There are references to other regiments and brigades of Stevenson's Division arriving at Jackson and Vicksburg, Ms. as follows:
12/27-Pemberton's staff officer at Jackson to Pemberton reporting on units leaving Jackson for Vicksburg:
-387 of 53rd Ga leaving Jackson for Vicksburg by rail
-50 of 42nd Ga leaving Jackson for Vicksburg by rail
“The 40th Georgia arrives at the Vicksburg depot at 11 a.m. Dec 27, 1862. Though fatigued from being pent up on the train for a week, the 40th along with the rest of Barton's Brigade are immediately ordered to march north, first to Mint Spring where they rest until midnight then to the Valley Road at Chickasaw Bayou, one of five possible landing sites for Union troop ships…”
“Official Records”
Report of Brig. Gen. Seth AL. Barton, C. S. Army, commanding Brigade, of operations December 27-30, 1862
…Soon after my arrival here on the 27th…
Pemberton’s report-
…During the evening and night of this day [Dec 27] Brigadier-Generals Vaughn and Gregg, with their brigades, arrived from Grenada, and also Brig. Gen. [Seth M.] Barton and his brigade, of Maj. Gen. [Carter L.] Stevenson’s division. Before daylight they were moved to the front
56th Georgia not mentioned in-
Reports of Brig. Gen. Stephen P. Lee, C. S. Army, commanding Provisional Division, of operations December 25, 1862-January 2, 1863
56th Georgia not listed in-
“Return of Casualties in the Confederate forces at Chickasaw Bayou and Chickasaw Bluffs, Miss., December 26-29, 1862”
http://www.bellsouthpwp.net/p/a/parksvix/vixcwph.htm
VIEW JUL/25 DATE IN POSTMARK ON SOLDIER'S COVERS
Privates and an officer in the 36th, 40th, 41st, 52nd, and 57th Georgia and the 61st Tennessee Infantry Regiments endorsed many soldier’s covers. These regiments were a part of Major-General Carter L. Stevenson’s Division, which was ordered from Middle Tennessee to Vicksburg in mid-December 1862. The 40th and 52nd Georgia and the 61st Tennessee participated in the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou December 26, 1862 -- January 2, 1863. These regiments along with the 36th, 41st, and 57th Georgia Infantry were reported in the Vicksburg area by January 10, 1863.
The following letters may serve as an indication of the time and location of the 56th Georgia regiment as it traveled through Alabama and Mississippi on its way to Vicksburg.
Letter from Thomas Christmas O'Mary to his wife, Elizabeth Arnold O'Mary of Carroll County, Georgia. Thomas is in the Georgia 56th regiment.
Mississippi Meridian P.O. Laudadil Co
Jan. 3rd 1863
Dear wife
I seat my self to let you no that I am wel as common hoping those lines may find you and family enjoying the same blessing. I must tel you what the good ladys and sitizens done for us. when we got to Demopolus, Maringo Co, Ala on the Tombigba river. they had a large dinner fixed for us. they had kept it up every day feeding our division as they passed. ____ the ladys used great politeness with us. they treated us with as much respect as they did the largest officiers we had. we came 114 miles on steamboat. I had a pleasant ride. we have rasions cooked to move again. I think we will go to Jackson. I want youto rite to me. I want to hear from you verry bad. direct your letter to Meridian P.O. Mississippi. I want to see you and the children as bad as I ever did in my life. I hope I may get a letter from you in a short tim. I think many times of the happy hours I have spent at home with you and the children. Toung can not express the enjoyments of home. I hope I may appreciate the blessings of home. I have seen many things and a great deal of rich country but nothing like home. I wish I could send you some sugar and syrup. their is abundance of it here. I want to hear how you are a geting a long. I am sorry that you have such a hard time. I hope I may be at home shortly to make your time easy. we must be reconciled to the wil of God. we must endure all that is put upon us. I want us all to try to do rite. instruct the children to do rite. I hope that God wil bless us and bring us together again in peace and happiness to dwell together as long as we live. I hope the time may hasten on when war shal seace and no more lives be lost and no blood be shed. I must close. rite often.
nothing more only remain your hustband until death.
T.C. Omary
Letter from Thomas Christmas O'Mary to his wife, Elizabeth Arnold O'Mary of Carroll County, Georgia. Thomas is in the Georgia 56th regiment.
Letter:
Camp near Jackson, Miss
January 11th 1863
Dear wife
I seat my self to drop you a few lines to let you know that I am wel as common. hoping these lines may find all enjoying the same blessing. the boys has got here from home. John Mattox brought me and John a cake and some biscuits and some letters. I was thanksful to receive them amd glad to hear that you was all wel and sorry to hear that you had not got no one to live with you. you are two lonesome. I want you to do whatever you think best. if you think best to move do so. I never was so sorry for nobody than I was for you and my little children. I want to be with you to help you to take care of the children. I would rather be with you and them than anybody. we have a 3 wideners in our unit and dean when he is here. John is not wel. I think this cold ails him. the water here is not good. we have 1 case of smallpox in our brigade. I hope it will not spread. they moved the hole company out. I must close.
I remain your hustband until death.
Thos C Omary