Summary of Official Military Records
of William E. Sims

Company D, 21st Regiment Mississippi Volunteers

“The 21st Regiment Mississippi Infantry was organized about July, 1861, as the 1st (Brandon's) Battalion Mississippi Infantry, Companies A to I, some of which had previously been in the state service. About September, 1861, Companies K and L were added and the designation changed to 21st Regiment Mississippi Infantry.” [Paragraph found on the bottom of transcribed sheets of William E. Sims's military records.]

Enlistment Data

Enlistment data for William E. Sims (the records contain five differing entries):

• May 15, 1861, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, by Col. Brandon, for the war.
• May 24, 1861, at Woodville, Mississippi, by Lt. Col. W. L. Brandon, for the war.
• May 28, 1861 at Woodville, Mississippi, for the war.
• August 20, 1861, at Woodville, Mississippi, for and during the present war.
• August 20, 1861, at Manassas, Virginia, by Capt. Sims, for and during the present war.

Entries

• Company D Muster Roll, July and August, 1861 — present — pay due from enlistment (Pvt.).
• Company D Muster Roll, September and October, 1861 — present — last paid to August 31, 1861.
• Company D Muster Roll, March and April, 1862 — present — last paid to December 31, 1861.
• Battle of Berlin Heights, December, 1861 — present and unhurt.
• Company D Muster Roll, January and February, 1862 — present — last paid to December 31, 1861.
• Company D Muster Roll, March and April, 1862 — present — last paid to December 31, 1861.
• Hospital Muster Roll, to November 1, 1862, General Hospital No. 2, Richmond, Virginia — present — Sgt. — due pay from July 1, at $17 per month. Due $50 bounty.
• Battle of Lee's Mills, April, 1862 — present and unhurt.
• Battle of Seven Pines, May 31, 1862 — present and unhurt.
• Battle of Savage Station, June 29, 1862 — present and unhurt.
• Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1, 1862 — present and unhurt.
• Battle of Maryland Heights, September 15, 1862 — present and unhurt.
• Battle of Sharpsburg, September 17, 1862 — absent sick.
• Regimental return, October, 1862 — Sgt. — absent sick or wounded.
• Medical Director's Office, Richmond, Hospital No. 2 — admitted October 31, 1862 - furloughed 60 days, November 6, 1862, Confederate Archives, Chapter 6, File No. 156, page 450-452.
• Regimental Return, November, 1862 — absent or wounded in Hospital.
• Company D Muster Roll, November and December, 1862 — absent — sick and on furlough.
• Regimental Return, December, 1862 — wounded or on furlough.
• [First] Battle of Fredericksburg, December 11, 1862 — absent on furlough.
• Company D Muster Roll, January and Febuary, 1863 — absent — absent on sick furlough.
• [Second] Battle of Fredericksburg, May 3, 1863 — present and unhurt.
• Medical director's Office, Richmond, Virginia, from General Hospital No. 2, chronic dysentery, furloughed 30 days, June 30, 1863 Genito, Virginia.
• Company D Muster Roll, July and August, 1863, for the war — 2Sgt. — absent — absent on furlough.
• Battle of Gettysburg, July 2,1863 — absent sick.
• Battle of Gettysburg, July 3, 1863 — absent sick.
• Battle of Chester Gap, July-, 1863 — absent sick.
• Battle of Chickamauga, September 20, 1863 — absent sick.
• Battle of Chattanooga, September 25, 1863 — present and unhurt.
• Company D Muster Roll, September and October, 1863 — present - for commutation.
• November 12, 1863 — Form 18 — For commutation of rations while on furlough to Mississippi from November 1, 1862, to May 1, 1863, 181 days at 33 cents per day.....59.73 For commutation of rations while on furlough to Virginia from July 1, 1863 to October 1, 1863 93 days at 33 cents per day.....30.79 [total]...190.42.
• Battle of Lenoir's Station, November -, 1863 — absent sick.
• Battle of Knoxville, December -, 1863 — absent sick.
• Company D Muster Roll, January and Febuary, 1864, dated June 26, 1864 — promoted to Sergeant Major January 1, 1864 - last paid to December 31, 1863.
• Field and Staff Muster Roll, January and Febuary, 1864 — not stated — absent an furlough (wounded) in Battle of Wilderness, May 6, 1864.
• Register of Payments on Descriptive Lists, from January 1 ,1864, to April 30, 1864 (on furlough) paid May 28, 1864, $84, Confederate Archives, Chapter 5, file No. 78, page 471.
• Field and Staff Muster Roll, March and April, 1864 — present.
• Report of officers and others serving on Staff of the different regiments of Humphrey's Brigade and of those serving and extra duty within the regiments, Inspection Report dated April 12, 1864, Inspection Report A, No. 2; inclosure 12.
• Battle of the Wilderness, May 6, 1864 — wounded.
