Brass Napoleon Award Cockrell's 1st Missouri Brigade

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Brig. Gen. Francis M. Cockrell 3.jpg
Photo of Brig. Gen. Francis M. Cockrell taken at Mobile, Alabama, in 1864. Born October 1, 1834, near Warrensburg, Missouri, and an attorney before the war, Cockrell served as a captain in the Missouri State Guard, transferring to Confederate service in late 1861. He made his way up to colonel of the 2nd Missouri Infantry by June 1862, taking command of the 1st Missouri Brigade in April 1863. He commanded the brigade until their capture at Fort Blakely in 1865 and was wounded at least six times throughout his service. Though not a professional soldier by trade, Cockrell was a natural-born leader and drillmaster, and an inspiration to his men.

1st Missouri Brigade:
1st Missouri Infantry
2nd Missouri Infantry
3rd Missouri Infantry
4th Missouri Infantry
5th Missouri Infantry
6th Missouri Infantry
1st Missouri Cavalry
3rd Missouri Cavalry Battalion

The story of the 1st Missouri Brigade is a long one - the brigade's roots stretching back to the Missouri State Guard, the Missouri Volunteer Militia, and even many prewar militia companies - thus, when the brigade was formed in early 1862 it was already an organization with combat experience and adequate training compared to many other Confederate units at the time. Under the command of Henry Little, Francis M. Cockrell, Elijah Gates, and a host of exceptional line officers, the 1st Missouri Brigade made a name for itself as perhaps the best drilled, disciplined, and commanded Confederate brigade in the Western Theater, and certainly ranks as one of the best in the war on either side.

Many of the men who would form the 1st Missouri Brigade had seen action at Carthage, Wilson's Creek, Lexington, and other battles and skirmishes while serving under Sterling Price in the State Guard. Organized in January 1862, the brigade would fight at Pea Ridge, Iuka, Corinth, Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Champion Hill, Big Black River, the Siege of Vicksburg, throughout the Atlanta Campaign, Allatoona Pass, Franklin, and finally Fort Blakely where it fought until overrun and captured in the Federal attack on the fort on April 9, 1865.

See my Men of the Missouri Brigade thread for photos and info on members of the brigade:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/men-of-the-missouri-brigade.105196/
 
Below is a timeline I put together of the 1st Missouri Brigade's history to better illustrate their combat record and experience throughout the war.

  • September 1861 - The 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment is organized by Colonel John S. Bowen in Memphis, Tenn. The regiment mainly consists of St. Louisans who joined the Missouri Volunteer Militia and were captured in the Camp Jackson affair. Since St. Louis was under Federal control, they cross the Mississippi after their parole and enlist in the Confederate Army at Memphis.

  • December 1861 - While Sterling Price's Missouri State Guard is encamped on the Sac River, near Osceola, Mo., he establishes a second encampment for those who want to volunteer for Confederate service. From December to January the 1st Missouri Cavalry, 2nd Missouri Infantry, and 3rd Missouri Infantry are organized, along with Wade's and Clark's Batteries. These units are brigaded under the command of Col. Henry Little as the first brigade in Price's Division - consisting of two brigades of Confederate volunteers - hence, the 1st Missouri Brigade.

  • January-February 1862 - 1st Missouri Brigade is thoroughly drilled by Henry Little. Despite being a strict disciplinarian he gets along well with the troops. Price retreats into Arkansas in February.

  • Battle of Pea Ridge, March 6-7, 1862 - The 1st Missouri Brigade is heavily engaged at Elkhorn Tavern. They successfully drive Eugene Carr's Federal division from Elkhorn on the first day. In the Federal counter-attack on the second day they are not routed, making a fighting retreat, and are one of the last Confederate units to leave the battlefield with the rest of Van Dorn's army.

  • Battle of Shiloh, April 6-7, 1862 - Bowen's 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment sees its first action at Shiloh. They fight in the Peach Orchard on the first day, helping drive back Hurlbut's division. On the second day they recapture the guns of the 5th Company, Washington Artillery. They suffer a loss of 48 killed, 130 wounded, and 29 missing out of 850 engaged.

  • April-May 1862 - The 1st Missouri Brigade crosses the Mississippi River with Van Dorn's Army of the West. After arriving at Corinth, Miss., in April the 4th and 5th Missouri Infantry and 3rd Missouri Cavalry Battalion are organized. Henry Little is promoted to brigadier general on April 12.

  • May 1862 - At the Siege of Corinth until army is evacuated on May 29.

  • June-August 1862 - Encamped in and around Tupelo, Miss., Price's Division is reviewed by Generals Bragg and Hardee, "who pronounced it to be the finest, most efficient, best drilled and most thoroughly disciplined body of troops in the Army of the Mississippi." Lt. Col. Francis M. Cockrell is elected colonel of the 2nd Missouri Infantry after the former commander, Col. Burbridge, resigns. On August 26 the 6th Missouri Infantry is organized and mustered into service.

