Mississippi Rifles (Mexican–American War)

There were three distinct groups known as Mississippi Rifles that responded to governor Albert Gallatin Brown's call for volunteers to supplement the forces of the regular army during the Mexican–American War.

• The 1st Mississippi Rifles, led by future U.S. Senator and CSA president Jefferson Davis, had a glorious victory at the Battle of Buena Vista.
• The 2nd Mississippi Rifles had a tragicomic war experience. The unit was beset by a horrific smallpox outbreak that killed scores; even the ones who were not killed outright suffered horribly just the same (the camp doctor reported pustules infested with maggots). The remainder of their service was both intensely boring and chaotic, the chaos being fueled by the battalion's poor training, deficient leadership, and the youthful exuberance of the soldiery.
• Anderson's Rifles, also known as the Mississippi Battalion, could fairly be called the third string of the Mississippi Rifles in the Mexican–American War. They make almost no appearances in the military and cultural histories of the conflict; they were briefly on garrison duty in Tampico.