17th Mississippi Infantry

"With McLaw's division they co-operated with Jackson's corps in the movement against Harper's Ferry, the task of McLaws being the capture of the Federal garrison in forrifled camp on the Maryland Heights. They scaled the mountain September 12 and 13, with some active fighting, but the enemy escaped. General Kershaw said that the enemy seemed to take flight after one of Fiser's companies had delivered a volley among the sharpshooters in the rocks above them."

"Then being ordered to Brownsville, they did not reach the battlefield of Sharpsburg on the 17th until after the battle had been a few hours in progress. Such had been the efforts of the long march with little food that the regiment carried only 270 officers and men into the fight. The casualties were 10 killed, 77 wounded, 2 missing. Lieut.-Col. John C. Fiser was conspicuous for gallantry in command of the regiment, which shared in the brilliant advance that drove the enemy from the woods in their front, beyond which the Seventeenth and Twenty-first pursued until they were in danger of capture."
(from Rowland)

Initial Strength: 270; Killed in Action (KIA): 10; Wounded (WIA): 77; Missing in Action (MIA): 2;
Losses, % of Initial Strength: 33%

Detail Map #4: Greene's High-Water Mark in the West Woods (9am-noon)
Detail Map #5: Sedgwick is Flanked in the West Woods (9-10am)

Tablet #357: McLaws' Division, Longstreet's Command - 16 Sep, 11 AM to 18 Sep, 9 PM
Tablet #358: Barksdale's Brigade, McLaws' Division - 17 Sep, 5 AM to 18 Sep, 9 PM

Source: Rowland, Dunbar, Military History of Mississippi, 1803-1898, Nashville TN: 1908 - portions transcribed online on The Civil War in Mississippi website.