  • September 1862 - Col. Elijah Gates assumes command of the 1st Missouri Brigade with Henry Little in command of Price's Division, Price commanding the Army of the West. Price marches from Tupelo to Iuka, Miss.

  • Battle of Iuka, September 19, 1862 - The 1st Missouri Brigade is lightly engaged, although Henry Little is struck in the head by a stray bullet and killed.

  • Battle of Corinth, October 3-4, 1862 - On the first day the 1st Missouri Brigade under Col. Gates along with the 2nd Missouri Brigade under Brig. Gen. Martin E. Green assault and overrun the outer Federal line of works north of the town. Green's Brigade suffers heavy losses in a charge at the White House fields, the 6th Missouri losing 71.3%. On the second day the 1st Missouri Brigade charges Battery Powell just outside Corinth, overrunning the position and capturing numerous prisoners and artillery pieces. However, a Federal counter-attack forces them back out and retakes Battery Powell. The 1st Missouri Brigade suffers heavy losses and retreats with the rest of the army that afternoon.
(Photo of Battery Powell and some other info in this thread:​

  • October 23, 1862 - Price's troops are reviewed by Gen. Earl Van Dorn, who concludes that he has "never seen a finer looking body of men, nor of more soldierly appearance and efficiency, nor have I ever witnessed better drill or discipline in any army since I have belonged to the military service."

  • November-December 1862 - Winter quartered near Grenada, Miss., Bowen's 1st Missouri Infantry Regiment is united with the 1st Missouri Brigade and is consolidated with the 4th Missouri Infantry.

  • February 1863 - To the dismay of his troops, Sterling Price leaves for the Trans-Mississippi; John S. Bowen later takes command of his old division. The 1st-4th, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th Missouri Infantry are now all in the 1st Missouri Brigade, with the exception of the 1st and 3rd Missouri Cavalry in Green's Brigade.

  • March-April 1863 - Col. Francis M. Cockrell assumes command of the 1st Missouri Brigade. Arrive at Grand Gulf, Miss., on March 12. In April the brigade crosses the Mississippi to make a short reconnaissance in Louisiana, skirmishing with Maj. Gen. John McClernand's Corps. On April 29 they repel a Union naval attack by seven ironclads.

  • Battle of Port Gibson, May 1, 1863 - Facing McClernand's whole corps, Cockrell makes a flanking maneuver with the 3rd and 5th Missouri that stalls the Federal advance for a short while. Bowen's Division withdraws from Grand Gulf, crossing the Big Black River.

  • Battle of Champion Hill, May 16, 1863 - After the troops of Carter L. Stevenson's Division are pushed off Champion Hill by Grant's attack on Pemberton's left flank, threatening the destruction of Pemberton's army, Bowen's Division with the 1st Missouri Brigade and Green's Brigade make their distinguished counter-attack. They drive the Federals back up and over the crest of Champion Hill in some of the most vicious fighting they have ever seen. Repulsing several enemy brigades, they almost cut their way through to Grant's supply trains in his rear; however, Bowen's troops run low on ammunition and are ultimately forced to make a fighting retreat in the face of Union reinforcements. The 1st Missouri Brigade suffers a total loss of 600 men killed, wounded, and missing at Champion Hill/Baker's Creek, out of a strength of roughly 2,650 men.

  • Battle of Big Black River Bridge, May 17, 1863 - Pemberton retreats back to Big Black River. Pemberton places Bowen's Division on the east bank of the river to hold off the Union advance. McClernand's Corps attacks their lines. A Federal brigade charges down a ravine and hits a portion of the line held by John C. Vaughn's Brigade of East Tennesseans which breaks to the rear, sending the Confederate line in disarray. Bowen's Division is forced to withdraw back across the bridge; many Missourians are captured while crossing the river.

  • Siege of Vicksburg, May 18-July 4, 1863 - Pemberton's army arrives in Vicksburg on May 18. Bowen's Division is held in reserve, ordered to support any section of the Confederate line that Bowen deems the most pressed. The Missouri Brigade supports the Stockade Redan during Grant's initial assaults on May 19 and 22, repulsing every advance. When a truce is called thereafter to gather the Federal dead and wounded, it is realized that among the troops they fought were fellow Missourians from the 6th and 8th Missouri (US). Friends and relatives recognize each other and chat like old times while the truce lasts, only to continue shooting at each other the next day. Grant settles into a siege on May 25, and for the next 40 days the Missourians are under fire, day and night, fighting where it is the hottest.

