Southerners in the Service of the US

[johan_steele]

Missouri

Benton Hussars Cavalry Battalion

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., September 18-December 23, 1861. Served unattached, Army of the West, to January, 1862. 2nd Division, Army Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri, to February, 1862, participating in skirmish at Hunter's Farm, near Belmont, Mo., September 26, 1861. At Bird's Point, Mo., October. Operations about Ironton-Fredericktown October 12-25. Engagement at Fredericktown October 21. Expedition from Bird's Point against Thompson's forces November 2-12. Duty in Southeast Missouri until January, 1862, and in District of Southwest Missouri to February, 1862. Assigned to 5th Missouri Cavalry February 14, 1862.

Berry's Cavalry Battalion

Organized in Upper Missouri June to August, 1861. Participated in Siege of Lexington, Mo., September 12-20, 1861. Surrender of Lexington September 20. Mustered out February 1, 1862.

Battalion lost during service 3 killed and 2 by disease. Total 5.

Bishop's Cavalry Battalion (Blackhawk Cavalry)

Organized at Henderson and LaClede, Mo., November 14-December 31, 1861. Assigned to duty in Northeast Missouri. Action at Spring Hill October 27 (1 Co.). Expedition to ****ord December 15-19. Shawnee Mound or ****ord, on Blackwater, December 18. Hudson December 21 (Detachment). Assigned to 7th Missouri Cavalry February 20, 1862.

Blackhawk Cavalry Battalion
See Bishop's Cavalry Battalion.

Booneville State Militia Cavalry Battalion (Epstein's)

Organized at Booneville March 24, 1862. Assigned to duty at Booneville. Attack on Booneville September 14, 1861. Operating against guerrillas in Cooper, Moniteau, Saline and Cooper Counties until May, 1862. Operations in Saline County March 7-10, 1862. Near Marshall March 16 (Co. "A"). Skirmish on Little Sni April 1, Organized as 13th Missouri State Militia Cavalry May 19, 1862. Changed to 5th Missouri State Militia Cavalry February 12, 1863. See these Regiments.

Bowen's Cavalry Battalion

Organized at Rolla, Mo., July 10-October 10, 1861. Attached to Dept. of Missouri to January, 1862. Unattached, Army Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri, and District of Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri, to October, 1862. 1st Brigade, 3rd Division, Army Frontier, Dept. Missouri, to December, 1862.

SERVICE.--Ordered to join Fremont October 10, 1861. Action at Wet Glaize October 13. Linn Creek October 14. Return to Rolla November 11, and duty there until January 8, 1862. Action at Salem December 3, 1861. Expedition through the Current Hills December 5-9. March to Lebanon, Mo.. January 25-29, 1862. Advance on Springfield, Mo., February 10-15. Near Springfield February 12. Springfield February 13-14. Crane Creek February 14. Flat Creek February 15. Keytesville and Sugar Creek, Ark., February 17. Hunnewell and Capture of Bentonville February 19. Battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., March 6-8, Leetown March 7. Elkhorn Tavern March 8. Mountain Grove March 9. Expedition to Huntsville April 6. March to Batesville, thence to Helena, Ark., April 8-July 14. Talbot's Ferry, White River, April 19. Sylamore May 28-29. Reusey's Ferry June 5. Waddell's Farm June 12. Hill's Plantation, Cache River, July 7. Expedition from Helena down Mississippi and up the Yazoo River August 16-27. Tallulah August 18. Greenville August 23. Bolivar August 25. Moved to St. Genevieve, Mo., thence to Rolla, Mo. Assigned to 9th Missouri Cavalry October 1, 1862, and to 10th Missouri Cavalry December 4, 1862.

[johan_steele]

Missouri

Cass County Home Guard Cavalry Battalion

Organized in Cass County June-August, 1861, for duty in Cass and adjoining Counties and to protect bridges. Skirmish at Parkersville, Mo., July 17-19, 1861; Harrisonville July 27; Jonesborough August 21-22; Old Randolph September 14; Bush Bridge Road October 14; Butler November 20; Grand River November 30; Dayton December 23; Wadesburg December 24. Mustered out February 28, 1862.

Lost during service 1 Officer and 5 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 10 Enlisted men by disease. Total 16.

Company "A", 1st U.S. Reserve Corps Cavalry

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., May 16, 1861. Served as mounted orderlies to Gen. Lyon June 11 to August, 1861. Booneville June 17. Carthage July 5. Expedition to Fulton July 14-18. Martinsburg July 18. Battle of Wilson's Creek August 10. Moved to St. Louis, Mo., and mustered out August 18, 1861.

