Elijah Young Fleming was born 10 October 1833 to John Leander Fleming and Harriet Melinda Cayce. He studied medicine in New Orleans at what is now called Tulane University. At age 26 he joined the Confederate Army and was assigned to the 15th Regiment, MS Infantry.15th Infantry Regiment, organized at Choctaw, Mississippi, in May, 1861, contained men from Holmes, Choctaw, Quitman, Montgomery, Yalobusha, and Grenada counties. The regiment was active at Fishing Creek, Shiloh, Baton Rouge, and Corinth, then was placed in Rust's, Tilghman's, and J.Adams' Brigade. After serving in the Vicksburg area, it joined the Army of Tennessee and participated in the Atlanta Campaign, Hood's winter operations, and the Battle of Bentonville. This unit had 34 officers and 820 men on January 7, 1862, and lost 44 killed, 153 wounded, and 29 missing at Fishing Creek. Many were disabled at Peach Tree Creek and Franklin, and only a remnant surrendered in April 1865. The field officers were Colonels Michael Farrell and Winfield S. Statham; Lieutenant Colonels James R. Binford, J.W. Hemphill, and Edward C. Walthall; and Majors William F. Brantly, James B. Dennis, Russell G. Prewitt, and Lamkin S. Terry.