A 366-page paperback narrative of this digital regimental is now available for sale at Amazon here, and also here as an ebook.
Both contain some additional material not found in this Web version but otherwise are faithful reproductions of it. The title comes from Private Thurman Early Hendricks of the Minutemen of Attala. He wrote in a memoir that, in early 1863, its veterans called the regiment “The Bloody Thirteenth.”
An advantage of the paper and ebook formats, in addition to providing lasting, personal copies of the history, is that they can be read from beginning to end instead of finish to start as is the format of a blog. Much easier to read in the usual way. The ebook also is searchable and the paperback has an index of many of the regiment’s soldiers, for the convenience of descendants wishing to see what’s available about their ancestor. Enjoy!
UPDATE: The ebook version has been reformatted to the interior appearance of the paperback to make it easier to read. The reformatting eliminated the index but, of course, it’s still searchable. And a mere 99 cents! Don’t be confused by Amazon’s “look inside” feature for the ebook. It still retains the old formatting.
13TH MISSISSIPPI INFANTRY REGIMENT 
Thurman Hendricks was my GG Grandfather on my Mother’s side. I have the copies of his memoirs. He later joined Bedford Forrest and was a Captain in KY after being captured and parolled prior to Gettysburg. He was again captured and was to be hanged for violating his oath not to take up arms again. He escaped by swimming the Ohio river with several other captives and this time Forrest stationed him in deep Mississippi so he would not risk capture again until wars end.
Yes, indeed. Get a copy of the book and you’ll enjoy seeing how the memoir fits in to the regiment’s history.
I will. My mother actually has a photo of him holding her when she was a baby!
Good. We Minutemen have to stick together, you know.
I recently purchased the book book “The Bloody Thirteenth,: History in Diaries, Letters and Memoirs.”
It is great reading and on the 13th and I wanted to provide some background on my earlier work on the subject and a short history of how the story of the 13th’s has progressed and improved through several versions and my work on it came about.
In 1973, after I learned that my great-grandfather Wesley Alexander Norman served in the 13th, I started researching this regiment out of interest and curiosity. I thought it would be a short term “look around” to see what I could find out about it. Was I wrong!
Over the ensuing years, my wife and I traveled all over the country where Civil War sites were located to view the places of the battles in which the 13th participated. Additional visits were made to the little known David’s Island, near New Rochelle, NY where captured Confederates from the battle at Gettysburg were held, all across the south. We made many trips to Jackson, Mississippi, to visit Mississippi Department of Archives and History [[MDAH] and to visit Dr. William D. McCain, President Emeritus of the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, MS. It was a long term hobby to learn and collect data on the 13th.
On one early visit to MDAH, I learned of the William H Hill diary kept while he served with the 13th. It had not been published, only microfilmed. A young college student, working as an intern helped me secure a copy of it. I had no microfilm viewer so I used a jeweler’s eye loupe to read and record it into my computer – then a C/PM using Word Perfect.
Later I ordered several rolls of 35 Millimeter Microfilm from the National Archives which contained every record for each soldier of the 13th Regiment. I bought strip projector and a screen and recorded each record into the same PC. This took 3 years transfer the data to my PC using my two-finger typing skill.
About 1985, I realized that all the data I had collected would be useless when I “bought the farm.” So I thought I should preserve these documented events and it in some useable form, for these people and the soldiers had been caught up in a political failure of their time which was recorded as our Civil War.
Over the next six years, I created a Web Page, made many contacts with descendants added research data, letters, diaries and organized the data in chronological sequence. A search-able CD was published in Adobe format. Many were sold, but numerous requests were made for a printed format. I then published some and they had 800 pages, weighed almost 4 pounds and cost a lot. They continued to sell but were far too expensive to publish and ship.
It was about this time that Dick Stanley initiated this blog (13thMississippi.com) for discussion of the regiment’s activities. I followed it, learning more with each comment.
At one point Dick suggested that the book should be re-edited and reduced in size. I thought it was an excellent idea and coming from a professional in writing, I decided to try it.
The size and the cost of the book were reduced, without sacrificing important data, by re-editing and eliminating redundant text such as multiple muster calls. It was then sold as an abridged version with an accompanying CD containing the original and complete book.