• Register of General Hospital, Howard's Grove, Richmond Virginia, recieved May 15, 1864, Confederate Archives, Chapter 6, file No. 204, page 137.
• Register of General Hospital, Howard's Grove, Richmond, Virginia, May 15, 1864 — vulnus sclopeticum [gunshot wound] left eye slight — furloughed 60 days May 27, 1864 Confederate Archives, chapter 6, file No. 195, page 73.
• Receipt Roll, for clothing, for 2 quarter, 1864, date of issue, May 27, 1864 Roll No. 969.
• Subject: furlough, special order number 123/32, Adjutant and Inspecters General's Office, Confederate States, May 27, 1864.
• Field and Staff Muster Roll, May and June, 1864, dated July 19,1864 — now absent an furlough, wounded [at] battle of Wilderness, May 6, 1864.
• General Hospital, Howards Grove, Richmond, Virginia, between August, 1863 and June, 1864, Sgt. Mag., Confederate Archives, Chapter 6, File No. 200, page 310.
• (First) Battle of Spotsylvania, May 8, A.M., 1864 — absent wounded.
• (Second) Battle of Spotsylvania, May 8, P.M., 1864 — absent wounded.
• (Third) Battle of Spotsylvania, May 10, 1864 — absent wounded.
• (First) Battle of Cold Harbor, June 1, 1864 — absent wounded.
• (Second) Battle of Cold Harbor, June 3, 1864 — absent wounded.
• Battle of Petersburg, June, 1864 — absent on furlough.
• Field and Staff Muster Roll, July and August, 1864 — absent — absent on furlough wounded in battle of Wilderness May 6, 1864.
• Battle of Berryville, Sept. 3, 1864 — absent on furlough.
• Battle of Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864 — wounded.
• Roll of Prisoners of War, paroled at Point Lookout, Maryland, received from Baltimore, Maryland, Hospital, October 28, 1864, captured at Strausburg, October 19, 1864.
• U.S.A. General Hospital, West's Buildings, Baltimore, Maryland, from Shanandoah Valley, G.S.W.[gunshot wound] right foot amputation of two metatarsal bones, missile, round ball, wounded at Fisher's Hill, September 13, 1864, transferred to General Hospital, October 27, 1864, Point Lookout, Maryland, age 22, Maryland Register Number 77, Hospital No. 2286l.
• Prisoners of War, Point Lookout, Maryland, Baltimore Hospital, October 29, 1864, captured at Strausburg, October 19, 1864, exchanged October 29, 1864, Point Lookout, Maryland, Register No. 2, page 628.
• Register of Medical Director's Office, Richmond, Virginia, under the head of “Applications and Certificates for Retirement.”, recieved December 19, 1864, date of paper December 16, 1864, from Chimborazo Hospital, approved, Confederate Archives, Chapter 6, File No. 145, page 197.
• Report of Sick and Wounded, in Chimborazo Hospital No. 4, at Richmond, Virginia, the month of December, 1864, vulnus sclopeticum [gunshot wound] right foot. Disability Payment, retired December 16.
• Appears on a Register of Chimborazo Hospital number 4, Richmond, Virginia, gunshot wound right foot, admitted December 16, 1864, discharged or retired, December 16, 1864, Confederate Archives, Chapter 6, File No. 68, page 78.
• Report of Sick and Wounded, Chimborazo Hospital number 4, Richmond, Virginia, quarter ending December 31, 1864, vulnus sclopeticum [gunshot wound] right foot, Disability Payment, retired December 16.
• Register of the Invalid Corps, P.A.C.S., date of retirement, December 16, 1864, Military station — Enterprise, Mississippi, Confederate Archives, Chapter 1, File No. 193, page 127.
• "Record" of the organization named above, from May 24, 1861, to March 1, 1865, record dated: Near Richmond, Virginia, March 1, 1865. Born, Mississippi. Occupation, student. Residence, Woodville. Age when enlisted, 19. Married or single, single. Promoted to Sergeant Major of Regiment January, 1864.
• "Record" of the organization names above, of the Field and Staff of the organization named above, record dated: Near Richmond, Virginia, March 12, 1865, retired on acount of wounds, recieved at Ceder Creek, October 19, 1864.

Statement from a Yale Publication

William E. Sims. b. May 15, 1842, d. July 26, 1891.

“He enlisted as a private in the 21st Mississippi and served throughout the war in the Army of Northern Virginia. He was promoted to be sergeant at the battle of Fredericksburg, to be sergeant-major at the battle of Antietam, and adjutant at the second battle of Fredericksburg. He was wounded at Malvern Hill and again in the battle of the Wilderness, and was promoted to be brigade adjutant-general. He was taken prisoner at Cedar Creek and sent to Baltimore. On being exchanged, he was sent to Richmond and placed on the retired list, and was ordered to organize the Home Guards under General Brandon in Mississippi.”

Copyright © 2000 Patricia B. Mitchell.