  • Battle for the Crater, June 25, 1863 - The Missouri Brigade supports the Third Louisiana Redan throughout much of the siege. By June 25 the Yanks had dug sap trenches up to the face of the redan, tunneling underneath it and packing it with 2,200 pounds of gunpowder. At 2:30 p.m. the front of the redan is hurled in the air with a massive explosion, sending men, guns and other debris flying. Federal troops ready for the assault rush into the crater. Cockrell is tossed in the air but arises in no time to order his men forward into the breach. Col. Eugene Erwin, commanding the 6th Missouri, charges to the lip of the crater, waving his boys forward, only to be shot and killed. Fortunately for the Missourians and Louisianians, they had constructed a second line behind the tip of the redan before the mine was blown; from there they hold their position, but just barely. The Federals maintain their hold in the crater and both sides continue shooting at each other, throwing grenades and lighted shells just feet apart. A second mine is set off on July 1, however no assault follows and the line is desperately repaired.
(A few first-hand accounts of the Vicksburg Crater were posted here:​

  • July 4, 1863 - Vicksburg finally surrenders. Bowen's Division suffers a total loss of 758, or 31% during the siege, the highest rate of any Confederate division at Vicksburg. The Vicksburg prisoners are declared paroled and the Missourians are ordered to go to Demopolis, Ala., for eventual exchange. On the day of the surrender, Gen. Bowen had suddenly fallen terribly ill with dysentery and dies on July 13, just outside of Raymond, Miss. The Missourians are sorely effected by his loss, he having raised the 1st Missouri Regiment and gained the brigade's confidence as an inspirational division commander throughout the Vicksburg Campaign.

  • July-September 1863 - While the Vicksburg parolees are supposed to head for the parole camps, most Trans-Mississippians just leave and walked on home. The Missouri Brigade does experience some desertions during this time, though the majority decide to stay and continue to serve east of the Mississippi. They are finally declared exchanged that September. Cockrell is promoted to brigadier general July 18 and the brigade is reorganized. The 1st and 3rd Missouri Cavalry, previously in Green's Brigade, are then transferred to the 1st Missouri Brigade and the regiments are consolidated as follows: 1st-4th Missouri Inf., 2nd-6th Missouri Inf., 3rd-5th Missouri Inf., 1st-3rd Missouri Cav. (dismounted). They are assigned to Maj. Gen. Samuel G. French's Division, with Ector's Texans and Sears' Mississippians.

  • October-December 1863 - The Missouri Brigade settles into winter quarters at Meridian, Miss. To keep the men in shape they are thoroughly drilled by Gen. Cockrell, which is relatively easy compared to what they have passed through. Cockrell is also well respected by the troops, having risen through the ranks and gained their trust in battle. The 1st Missouri Brigade is praised by all, from generals to civilians, as the best-drilled force they have ever seen. In one review back at Demopolis they were even called out by President Davis for their exceptional drill, fine appearance, and unique yell. The brigade numbers 112 officers and 1,329 men by November 20, and nearly 2,000 by the end of the year as men return from wounds, capture, or furlough.

  • January-April 1864 - The brigade is moved to Mobile, Ala., on January 8. In February they leave Mobile and take part in the Meridian Campaign, only seeing light skirmishing. In April they are moved to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to flush out deserters from surrounding counties.

  • May 1864 - In eleven days the brigade moves 275 miles (75 by rail) from Tuscaloosa, Ala., to Cassville, Ga., to join the Army of Tennessee on May 18.

  • The Atlanta Campaign, May-September, 1864 - Over the next several months the Missouri Brigade and French's Division see some of the harshest campaigning they would experience throughout the war. They aren't engaged in every major battle but they are under fire, marching or digging earthworks almost every day of the campaign. From the New Hope Church line, the Lattimer House, Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee River line, Peachtree Creek, and in the Atlanta defenses, the Missourians see constant skirmishing and artillery fire. Like their experience at Vicksburg, the lines are often just yards apart and sharpshooting goes on day and night. One of the major battles they play a notable part in is Kennesaw Mountain, defending Pigeon Hill against Federal attacks on June 27. The Missouri Brigade numbered 1,630 men on May 6 and about 1,100 by September, losing 531 men throughout the campaign.

  • September-October 1864 - Atlanta is evacuated and burns on September 1. The Missouri Brigade takes up position south of Atlanta until Hood moves north on October 1 to strike at Sherman's supply lines. French's Division is detached to attack Allatoona Pass on October 4.

