams, Forrest, Wharton and others in cavalry brigade of Gen. W. N. R. Beall.
P. D. Roddey, Captain Tishomingo Rangers, was active in the operations along the river as the Federal army was appearing and during the advance on Corinth. "Roddey is invaluable," said Bragg on May 4.
Captain Jeff. Falkner's company burned Cypress Creek bridge, May 30, and was in action between Iuka and Jacinto, June 3.
The battalions of Baskerville, Brewer and Bell, six Alabama and four Mississippi companies, were merged as the Eighth Confederate Cavalry, William B. Wade Colonel, Jefferson Falkner Lieutenant-Colonel, John T. Wright Major, succeeded by John S. Prather. Part of Chalmers' Cavalry force which attacked Sheridan's Cavalry at Booneville, July 1, 1862, and won a victory with considerable loss. Captain B. B. McCaa was complimented in general orders of General Beauregard for defeating a force of the enemy on June 14, 1862. Private John Graham especially distinguished.
The regiment was ordered to Chattanooga August 5. August 21, 1862, General Bragg, at Chattanooga, wrote: "A portion of our cavalry, consisting of the companies of Captains Earle, Lewis, and Roddey, led by Captain Roddey, has made another brilliant dash upon a superior force of the enemy, resulting in the capture of 123 prisoners." Captains Hill's, Sanders', Roddey's and Newsom's companies were with General Armstrong in the attack upon two companies of Col. John M. Harlan's Kentucky Regiment, at Courtland, Ala., on July 25, 1862, and capture of the same.
The 8th Confederate was with Wheeler in the Kentucky campaign, and the cavalry fighting attending the Murfreesboro campaign, and in 1863 was a part of the division of Wheeler's Cavalry Corps, commanded by Gen. Will T. Martin. A portion of the regiment was captured at Shelbyville, many were lost at Chickamauga.
The regiment took part in the capture of Stoneman, and fought as infantry in the Atlanta campaign. It was with Wheeler in his last raid into Tennessee, after which part of the regiment was attached to General Chalmers' command and assigned by General Chalmers, on February 18, 1865, to Brig.-Gen. P. B. Starke's Brigade.
By order of General Forrest, on March 3, Colonel Wade was put in command of the 8th and such parts of the 9th and 10th Mississippi as were in the State. Colonel Cooper, 4th Kentucky Cavalry, of Wilson’s raid, reported a heavy skirmish with the 8th Confederate near Montgomery, Ala. on April 13, 1865.
March 11 -- Capt. Thomas W. Golding, Company E, ordered to report.
Field and Staff
- Commander: Charles Baskerville (Lieutenant Colonel)
Assignments
- December 1861-March 1862: Central Army of Kentucky, Department #2
- March 1862: Chalmer's Brigade, 1st Corps, 2nd Grand Division, Army of the Mississippi, Department #2
Companies & Counties of Origin
| Company | Counties Formed From | Also Known As |
| A | unknown | Field’s Company, Pope Walker Troopers |
| B | Lowndes County | McCaa’s Company (McCaa’s Rangers), Pope Walker Troopers |
| C | unknown | Abert’s Company, Pope Walker Troopers |
| no designation | Lowndes County | Sykes’ Company (Cozart Cavalry), Pope Walker Battalion of Cavalry |
| no designation | Tishomingo County | Roddey’s Company (Tishomingo Rangers), Pope Walker Battalion of Cavalry |
| F | ? County | ? |
| G | ? County | ? |
| H | ? County | ? |
| I | ? County | ? |
| J | ? County | ? |
| K | ? County | ? |
| L | ? County | ? |
Battles, Skirmishes and Engagements
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