Members of Company B, the O'Connor Rifles

A Sketch of the History of the Second Mississippi Infantry Regiment: Members of Company B, the O'Connor Rifles

Members of Company B, the O'Connor Rifles of Tippah County, pictured with the 2nd Mississippi colors carried at Hatcher's Run on April 2, 1865 (note that the battle honors have been inaccurately penned in on the photo). The photo is believed to have been taken either at the New Orleans or Dallas reunion. From left to right pictured are John H. Allen, William H. "Billy" Byrn (the last regimental color bearer), Isaac N. Gray, George P. Holcombe, Alexander Wolf, and Lucas H. Byrn. (Photo courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History).

Allen, John H.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Private
Joined: Saturday, March 1, 1862
Term (yrs): 3
Occupation: Carpenter
Age 28
Enrolled at: Ripley, MS Enrolled By: Capt. Buchanan
Promoted: No
Roll of Honor: No
Born: North Carolina
Marital Status: Married
Residence: ?
Service Summary: Shot himself in hand on 6/6/1862. Discharged on 7/28/1862 due to gunshot wound to hand resulting in amputation of left arm.

Byrn, William H.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Private
Joined: Wednesday, April 15, 1863
Term (yrs): 3
Occupation: ?
Age: ?
Enrolled at: Ripley, MS
Enrolled By: Capt. Storey
Promoted: No
Roll of Honor: Yes
Born: ?
Marital Status: ?
Residence: ?
Service Summary: Captured at Petersburg (Hatcher's Run) on 4/2/1865. Sent to Fort Delaware. Released on oath on 6/11/1865.

Gray, Isaac N.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Private
Joined: Wednesday, May 1, 1861
Term (yrs): 1
Occupation: Farmer
Age 23
Enrolled at: Tippah Co., MS
Enrolled By: Capt. Buchanan
Promoted: No
Roll of Honor: No
Born: ?
Marital Status: ?
Residence: ?
Service Summary: Wounded on 8/28/1864. In hospital at Richmond. Furloughed 40-days from 9/23/1864.

​Holcombe, George P.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
​Final Rank: Private
Joined: Monday, March 3, 1862
Term (yrs): 3
Occupation: Student
Age 16
Enrolled at: Ripley, MS
Enrolled By: Capt. Buchanan
Promoted: No
Roll of Honor: No
Born: Mississippi
Marital Status: S
Residence: ?
Service Summary: Wounded at 2nd Manassas on 8/29/1862. Sent to hospital. Returned to duty. Wounded at Gettysburg (date not given) and furloughed for 40-days from 7/22/1863. Captured in Tippah Co., MS by the 7th Kansas Cavalry while on wounded furlough on 9/9/1863. Sent to Alton, IL on 10/3/1863. Transferred to Fort Delaware on 2/29/1864. Exchanged on 12/5/1864. Still on disabled list as of 3/14/1865 at Lauderdale, MS.

​​Wolf, Alexander D.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Private
Joined: Wednesday, May 1, 1861
Term (yrs): 1
Occupation: Farmer
Age 33
Enrolled at: Tippah Co., MS
Enrolled By: Capt. Buchanan
Promoted: No
Roll of Honor: No
Born: ?
Marital Status: ?
Residence: ?
Service Summary: Wounded (in face) in battle at 1st Manassas on 7/21/1861. Returned to duty on 8/9/1861. Discharged due to disability on 12/4/1862.

Byrn, Lucas H.
Company: B
Initial Rank: Private
Final Rank: Sergeant
Joined: Wednesday, May 1, 1861
Term (yrs): 1
Occupation: Clerk
Age 23
Enrolled at: Tippah Co., MS
Enrolled By: Capt. Buchanan
Promoted: Yes
Roll of Honor: No
Born: ?
Marital Status: ?
​Residence: Ripley, MS
Service Summary: Acting Sergeant Major from 9/29/1862. Detail duty as acting Assistant Quartermaster since 12/21/1862. Detailed as ambulance sergeant since 4/25/1864 by medical examining board. AWOL since 2/15/1865. Paroled at Memphis, TN on 5/25/1865.

The actual flag shown in the reunion photo above. This is the regimental colors carried by the 2nd Mississippi when they were surrounded and surrendered at Hatcher's Run on April 2, 1865. Billy Byrn was the last color bearer. Before the Federals closed in, Nathaniel Bynum tore the flag from the staff and hid it under his jacket. When they were taken to Fort Delaware as prisoners, at some point the center star and unit designation were cut from the flag and hidden separately from the rest of the flag so in case either piece was found, they would at least have a part of the flag when they were released from prison. When they were released, the center portion was re-sewn into the body of the flag (if you look closely you can see the stitching) and it was used in various reunions before being turned over to the Mississippi State Archives in 1916.