  • Battle of Allatoona Pass, October 5, 1864 - The Missouri Brigade with French's Division assaults the Federal fortifications at Allatoona Pass, through which the Western & Atlantic R.R. runs. French's 3,276 men versus the 2,137-man garrison would be a relatively 'small' but extraordinarily fierce battle - one of the fiercest fights the Missouri Brigade would ever find itself in. Cockrell's Missourians and Ector's Texans assault Rowett's Redoubt, defended by elements from several Federal regiments, including the 7th Illinois armed with Henry repeaters. Despite that, they make the desperate charge up a slope, across the abatis, over an open, stumped field and up to the works. There the fight is hand-to-hand - bayonets and musket butts, bare fists, rocks and clods of dirt thrown - until the Yanks withdraw back to the Star Fort in the rear, alongside the railroad cut. Even though the French's men surround the fort and, enough time provided, could capture it, the news of Federal reinforcements forces French to withdraw at the last minute. Once again, the Missourians' sacrifices have been in vain. They suffer a total loss of 271 at Allatoona, out of 950 men engaged.
(A couple accounts of the battle were posted in this thread:​

  • October 13, 1864 - The Missouri Brigade attacks a railroad blockhouse at Tilton, Ga., defended by the 17th Iowa Infantry. They refuse to surrender initially, until a section of artillery is brought upon the blockhouse. After a few shells they lay down their arms and 300 prisoners are taken. The Missourians help themselves to the ration stores there.

  • Hood's Tennessee Campaign, November-December 1864 - Rejoining the Army of Tennessee at New Hope Church, they march to Alabama, cross the Tennessee River and head for Tennessee. The brigade numbers only 697 men by November 20. They skirmish with the enemy at the Duck River and march into Columbia, Tenn., on November 29.

  • Battle of Franklin, November 30, 1864 - After Schofield's army slips away on the night of November 29 at Spring Hill, the Missouri Brigade find themselves marching to the outskirts of Franklin the following day. Watching the Federals dig into two lines in front of the town, the Missourians receive the news that an attack is to be made that afternoon. French's Division (only Cockrell's and Sears' Brigades) is deployed east of the Columbia Pike, between those of Cleburne and Walthall. While deploying, one Missourian quoted Lord Nelson's famous order, "England expects every man to do his duty." Irishman Sgt. Denny Callahan then replied, "It's damned little duty England would get out of this crowd!" Capt. Joseph Boyce later recalled that "The laugh Denny raised on this was long and hearty. They were noble fellows indeed, laughing in the face of death. Four years of war hardens men."
The brigade is aligned L-R as follows: 2nd-6th MO, 1-4th MO, 3rd-5th MO, 1st-3rd MO Cav. Sears' Brigade is initially in front, but Cockrell's is shifted ahead of it after the advance begins. As the men step off, the Missouri Brigade's brass band serenades the lines with "Dixie" and "The Bonnie Blue Flag." Wagner's advanced line of Federal troops is quickly overrun and flee to the rear, the Rebels following closely after them and up to the main Union line. As the space between the Columbia Pike and Harpeth River shortens, the Confederate lines overlap - and therefore Cockrell's Brigade is likely either one of the first or one of the last Confederate brigades to strike the main Federal line by the Columbia Pike and Cotton Gin.​
When they do make it within in range, the works explode with fire, including six artillery pieces positioned around of Cotton Gin, belching forth canister. Within minutes the Missouri Brigade's ranks are cut to shreds. Cockrell is wounded four times. Col. Elijah Gates of the 1st-3rd Missouri Cav. is shot through both arms, still riding forward on horseback until carried off to the rear. Irish Capt. Patrick Caniff of St. Louis, acting commander of the 3rd-5th Missouri, is shot off his horse, only to be shot through the head while lying on the ground. In the 1st-4th Missouri, Col. Hugh Garland is killed and second in command, Capt. Boyce is wounded. Several color bearers of the 1st-4th are shot down; Sgt. Denny Callahan grabs it up and carries it to the works where he is wounded and captured along with the flag. A few men make it to the ditch in front of the works, but hundreds are shot down short of it; those that make it are forced to lay under the Federal guns until the following morning.​
(First-hand accounts from the Missouri Brigade at Franklin can be read here:​

  • December 1, 1864 - The scene that morning is indescribable. The Missouri Brigade is decimated, with 98 killed, 229 wounded and 92 missing, for a total loss of 419 out of 696 engaged, or 60.2%. Of 82 officers in the brigade, 19 are killed, 31 wounded and 13 captured. Col. Peter Flournoy of the 2-6th Missouri, the highest ranking officer to make it through unscathed, is left to command the remnants of the brigade. Miraculously, Gen. Cockrell and Col. Gates survive their wounds, Gates having one of his arms amputated. Both later return to the brigade.

  • December 2-25, 1864 - After burying their dead on the field the remaining men march to join Hood at Nashville. They are not with the army during the battle, for they are sent off to establish a fort at Johnsonville at the mouth of the Duck River. After the defeat at Nashville the brigade is ordered to rejoin the army on December 20. Marching 75 miles to Pulaski and then another 20 to Bainbridge, Ala., in the freezing weather, they recross the Tennessee river on December 27.

