This is more than what you want, but I pulled relavant information on the 44th from my manuscript:
Lest We Forget-The Immortal Seventh Mississippi
Sickness in camps:
Jesse Thomas Rankin, Co F 7th Miss. Inf.[JTR] Letter March 23, 1862 Corinth, MS
“Corinth Miss, March 23rd, 1862
My Dear Wife,
I have written you several letters since I left home, but I don’t know whether you have received any of them or not. I have never heard from home since I left. I would be very glad to hear from you, but our regiment moves about so much that I can’t expect to get a letter soon. I am still in tolerable good health, I have a bad cold.”
Sickness in Company
“There are a good many of the company sick. The Capt Joe & Jim and I are all sick but not dangerous. Ed is complaining Harrison is not well. This is quite a sickly place and a great many are dieing.*Clemon* Thigpen was sent home yesterday. I haven’t any news to write, I hardly ever hear anything here. I sent this letter by *Gabe* he starts home today. This is the first letter I have had a chance of sending direct home and I hope you will get it. Sarah be of good cheer and look to God for me to safely return home. Harrison says he would write but he feels to unwell. Give my respects to all friends…”
Great preparations for a battle here
“… great preparations are being made for a battle. Fortifications are being thrown up and such like. I don’t think there will be any fight here.”
“Nothing more yours, Jessie Rankin
*-----* unsure of name or spelling—GLPurvis, Transcribed and included with permission of The University of Southern Mississippi
Mentions of Blythe's Regt. 44th Miss in Lest We Forget-The Immortal Seventh Mississippi
Description of the troops moving by boat on the Mississippi Coast was compared by Benjamin F. "Frank" Wilkinson, Co C 7th Miss. in his letter in January 1862:
BFW Letters-Jeff Wilkinson, Letter Jan. 27, 1862, Camp Lovell, [Shieldsboro,MS]
“Our situation on the boat was similar to the one the Amite Rangers” [Note: Later Co. K 44th Miss. ] “enjoyed as much while going up the river, so you may guess we didn’t sleep much, and was glad to get off of it.”
Earlier letters had discussed the rowdy behavior of the men of the “Amite Rangers” on the way from Liberty in August. We can only assume that the men stayed up all night drinking, playing cards and were generally into all types of mischief.-rjs]
Note: “Amite Rangers” Co. K Blythes Regiment, later Co. K 44th Miss. “The company was ordered to Memphis on Januaary 1st, 1862, going up the Mississippi River on the steamboat Mary E. Keene where the company remained for two weeks and from there they went to Columbus, Ky. on the steamboat John Simmonds, where the company was put in Blythe's Battallion as Co. "K", this Battallion was known as the 44th Miss. Regt.Volunteers.” Source: Capsule History
The following is taken from my draft 7th Miss. Regt. History and incorporates Chalmer's OR report Shiloh.
at this point in the battle of april 6, 1862, the 7th Miss. had already been in four fights with the enemy.
Fifth Fight
"Here the enemy was re-enforced and the fight renewed, and we were gradually being driven back down the hill again when Col. Preston Smith arrived with the One hundred and fifty-fourth Regiment Tennessee Volunteers and Blythe's Mississippi Volunteers, who came gallantly to our assistance and took position on our right. Believing that one bold charge might change the fortunes of the day, I called upon my brigade to make one more effort, but they seemed too much exhausted to make the attempt, and no appeal seemed to arouse them..."
Final Charge
Chalmers Rallies the Brigade
“As a last resort I seized the battleflag from the color-bearer of the Ninth Mississippi Regiment, and called on them to follow. With a wild shout the whole brigade rallied to the charge, and we drove the enemy back and reoccupied our first position of the morning, which we held until the order to retreat was received, when we fell back in good order, the enemy not daring to pursue. Colonel Wheeler, of the Nineteenth Alabama Regiment Volunteers, was, with a small remnant of his regiment, fighting with the Mississippians, on foot himself, and bearing the colors of his command.”
JAMES R. CHALMERS,
Brig. Gen., Comdg. Second Brigade, Withers' Div.,
Second Corps, Army of the Mississippi.”
Blythe’s Regiment Fights with the 7th for the First Time
It is noted that Blythe’s regiment [designated 44th Miss. after Murfreesboro] fought for the first time with Chalmer’s Brigade by joining in the final desperate charge on Monday. Two future leaders of the “High Pressure Brigade” made their debut in the official record: Capt Jacob Sharpe who would succeed generals Chalmers and Tucker as Brigadier General and Lt . Brownrigg who become famous with the 9th Battn. Mississippi Sharpshooters.
.