Fremont's Body Guard

Organized at Cincinnati, Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo., August, 1861. Attached to Headquarters Western Department, and participated in Fremont's Campaign in Missouri and against Springfield September to November, 1861. Advance on Springfield October 8-25. Wet Glaze October 13. Linn Creek October 14 and 16. Zagony's charge at Springfield October 25, against a force of 2,000 rebels, routing them, and killing and capturing almost as many as the Battalion numbered. Mustered out by order of the Secretary of War November 30, 1861.

Battalion lost during service 16 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 2 Enlisted men by disease. Total 18.

Fremont Hussars

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., September, 1861. Attached to Fremont's Army of the West to November, 1861. Unattached, Army of Southwest Missouri, Dept. Missouri, to February, 1862.

SERVICE.--Expedition against Green's forces September 6-14, 1861. Fremont's Campaign against Springfield, Mo., September to November. Action at Little Santa Fe November 6. At Rolla, Mo., to December 29. Black Walnut Creek, Sedalia, November 29. Advance to Springfield and the Southwest December 29, 1861, to February 14, 1862. Assigned to 2nd Missouri Cavalry January 9, 1862, and to 4th Missouri Cavalry February 14, 1862.

Fremont Rangers

Organized at Cape Girardeau, Mo., August, 1861. Mustered out January 25, 1862.

Hawkins' Cavalry Company

Organized September, 1861. Operations about Ironton and Fredericktown, Mo., October 12-25, 1861. Skirmish near Fredericktown October 17. Action at Fredericktown October 21. Duty at Pilot Knob, Mo., until February, 1862. Assigned to 6th Missouri Cavalry February 14, 1862.

Hollan Horse U.S. Reserve Corps

Organized at St. Louis and Warrenton, Mo., October 14, 1861, to February 1, 1862. Duty at Warrenton and St. Louis until February, 1862. Assigned to 4th and 5th Regiments, Missouri Cavalry, February, 1862.

Irish Dragoons (Naughton's Cavalry Company)

Organized at Jefferson City by authority of Gen Fremont September 11, 1861, to be attached to 23rd Illinois Irish Brigade. Expedition to Lexington October 5-16. Lexington October 16. Johnstown October 24. Assigned to 3rd Missouri Cavalry as Company "L" and to 5th Iowa Cavalry, "Curtis Horse," as Company "L," November, 1861.

Loring's Cavalry Company

Operations in Northeast Missouri August 30-September 7, 1861. Action at Shelbina September 4. Expedition to Paris, Palmyra and Hannibal.

McFadden's State Militia Cavalry Company

Duty at Warrenton, Mo.

Mountain Rangers

Reconnaissance from Springfield to Pea Ridge February 23-24, 1862. (See 14th Missouri State Militia Cavalry.)

Osage Rifles

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., November 1, 1861. Assigned to "Curtis Horse," 5th Iowa Cavalry, as Company "M," December, 1861.

Schofield's Hussars

See 13th Missouri State Militia Cavalry, Company "I."

Soboleski's Independent Company Rangers

Organized at Benton Barracks, Mo., November and December, 1861. Mustered out January 24, 1862.

Stewart's Cavalry Battalion

Organized at St. Louis, Mo., September to November, 1861. Duty in District of Southeast Missouri until February, 1862. Mustered out February 2, 1862.

White's Cavalry Battalion

Organized September, 1861. Fremont's Campaign in Missouri September to November, 1861. Action at Springfield, Mo., October 25. (See 2nd Missouri State Militia Cavalry.)

[johan_steele]

Unionblue posted this on another thread, a worthy addition to this one I think.

To All,

I would like to thank Vareb for providing the following website for the online book:

Fighting by Southern Federals.
http://books.google.com/books?id=07U...result#PPA7,M1

Vareb provided this website/online book on another forum and I thought it would make a nice addition on ours.

Thanks, Vareb, for taking the time to give this rather extensive web address to that forum's members and giving me the chance to bring it over here.

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[Battalion]

M.E. Wolf:

"Dear Johan_Steele;

I must say how grateful I am for your efforts as to list all these groups who remained loyal to the Union.

I can only imagine/assume to the internal struggle of the person, having to make such choices, especially when family and or friends were just as divided.

Thank you for your valuable work and sharing it with us."

Thanks Mr Wolf... I plan to add Missouri yet.

The big question is- just how much of this was voluntary?

"Under martial law massive numbers of citizens--including voters, officeholders, and those in public service--were forced to swear loyalty to the United States and to the provisional Missouri government and provide performance bonds. Those who refused could be arrested and imprisoned....

During the summer of 1862 Brigadier General John M. Schofield, Union commander in Missouri, took perhaps the boldest step yet, ordering that every able-bodied man in the state enlist in the militia 'for the purpose of exterminating the guerillas.' "

The Devil Knows How To Ride, p. 30

[RobertP]

Battalion, notice how many of those units were organized after the occupation of that pariticular territory.