In 2003 I contacted MDAH to see if they would be able to sell some of my book, and recall the young college intern who helped me in getting a microfilm of the Wm. H. Hill Diary? Well, his name was H.T. (Hank) Holmes and now almost 30 years, he was now the Director of MDAH. Time flies when you’re having fun.
Later Dick put his 13th book together which included some data from my work and data initially provided by many of you along with other information to produce an outstanding result. His added perspective and narrative makes the information much more readable for all. So my thanks and appreciation go to Dick for polishing the raw data of many into a historical jewel of a reading experience.
My latest research and book is COMANCHIE FAMILIES a genealogy of the recorded Comanche individuals born between 1650 and 1930. See http://www.amazon.com/Comanche-Families-Genealogy-Jess-McLean/dp/0972285539/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398879513&sr=1-1&keywords=comanche+families
Jess McLean
I am reading and enjoying your book! I am taking my kids to Gettysburg later this month and wanted to tell my kids about one of their ancestors, John Lewis Ball of the Winston Guards I’m told he was a doctor in the Civil War, but have not found any evidence to support that. I’m curious if you are aware of any mention of John Lewis Ball.
His records in Fold3 also have a note that I will transcribe the best I can read it: “Appointed Corps Vice JR A Hughes Discharged Jan 18 1862” If you have any clue what that may mean, I’d love to know!
Hi Carla, thanks for the comment.
Grady Howell’s bare-bones muster listing has a John L. Ball of the Winston Guards who began as a private and was promoted to 2nd sergeant. Jess McLean’s more complete information says that John L. Ball was 18 and 5′ 10″ tall when he mustered at Louisville, in Winston County on March 6, 1861. He was then a dry goods clerk who was single and also a student.
He was a native Mississippian from DeKalb in Kemper County. Neither Howell nor McLean show what the L stood for. McLean also has him re-enlisting on Jan. 18, 1862 and appointed a corporal in place of 1st Corporal James R.A. Hughes who was discharged for “disability/phtisis pulmonalis.” This was at Leesburg, Virginia, when the regiment was there. There’s nothing about a J.L. Ball being a doctor.
McLean also has a J.H. Ball (Joshua or Jasper) also from DeKalb enlisting in the Winston Guards at age 17 at Corinth on May 14, 1861. He’s described as a student and single. Howell also has a Jasper M. Ball, also a private, in the Winston Guards. Possibly a brother to John L.? Howell also has a John Hays Ball, also from DeKalb, as a private in the Mississippi College Rifles of the 18th Regiment. Perhaps all three of them were related.
That is so helpful! Thank you. I noticed in your book that some men were voted into positions of rank. Would that have been the case with becoming a Corporal. Anything you can tell about what he might have done as a Corporal?
My GG Grandfather was Pvt. Joseph Smith Waldrop of the Spartan Band. He was at 1st Manassas, Severely Wounded, Left for Dead at Sharpsburg, Captured & Exchanged, rejoined in time for Chickamauga & was surrendered at Appomattox.
I’m reading the Kindle Edition Now, Thanks!
Finished reading the e-book. Very nice.
1861-1865 By An Old Johnnie, by James Dickens, gives good background on the 13th’s sister Regiment, the 18th, during the early part of the War.
The description of the march, or rather run, to Sharpsburg & battle of Sharpsburg are outstanding.
Glad you enjoyed the ebook, Kendall. Jess McLean has your ancestor as a private called “Joe,” who mustered in on May 2, 1861. He was then an 18-year-old, unmarried farmer, born in Mississippi in 1844, who lived near Houston in the northeast part of the state.
Yes, he got most of that info from me; of course I’m sure he confirmed it on his own.
E-mail @ you, to your Yahoo account…
Reblogged this on 18thmississippiinfantrycom and commented:
My gg grandpa “Joe”, Pvt. Joseph Smith Waldrop (1844-1936), of the ” Spartan Band”, was the last surviving member of the 13th Mississippi Infantry.
Present at Manassas, shot through the lung, left for dead at Sharpsburg, captured & exchanged, returned in time for Chickamauga, at the surrender at Appomattox.