We recently restarted our review of the 7th Regt. Miss. Inf. Roster in hopes of clarifying questions about soldiers listed in the archives as being in the regiment. Since the beginning of our research, we have always tried to include every man who could have possibly served in the regiment. Until proven otherwise, we assume all are correct; but in many cases our research questioned whether some men were properly listed.

In those cases we placed an * by their name and listed all we could find about them and their service. As is always the case, spelling variations, transcription errors make it necessary to try to find the original records to confirm or disprove a man’s name.

By the hard work of my fellow researchers, family records from descendants, and in some cases blind luck and hunches, most of the companies have been reviewed and a majority of the * names have been resolved. We do have one that we need help on and I am putting it out for the board to see if we can put this one to rest.

From the 7th Mississippi “Lest We Forget Roster”

Company G 7th Mississippi “Goode Rifles”

Ballard, Abner B. Pvt. Died Feb. 11, 1863 at Chattanooga, TN. (1862-Hadskey-disproved based on family records)

Ballard, W. B. Pvt. Transf. to Wheeler's Cav. (See Winston Ballard not on 8-03-61 roster)

Ballard, Winston Pvt. (May be W.B. Ballard)

A review of Fold3 records located the majority of the information on Winston, W. B. and Wm. B. Ballard was found in two folders (Co. G 7th Regt. Miss. Inf. and Co. C 9th Battalion. Miss. SS). The census search of Marion and Lawrence County where most of the men in Company G resided did not find a man named William B. Ballard, only Winston. There is no record in the 1870 Census for either William or Winston. Ancestry.com family records indicate that Winston married a woman named King in 1860, but we have been unable to find a widow’s pension so far.

Based on what we have so far, we believe that Winston Ballard, W. B. Ballard and Wm. B. Ballard are all the same man. His records indicate that he joined the 7th Miss. at Bay St. Louis, MS in Sept. 1861, was detailed as a teamster to Wheeler’s cavalry in March 1862, and remained on that detached service until ordered to his command in May 1863.

Sometime between May 1863 and August 1863 he joined the 9th Battalion Mississippi Sharpshooters where he served until his capture at Missionary Ridge November, 25th 1863. He then died in February at Rock Island, Ill. Since all POW records list him as Wm B. Ballard, my assumption is there may have been an intentional falsification on his part to confuse his captors or a transcription error when captured. He may have become too ill to correct the information and that followed him until his death.

Our proposed changes to the roster entries:

Ballard, Winston; W. B. Pvt./Teamster/Wagoner [Winston B. Ballard, detailed to Wheeler’s Cav. in March 1862 by Lt. Col. Hamilton Mayson, as teamster (See also W. B., Wm. Ballard, W. G., W. S. Ballard on various reports from Co. G 7th Miss. regarding Ballard’s being detailed to Wheeler’s Cavalry as teamster or wagoner from March 1862-May 1863) including orders to return from detached duty as a teamster with Wheeler’s cavalry to his command “Anderson’s Brigade, Wither’s Division, Polk’s Corps Army of Tennessee” dated “May 3, 1863 Camp at Falls Creek” (W. B. Ballard was not listed on 08-03-61 Roster which lists only Winston (RS); See Winston Ballard Co. G 7th Miss. Sept. and Oct. 1861 rosters).

Marion County MS 1860 census lists Winston Ballard age 25 and Abner Ballard age 21 in the household of Charles and June Ballard] His brother, Abner Ballard was also in Co. G 7th Miss.]

[See records for W. B. Ballard of the 9th Battn. Miss. SS from July-November 1863 list him as “Present”. His December 1863 through April 1864 listed him as “Missing since Nov. 25, 1863 Supposed to have been Captured at Missionary Ridge Stoppage enfield rifle accouterments knapsack canteen haversack 40 rounds of ammunition. $88.78. These things (over) were taken by the yankees when he was taken prisoner”.

His August 1864 record with the 9th Miss. SS Atlanta, GA listed him as “dropped as Deserter”. All of these records associated with W. B. Ballard of Co. C 9th Battn. Miss. SS indicate that he was originally enlisted at Bay St. Louis, MS on Sept. 27, 1861 by Lt. Day. This date corresponds with the date that the 7th Miss. was organized at Bay St. Louis, MS.

See also records of Wm. B. Ballard Co. C 9th Miss. SS All of these records in this file are recorded as “Wm Ballard Co. C 9th Battn. Miss. SS” and are federal prisoner of war records stating that he was captured at “Ringgold, GA Nov. 26, 186” which would indicate he was captured at Missionary Ridge and sent to Louisville, KY and then to Rock Island Illinois where he “died on February 25, 1864, of Variola”. “Grave # 614, south of prison barracks.”]

Ballard, Abner B. Pvt. Co. G 7th Miss. Regt. Miss. Inf. Died Feb. 11, 1863 at Chattanooga, TN. (CP) [Family records indicate that he died at the Oliver CSA Hospital, Dalton, GA. Buried at the Dalton Confederate Cemetery, Dalton, GA] [1860 Marion County MS Census lists Winston Ballard age 25 and Abner age 21 in the household of Charles and June Ballard; his brother, Winston was also in Co. G 7th Miss.] (date of death 1862-WH disproved)

Key:
(WH) William Hadskey’s Roster from D. Rowland MDAH microfilm.
(CP) Calvin Phillips Roster from Direct search of MDAH and National Archives.
(RS) Ron Skellie Company G Roster transcribed from original located separately from microfilm records at MDAH.
Fold3 research by George Purvis