Sorry to pour cold water on this. Known in the field as Hawkins Sharpshooters, this command did not exist in June 1862. There were two companies only; no third company ever existed. The 15th MS Sharpshooter Battn went out of existence in February 1864. At that time both companies were consolidated and reassigned to the 33rd Alabama Regiment.

No battalion existed until December 1862 when the second company organized. Members of both companies came from different regiments of S. A. M. Wood's Brigade. The brigade included three Alabama regiments (16th, 33rd and 45th), so most members were Alabamians. Officers included Major A T Hawkins from Huntsville AL, Capt John H Coleman, 1st Lieut Daniel Coleman and 2nd Lieut Richard V Coleman of Athens AL, 2nd Lieut Harry Bethea of Montgomery AL and 2nd Lieut Andrew Brown from Florence AL. I'm not certain all of these officers were from Mississippi, but some were: 1st Lieut. T M Steger, 2nd Lieuts Harry Vasser, P B Andrews and B F Little.

Don't know why the War Department gave this battalion a Mississippi designation.