  • January-March 1865 - Encamped around Tupelo, Miss. Detached from the Army of Tennessee, the brigade is ordered to Mobile on February 1. After recovering from their wounds, Cockrell and Gates return around this time. Cockrell assumes command of French's old division after French was forced to take sick leave due to a severe eye infection. On March 24 they are sent to Fort Blakely, across Mobile Bay on the eastern shore.

  • Siege of Fort Blakely, April 2-9, 1865 - With a major Union advance on Mobile - Gen. Edward Canby with two corps, 45,000 men - the two forts, Blakely and Spanish Fort, come under siege. Spanish Fort falls on April 9. Blakely is under siege since April 2, its garrison of 3,500 outnumbered over five to one. With Federal reinforcements sent from Spanish Fort, a major assault is launched on Blakely's defenses on April 9, the same day Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox.

  • The Missouri Brigade's last stand, April 9, 1865 - Positioned in Redoubt's No. 3 and 4, the remnants of the Missouri Brigade, only about 400 men, brace themselves for the coming attack. Reminiscent of their experience at Vicksburg, the Missourians were confident they would repulse the attack. Unfortunately, a large section of the works at Blakely are manned by raw, inexperienced Alabama reserves - old men and boys who will run or surrender too soon. Assaults on Redoubt's No. 3 and 4 are initially repulsed by Cockrell's veterans, but the Yankees come at them again until they reach the works. The Alabama reserves break and Federal troops pour in from the rear. A few diehard Missourians fall fighting in the last ditch, while many others are reluctantly forced to surrender or make a run for the wharf. Cockrell, Gates and nearly all of the officers are captured at the works. Some of the Federal troops, 83rd Ohio among them, recognize their captives from the surrender at Vicksburg. Only a handful of men manage to escape by jumping into Mobile Bay; some are picked up by the steamer Nashville, commanded by Lt. John W. Bennett.

  • Most of the officers are sent to Duaphine Island, while the enlisted men go to Ship Island, ten miles off the Mobile coast. The latter is merely a sand bar, and for thirteen days the men are left outside with no shelter and guarded by USCT troops. They are put on board a steamer on April 28 and transported to Vicksburg for parole. Before parole, each prisoner signs the oath of allegiance. The men say their final farewells before parting, some returning home to Missouri any way they can while others decide to settle with friends or relatives down South.

"We once numbered eight thousand; to-day would could not muster five hundred for duty. Where are those missing sons of Missouri? Go ask the bloody battle-fields of Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee; their bodies lie buried in the soldier's grave."
- Pvt. James Bradley, Co. K, 3rd-5th Missouri Infantry.

References:
Gottschalk, Phil. In Deadly Earnest: The Missouri Confederate Brigade. Columbia: Missouri River Press, 1991.

Bevier, R. S. History of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades, 1861-1865. St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Co., 1879.

Anderson, Ephraim McD. Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade. St. Louis: Times Printing Co., 1868.

Boyce, Joseph. Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A., ed. William C. Winter. St. Louis: Missouri History Museum Press, 2011

Bradley, James. The Confederate Mail Carrier. Mexico, Mo.: n.p., 1894.
 
Bibliography of the 1st Missouri Brigade. Those linked in blue can be read online.

Anderson, Ephraim McD. Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade. St. Louis: Times Printing Co., 1868.

Bevier, R. S. History of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades, 1861-1865. St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Co., 1879.

Bock, H. Riley. "Confederate Col. A. C. Riley, His Reports and Letters", Missouri Historical Review, 85 (1991), Part I, Part II.

Bock, H. Riley. "One Year at War: Letters of Capt. Geo. W. Dawson, C.S.A.", Missouri Historical Review, 73, no. 2 (January 1979).

Boyce, Joseph. Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A., ed. William C. Winter. St. Louis: Missouri History Museum Press, 2011.

Bradley, James. The Confederate Mail Carrier. Mexico, Mo.: n.p., 1894.

Cockrell, Francis Marion II. The Senator From Missouri: The Life and Times of Francis Marion Cockrell. New York: Exposition Press, 1962.

Dedmondt, Glenn. The Civil War Flags of Missouri. Gretna, La.: Pelican Publishing Co., 2009.

Farley, James W. Forgotten Valor: The First Missouri Cavalry Regiment C.S.A. Independence, Mo.: Two Trails, 1996

Gottschalk, Phil. In Deadly Earnest: The First Missouri Confederate Brigade. Columbia, Mo.: Missouri River Press, 1991.

Hubbell, Finley L. "Diary of Lieut. Col. Hubbell", The Land We Love, 6, no. 2 (December 1868).

McGhee, James E. Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 1861-1865. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 2008.