Not many, if any, early in the war. And Missouri as a border state doesn't count. Its men, along with those in Kentucky and Maryland, of course had split loyalties. A balanced report should have included the brave men of those border states who threw their lot with the South.

[johan_steele]

Battalion, notice how many of those units were organized after the occupation of that pariticular territory.

Not many, if any, early in the war. And Missouri as a border state doesn't count. Its men, along with those in Kentucky and Maryland, of course had split loyalties. A balanced report should have included the brave men of those border states who threw their lot with the South.

Why? This thread was put together to show that ample Southerners felt inclined to support the flag of the US. There is no reason you can't put up a thread about the men you mentioned, in fact it's a good idea. FWIW I don't expect CS authorities would have tolerated a US unit being raised w/in their own territory... seems like that might have been a touch unhealthy. Many southerners gave good service, near to a quarter of a million when you count the USCT.

The thread was originally posted to show that the numbers of men serving from the south were far from insignificant. I kindly left out USCT men because a particular poster is fond of the implication that they weren't really southerners... which is utter hogwash.

[johan_steele]

M.E. Wolf:

"Dear Johan_Steele;

I must say how grateful I am for your efforts as to list all these groups who remained loyal to the Union.

I can only imagine/assume to the internal struggle of the person, having to make such choices, especially when family and or friends were just as divided.

Thank you for your valuable work and sharing it with us."


The big question is- just how much of this was voluntary?

"Under martial law massive numbers of citizens--including voters, officeholders, and those in public service--were forced to swear loyalty to the United States and to the provisional Missouri government and provide performance bonds. Those who refused could be arrested and imprisoned....

During the summer of 1862 Brigadier General John M. Schofield, Union commander in Missouri, took perhaps the boldest step yet, ordering that every able-bodied man in the state enlist in the militia 'for the purpose of exterminating the guerillas.' "

The Devil Knows How To Ride, p. 30

Well Battalion, and I ask this not expecting an answer, how many? If you know give us a source and a number. If not; admit it.

[Battalion]

Why? This thread was put together to show that ample Southerners felt inclined to support the flag of the US.

"felt inclined"..?

What? At the point of a bayonet?

left out USCT men because a particular poster is fond of the implication that they weren't really southerners...

Never written or implied any such thing...

...but Johan_Steele is very fond of setting up strawman arguments.

[Battalion]

The big question is- just how much of this was voluntary?

"Under martial law massive numbers of citizens--including voters, officeholders, and those in public service--were forced to swear loyalty to the United States and to the provisional Missouri government and provide performance bonds. Those who refused could be arrested and imprisoned....

During the summer of 1862 Brigadier General John M. Schofield, Union commander in Missouri, took perhaps the boldest step yet, ordering that every able-bodied man in the state enlist in the militia 'for the purpose of exterminating the guerillas.' "

The Devil Knows How To Ride, p. 30

...and this was probably the state of affairs in Kentucky, Tennessee, western Virginia, &etc.

[RobertP]

JohanS, since Missouri was not a Confederate state, why label men from there southerners that remained loyal to the Union? You might as well add additional Union units from Maryland and Kentucky and make the list a lot bigger.

[unionblue]

RobertP and Battalion,

I'm curious and perhaps one of you might know the answer to a few questions I have on this topic.

Who first instituted a draft during the Civil War?

Did the Confederacy have any problems recruiting or with drafting men for Confederate service during the Civil War?

Were the war goals of the Confederacy uniformly supported by the entire Southern population?

Are Maryland and Kentucky considered Northern or Southern states today? And what were they considered in 1861?

In your opinions, were all white Southerners who served in the Union army forced to do so at the end of a bayonet?

Sincerely,
Unionblue

[ole]

It is implied that southern volunteers for northern service were coerced simply because the volunteers didn't show up until the areas were occupied. That sounds logical to me. I'm not going to sign up for anything until I know that it's safe for my family to do so. Sounds prudent to me -- not at all coerced.

Can't say there wasn't some pressure to pick a side, but that choice would certainly be more attractive if the countryside were under the control of the side I pick.

Ole

[johan_steele]

Quite a few people firmly believe Missouri to have been a CS state... Jeff Davis made real effort to make it so. Kentucky wasn't CS state either but it was certainly southern I didn't add Kentucky or Maryland units because there was never any doubt about that in my mind... but hey that's just me.

[matthew mckeon]

On both sides, especially in the border states, you had guys leaving "enemy" territory to joining the opposing armies. I have no idea how many.

[johan_steele]

Well Battalion, and I ask this not expecting an answer, how many? If you know give us a source and a number. If not; admit it.

Again... ?

