page_title: 3rd Missouri Infantry Regiment (Confederate)
section_title: Big Black River Bridge and the Siege of Vicksburg
hierarchical_section_title: 3rd Missouri Infantry Regiment (Confederate) / Service history / 1863 / Big Black River Bridge and the Siege of Vicksburg
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Vicksburg National Military Park
context_page_description: The 3rd Missouri Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was officially mustered into service on January 17, 1862. It fought at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March before being transferred across the Mississippi River. While stationed at Corinth, Mississippi, the regiment played a minor role in the Battle of Farmington before the evacuation of the town. In September, the unit saw light action at the Battle of Iuka before being heavily engaged during the Second Battle of Corinth as the Confederates attempted to retake the town in October. In early 1863, the regiment was transferred to Grand Gulf, Mississippi in order to strengthen the defenses of the Mississippi River at that point. At the Battle of Grand Gulf on April 29, the unit helped repulse a Union Navy attack against the Confederate defensive works. After elements of the Union Army of the Tennessee landed below Grand Gulf, the regiment fought in a delaying action at the Battle of Port Gibson on May 1.
context_section_description: On May 17, the First Missouri Brigade was part of a rear guard holding the crossing of the Big Black River.  However, a Union charge broke the Confederate line and routed the defenders. The regiment then entered the defensive works at Vicksburg, which were then besieged by Union forces.  On May 18, Cockrell's brigade was engaged in a small action near Mint Spring Bayou.  This forward position was determined to be dangerous due to a large ravine between it and the main Confederate line, so it was abandoned on the 19th.  The 3rd Missouri Infantry was used as a reserve when Union forces attacked on May 19.  On May 22, the men of the regiment manned the Confederate line at a point known as the Stockade Redan, where they, as well as other elements of the First Missouri Brigade, fought off Union attacks against the position.  Many of the attacking Union soldiers were also Missourians, including the men of the 6th, 8th, and the 11th Missouri Infantry Regiments.  When the attack failed, a number of Union soldiers were trapped in a ditch in front of the Confederate position.  One soldier of the 3rd Missouri Infantry asked the Union soldiers if they wanted to surrender.  When the men refused to surrender, a Confederate soldier then threw a cannonball at the men, striking one in the face.  When the Union soldiers still refused to surrender, men of the 3rd Missouri Infantry secured a number of artillery shells, lit the fuses, and then threw the explosive shells into the Union position as improvised hand grenades.
  The regiment saw further action repulsing Union assaults in June and July, but it was frequently used as a reserve unit.  By the time the Confederate garrison of Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, the regiment had suffered 55 casualties.  After the capitulation, the survivors of the regiment were paroled, although about 100 men deserted.  The men of the regiment then moved to Demopolis, Alabama, and were exchanged on September 12.  On October 6, the regiment was combined with the 5th Missouri Infantry to form the 3rd and 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Consolidated); the 3rd Missouri Infantry ceased to exist as a separate unit.
caption: National Park Service map showing the location of the Stockade Redan
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