Memoirs of Sgt. I. V. Smith

Tucker, Philip Thomas. The South's Finest: The First Missouri Confederate Brigade from Pea Ridge to Vicksburg. Skippensburg, Pa.: White Mane Publishing Co., 1993.

Tucker, Philip Thomas. Westerners in Gray: The Men and Missions of the Elite Fifth Missouri Infantry Regiment. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1995.

Webb, W.L. Battles and Biographies of Missourians. Kansas City, Mo.: Hudson-Kimberly, 1900.

W. L. Truman Memoirs
 
Assignments:
March-September 1862: Price's Division, Army of the West

September-December 1862: Little's/Herbert's Division, Price's Corps (Army of the West), Army of West Tennessee

December 1862-July 1863: Bowen's Division, Army of Vicksburg

September 1863-December 1864: French's Division, Army of Mississippi (later the III Corps, Army of Tennessee)

February-April 1865: French's Division (commanded by Cockrell), District of the Gulf, Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana


Companies:
Companies of the 1st Missouri Infantry - Organized in Memphis, TN.
Company A - New Orleans, La., "Pargoud Volunteers"
Company B - St. Louis, "Wade Guards"
Company C - Carondelet, "South St. Louis Guards"
Company D - St. Louis, "St. Louis Greys"
Company E - St. Louis, "St. Louis Minutemen"
Company F - St. Louis, "St. Louis Southern Guards"
Company G - New Madrid County, "New Madrid Guards"
Company H - Pemiscot County, "Pemiscot Rifles"
Company I - New Madrid County, "Missouri Guards"
Company K - New Madrid County, "Missouri Greys"
Roster here: http://missouridivision-scv.org/mounits/1mo-infantry.htm

The 1st Missouri Infantry was the only regiment in the Missouri Brigade that was organized more along the lines of your typical infantry regiment, with many of the companies coming strait from prewar militia or Missouri Volunteer Militia units after their capture at Camp Jackson. The other regiments of the brigade, however, were organized from Missouri State Guardsmen who volunteered for Confederate service, so the company origins are not always so defined. Some came strait from an existing State Guard unit while others were a conglomeration of several different units.

Here's the link to a roster of Co. A, 5th Missouri Infantry: http://fifthmo.tripod.com/id1.html
They originated from Co. E, 3rd Regiment, 8th Division, Missouri State Guard - aka "Johnson Guards".

Good site on Co. E, 4th Missouri Infantry: http://www.4thmoinfantry.com/Unit-History.html

One distinguished company that could trace its lineage way back to several St. Louis prewar militia units was Company F of the 5th Missouri Infantry, an all-Irish company commanded by Capt. Patrick Canniff. They partially originated from Joseph M. Kelly's Washington Blues and later Kelly's 1st Rifle Regiment in Mosby Parsons' 6th Division, Missouri State Guard. Capt. Canniff's company was said to have been the best-drilled company in the entire brigade and were often used as the designated scout and skirmish company.
 
Flags of the 1st Missouri Brigade.

09850800014.jpg

4th Missouri Infantry's Van Dorn pattern battle flag. Missouri Brigade's Van Dorn flags are believed to have been made in June 1862 by the ladies of Guntown, Mississippi. They were carried until later replaced with the Belle Edmondson Latin Cross, aka "the Missouri Battle Flag." Currently held by the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Va.

8156241770_46be0cb44e_b.jpg

The 6th Missouri Infantry's Van Dorn battle flag, carried into action at Corinth where the 6th lost 71.3% in a charge at the White House fields on October 3, 1862. Before his death at Vicksburg, Colonel Eugene Erwin gave the flag to his wife Josephine for safe keeping; she sewed the flag to the inside of her dress and brought it through the lines back home to Missouri. It is currently on display at the Civil War Interpretive Center at Corinth, MS.

Inscribed upon the flag is:

"EUGENE ERWIN, COL. COMMANDING
This Regiment was the first to charge the inner intrenchment at Corinth, Miss., and 26 of its 30 commissioned officers, and 22 of its 28 non-commissioned officers were killed or wounded.

WILLIAM HUFF,
ENSIGN.
Received 9 wounds in defense of this flag before resigning it to keeping of a comrade, and of 300 men who went in battle only 30 answered the roll call afterwards."

Col. Eugene Erwin was later killed at Vicksburg while leading the 6th Missouri in a counter-attack at the crater on June 25, in support of the 3rd Louisiana. It was said his last words were, "Come on, my brave boys, don't let the Third Regiment get ahead of you!"

eugene-erwin-jpg.jpg

Photo of Colonel Eugene Erwin.

flag_1st_regiment_cavalry_dismounted_missouri_volunteers_csa_obverse-jpg.jpg

The Belle Edmondson Latin Cross battle flag of the 1st Missouri Cavalry (dismounted). It was captured in the battle of Big Black River, May 17, 1863, by Pvt. Rosswell Clark of Co. F, 11th Wisconsin Infantry. It was returned to Missouri in 1943 and is now located in the Missouri State Museum, Jefferson City, MO.