[16thVA]

West Virginia is given a lot more credit for Union soldiers than it actually contributed. I will quote from
"McClellan's War" by Ethan Rafuse-

McClellan privately confided to Scott on June 4 that "comparatively few of the Virginia troops thus far raised," such as those in Kelley's command, were really Virginians by "mostly from Penna and Ohio."

The West Virginia historian most responsible for the Unionist spin to West Virginia history, Charles H. Ambler, wrote in his essay "Disfranchisement in West Virginia", Yale Review, 1905

About twenty thousand men, coming chiefly from the "loyal" region, joined the Federal armies. "The number accredited the State is about thirty-two thousand, but many of these came from Ohio and Pennsylvania. There were also many re-enlistments.

He basically dropped about 12,000 men from WV's credited number, more than 1/3 the total.

Here is the line-up as far as I have been able to make it out for 1861.

UNION REGIMENTS
1st WV Infantry (39% from WV)
2nd WV Infantry (about 30% from WV)
3rd WV Infantry (mostly from WV)
4th WV Infantry (about 25% from WV)
5th WV Infantry (about 25% from WV
6th WV Infantry (mostly from WV)
7th WV Infantry (60% from WV)

1st WV Cavalry (32% from WV)
2nd WV Cavalry (mostly from Ohio)

WV Light Artillery Regt. (44% from WV)



CONFEDERATE REGIMENTS AND MILITIA
25th Virginia Infantry
31st Virginia Infantry
9th Battalion Virginia Infantry
13 Companies in the Stonewall Brigade

Wise's Legion:
1st Kanawha Regt.
2nd Kanawha Regt.
Kanawha Battalion
Independent companies (7)
Mounted Rangers (3 companies)
Total about 2700 men

Virginia militia under Genls. Alfred Beckley
and Augustus Chapman
About 2000 men


The 1st WV Infantry that McClellan refers to was a 3 month regiment and probably had very few Virginians in it. The 1st WV Infantry I listed above with 39% West Virginians in it is the 3 year regiment, as analyzed by the George Tyler Moore Center in Shepherdstown. You can see the analysis of some regiments here-
http://www.shepherd.edu/gtmcweb/research_papers.html

As the war went on and West Virginia was more under Union control more West Virginians joined the army. But even some of the later regiments are fictions as far as being West Virginian. For instance, the 16th West Virginia Infantry, organized in Washington, DC. This was mostly composed of Marylanders, east Virginians, immigrants, etc. There were very few West Virginians in this unit.
Even the USCT troops assigned to WV were from Pennsylvania.

The Confederate units I listed would contain a large number of (present day) Virginia volunteers, but most would be West Virginian. The George Tyler Moore Center is continuing its count of all West Virginia soldiers, so we may soon have some sort of answer to this question.

[Elennsar]

Keep us posted. It would be fascinating, also, to see how this compares to other states. Hard to regard it as telling anything unusual if, for instance, all the "border states" had the same.

I know the 2nd Missouri, for instance, contained a sizable continigent of Michigan men (along with seven other regiments, four from Illinois, two from New York, and one from Ohio also having several Michiganeers, but that's another topic)

http://www.michiganinthewar.org/rosters.htm

"In the early days of the war the numerous demands for the acceptance of companies can scarcely be conceived. Applications, urged and endorsed by all possible influence from citizens of both political parties, became oppressive to the governor, and his inability to comply with their requests was not only a source of great disappointment to the applicants, but often brought censure upon the executive. As a result, many companies sought and obtained service in regiments of other states.

Two companies of cavalry took this course and entered the "Merrill Horse," a Missouri regiment. These companies were recruited at Battle Creek, Michigan, "H" by Captain J. H. Rogers, and "I" by Captain J. B. Mason, and both left the State on the 3d of September, 1861. In December, 1862, another company ("L") was organized at Battle Creek, Michigan by Captain Almon Preston, and took service in the regiment. "

That such was also the case for Ohio and Pennsylvania companies would not surprise me, especially for cavalry.

[16thVA]

I'm sure immigrants and neighboring states contributed to many state regiments. However, the point of many new books and this particular thread is "Southerners" who fought for the Union, and that takes it to another sphere of consideration, and the composition of the regiments demand that we look at the particulars. We can't say that X number of Southerners fought for the Union when we see that a large number of those "Southern" regiments are German immigrants or Ohioans.

[Elennsar]

Oh aye, its just that it would be worth noting for general research and comparison.

Twenty thousand men, when the military age of Virginia is 196, 587 (presumably as of 1860 and the whole state) is nothing to sneeze at, even if only two thirds of the traditional estimate.

Even sixteen thousand (as in, half the traditional amount) is still 8% of the state. That sounds pretty loyal to me (reinforcing what appears to be Johan Steele's arguement), given the relatively sparse population.