“The remnant went through the battle of the 7th also. Colonel Smith [Col. Preston Smith 154th Tenn. Vols.] gave honorable mention to Lieutenant Brownrigg, Captains Sharpe and Nesbit, and the other company officers whose conduct came under his observation. With Marcus J. Wright's Tennessee Regiment and Joe Wheeler's Alabamians they reinforced Chalmers in time to take part in the last desperate charge against overwhelming odds.” Source: Capsule History
Chalmers Munfordville Report
"Sept 13, 1862
On the morning of the 13th I made a reconnaissance of the country in the direction of Munfordville, and finding a mill near Horse Cave containing a considerable quantity of wheat I ordered the Tenth Mississippi Regiment (Col. R. A. Smith) and Blythe's Mississippi regiment (commanded by Lieut. Col. James Moore) up to take possession of it, with the view of having the wheat ground for the use of the troops. During the day I learned from intercepted dispatches that the advance of our army to Glasgow had thrown the enemy into consternation along the whole line from Louisville to Bowling Green, and that they were under the impression that the force occupying Cave City was 7,000 strong and was advancing on Munfordville, where they had a camp of instruction, from which place they were asking for re-enforcements and provisions.."
"... A heavy volume of flame and smoke which arose at this time near the enemy's work was supposed to proceed from the railroad bridge, and this, coupled with the fact that they had retired so rapidly before our advance and had refused almost altogether to reply to the fire of our artillery, led me to the belief that they were preparing to evacuate their position. I therefore determined to press forward at once against the works, and moved one section of the artillery, under the immediate command of Lieutenant Garrity, with the Seventh Mississippi (Col. W. H. Bishop), the Ninth Mississippi (Col. T. W. White), and the Twenty-ninth Mississippi Regiments (Col. E. C. Walthall) to the knob, an eminence in front of the bastion fort, from which I opened a fire on it. Blythe's regiment was left to guard the ordnance train, and the sharpshooters [Chalmer’s Battallion of Sharpshooters AKA 9th Battn. Miss. SS] were pressed forward to keep the enemy within their works. The section of the battery left on Lewis' Hill, under the command of Lieutenant Bond, was ordered to move farther down the hill and nearer to the rifle pits on our left, and Colonel Smith was instructed to move with the Tenth Mississippi Regiment to the banks of the river and to advance up it toward the fort as near as possible, and, if he saw a favorable opportunity, to storm them. The artillery on the knob opened a rapid fire on the bastion fort, but owing to the light caliber of the guns and the very defective character of the ammunition with but little effect. From this point I discovered a house surrounded with woods on the right of the fort and within range of it, and I at once ordered the Ninth and Twenty-ninth Regiments to move forward and occupy the woods opposite the fort, with instructions to keep the men under cover, to approach the works as closely as possible, and to storm them if they could do so successfully. ..."
"...Hearing the firing, I ordered Blythe's regiment to support the Tenth and that regiment was soon engaged with the enemy in endeavoring, under a very heavy fire, to force its way through the abatis. In this attack Colonel Smith, of the Tenth Mississippi Regiment, was dangerously wounded; Lieutenant-Colonel Bullard, of the same regiment, was killed; Lieutenant.Colonel Moore, commanding Blythe's Mississippi regiment, was mortally wounded, with a large number of their officers and men. By the fall of these officers the command of Blythe's regiment devolved upon Maj. [J. C.] Thompson, and that of the Tenth upon Capt. [J. M.] Walker, both of whom discharged that duty during the remainder of the engagement in a highly satisfactory manner. .."Chalmers.
Blythe’s Regt. [Later 44th Miss.] and 10th Miss. at Munfordville. KY
“In the reorganization under General Bragg, the regiment [Blythe’s] was assigned to Chalmers' Brigade, with which it participated in the Kentucky campaign. They took possession of L. & N. at Cave City, and moving thence, Sunday, September 14, 1862, Chalmers attacked the garrison at Munfordville, under Colonel Wilder, strongly fortified, apparently under misapprehension of its strength and advised that Wilder would probably surrender to an assault, being isolated from the Federal army. The result was disastrous.
Blythe's Regiment, under Lieut.-Col. Moore, attacked with the Tenth, and endeavored, under heavy fire, to force its way through an abatis. Moore was mortally wounded, and the command fell upon Maj. J. C. Thompson. Capt. W. P. Malone commanded the left of the regiment, which included 281 rank and file. The report of Surgeon D. A. Kinchloe showed 4 killed, 38 wounded. The post was surrendered on the 17th to General Bragg, and Chalmers' Brigade ordered to take possession.” Source: Capsule History
Blythe’s Regiment at Perryville, MS.
“Company K had one man killed at the battle of Perryville, October 8.” Dunbar Rowland
Blythe’s Regt. Murfreesboro Dec. 28, 1862-Jan. 3, 1863
The Stick Charge
The regiment took part in the fighting on the 31st on the far right of Chalmer’s brigade. They are prominently mentioned by their commander as having made the charge with only half of the 188 men present having working weapons. Most carried sticks, but were still able to carry the fight to the enemy. It is believed that the men had given up their weapons to other units after an outbreak of measles occurred in the unit, but were allowed to return with what weapons they could find. In fact their comander said the regiment came off the field better armed than when they entered the fight alluding to the large number of weapons captured from the enemy.
“The regiments became separated, but soon rallied, reformed and fought gallantly through the remainder of the battle, which raged about the Round Forest for three days. The casualties of the regiment were 4 killed, 31 wounded, 17 missing.”D. Rowland.