This flag, often referred to as the "Missouri Battle Flag" was issued to the 1st Missouri Brigade and Green's Brigade of Bowen's Division during the Vicksburg Campaign. The first issue of flags were made in Missouri and brought to the division by Gen. Bowen's wife. The Missouri Battle Flag is also known as "Belle Edmondson's Latin Cross," Miss Belle Edmondson of Memphis originally designing the flag for her "adopted" Missouri troops. She presented her first flag to Gen. Sterling Price in summer of 1862.

flag_second__sixth_regiment_infantry_missouri_csa_obverse-jpg.jpg

The 1864 battle flag of the 2nd & 6th Missouri Infantry consolidated. This flag was carried throughout the Atlanta Campaign, Allatoona Pass, and was captured in the battle of Franklin. It is of the pattern manufactured by civilian contractors in Mobile and issued to the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana in late 1863. The Missouri Brigade was issued these flags in fall of 1863 after their exchange from Vicksburg. The 2nd-6th Missouri's flag was later captured at Franklin by Sgt. Alfred Ransbottom of the 97th Ohio Infantry. It is currently held by the Missouri State Museum in Jefferson City, MO.
 
Gen Cockrell and a lot of the Missouri troops from Vicksburg were here in Demopolis for awhile during the winter of 64 - 65 and were part of the consolidation when Gen French took command of the Missouri troops. I have several diary's from Missouri men that were here during that time between the surrender of Vicksburg and joining Gen Johnson in Ga. They contain many pages. If you will pm me I will email you a copy.
 
Sure @ucvrelics.com, I'm definitely interested in seeing them.

Continuing in my line of posts, here are few accounts of the Missouri Brigade's drill and discipline, one from a review at Demopolis in 1864.


Sterling Price's Division was reviewed near Tupelo, Miss., in summer of 1862. Generals Bragg and Hardee stood by and watched as the 1st Missouri Brigade under Brig. Gen. Henry Little came marching by. In his diary, Captain George W. Covell of the 3rd Missouri Infantry remembered that
"our regiment, the Third Infantry, received the highest of praise for its fine appearance. The 'boys' as they passed General Hardee in review, were, every one, doing their best—each man looking straight to the front, keeping step to the music, carrying his piece as steadily as though it had grown to his shoulder, the whole regiment moving as one man, when Hardee turned and exclaimed to Generals Bragg, Price, and Little, who were sitting on their horses next to him, ‘My God! Isn’t that magnificent?’ This, from the author of the 'Army Tactics,' the iron-gray veteran who had seen soldiers paraded from Oregon to the swamps of Florida—from West Point to the halls of Montezumas—was praise."
- Robert S. Bevier, History of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades: 1861-1865 (St. Louis: Bryan, Brand & Company, 1879), p. 124


Upon an inspection by Gen. Earl Van Dorn of Price's troops in late October, 1862, he concluded:
"I have attended reviews of the armies of Generals Beauregard, Bragg, Albert Sidney and Joseph E. Johnston, and also in the old United States service, and I have never seen a finer looking body of men, nor of more soldierly appearance and efficiency, nor have I ever witnessed better drill or discipline in any army since I have belonged to the military service."
- Ibid, pp. 164-65


While in Mobile, Ala., the 1st-4th Missouri Infantry participated in a drill competition on January 8, 1864. Many other units from other states were also participating, with Generals Hardee and Maury serving as judges. The prize was a stand of colors and a silk flag sewn by the ladies of Mobile. As the Missourians' turn came up, Capt. Joseph L. Boyce of the 1st Missouri Infantry recalled:
"The bugle sounded 'Deploy.' Away went the men at the 'double quick,' deploying from the colors; then 'commence firing' which was continued, standing, kneeling, and lying down, then rally by fours, platoons, by companies, then thrown our skirmishers, the entire battalion on the run, wheeling, the men four paces apart, until it had completed a circle, never out of line, moving like a solid front, then rallying on the colors, the next movements in line of battle at a charge bayonet, all of this done at the double quick. It was a revelation to the crowd. Such cheering for Missouri and her regiment. It was a proud day for Missouri. The colors were won and and awarded to the regiment. The command left the drill grounds company front at the 'double quick,' amidst the plaudits of all. The brigade seemed to take more pride in our success than we did."
- Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A., ed. William C. Winter. (St. Louis: Missouri History Museum Press, 2011) p. 146


"At Meridian Gen. Cockrell brought the command to perfection in brigade drill. The First Missouri had long before earned the reputation of the 'crack regiment' of every command with which it had served. From this time to the end this reputation was, in a measure, merged into that of the brigade, the wonderful efficiency of which can be judged by the following. The brigade drills usually lasted an hour, every movement being executed invariable in double-quick time. An expert tactician was in the habit of watching these drills to see if he could detect one man out of step during the hour, and was almost always unsuccessful. The spectacle of nearly 1,800 men performing the most of the complicated evolutions of the line in double time without a single man losing step, looks like an exaggeration now, but is simply the truth, and in our ranks excited no special comment. But the reputation spread far and wide, and brought the old tacticians out as spectators wherever we went."
- Ibid, p. 145


"Cockrell was diligently engaged in perfecting the discipline of the brigade. . . . It was often said, even by officers of the old regular service, that it was the finest brigade of soldiers they had ever seen; and so fond was Cockrell of taking it out and putting it through the most difficult parts of tactics, especially when he had any persons of note for spectators, that he drilled us on some occasions until our tongues were fairly hanging out."
- Ephraim M. Anderson, Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade (St. Louis, 1868), p. 377


In a review of Leonidas Polk's Corps at Demopolis, Ala., March 1864, the Missouri Brigade again stood out. Lt. Col. Walter Roher of the 20th Mississippi, watching the review, commented on the soldierly bearing of the brigade:
"...the far-famed Missouri Brigade, they are the brag men of this or any other army, they fight better, drill better and look better than any other men in the army, clean clothes, clean faces and all in uniform and every man in the step. Gen. Cockrell commands them, he is young and very ordinary looking. I can not see anything in his looks that entitles him to the command of such men, they passed in the finest order possible."
- Walter R. Roher to cousin, March 31, 1864, Roher Letters, DU


"While in Tuscaloosa our crack company, Company A, 1st Missouri Infantry, drilled on the University campus, and drilled so well that the cadets challenged them for a competitive skirmish drill. The challenge was accepted, and, after a most exciting contest, witnessed by all the students and nearly every citizen of the town, our old soldiers were declared the winners, by unanimous vote of the judges, in manual of arms, regular company, and skirmish drilling. I was sorry when we had to leave."
- Charles B. Cleveland, "With the Third Missouri Regiment," Confederate Veteran, Vol. 31 (January 1923), p. 18


Though decimated at Franklin, suffering a loss of over 60%, the remnant of the 1st Missouri Brigade still remained an organized and cohesive unit. According to one soldier in the AoT that was in the pitiful retreat back from Nashville:
"The men marched like a mob—half of them were unarmed, while regiments passed by with not ten muskets to an hundred men. One shining exception I noticed, The Missouri Brigade was the only organization I saw, except some of the artillery, which was perfectly intact. There may have been others; if so, they did not come under my observation. The Missourians I did see, moving erect, soldierly, shoulder to shoulder, with apparently not a single article of equipment lost, with a style and bearing as if they had never known defeat."
- History of the First and Second Missouri Confederate Brigades: 1861-1865, p. 258
 
The above uniform is constructed out of undyed cloth. It has faded over time but perhaps it was not perfectly white back then either. According to Fred Adolphus it was probably made in Mississippi in 1862 or early 1863.


The Missouri Brigade was first issued white, undyed wool uniforms shortly before Pea Ridge in March 1862. In Fred Adolphus' latest article on white undyed uniforms he says that these uniforms were manufactured by Hebrard & Co. in New Orleans.

Ephraim M. Anderson, in Co. G, 2nd Missouri Infantry, describes them in his memoirs:

"Our regiment was uniformed here; the cloth was of rough coarse texture, and the cutting and style would have produced a sensation in the fashionable circles: the stuff was white, never having been colored, with a goodly supply of grease—the wool had not been purified by any application of water since it had been taken from the back of the sheep. In pulling off and putting on the clothes, the olfactories were constantly exercised with a strong odor of that animal. Our brigade was the only body of troops that had these uniforms issued to them, and were often greeted with a chorus of ba-a-a's, and the salutation, 'I say, mister, do you ones belong to Mr. Price's company?' This last had been picked up in the country by a squad of the boys, who had been asked the question by a venerable Arkansas dame, and it had become a very common saying in camp. Our clothes, however, were strong and serviceable, if we did look and feel sheepish in them. At the same time we drew knapsacks, an essential part of the soldier's equipment, which had not been previously supplied."

- Memoirs: Historical and Personal; Including the Campaigns of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade (St. Louis, 1868), p. 161


Robert S. Bevier says in his brigade history that in December 1862 they were "clothed in new uniforms of gray striped by blue."

In his diary, Lt. George W. Warren recorded that in January 1863 "there was a suit of uniform issued to every man in the Briggade [sic]. Grey Pants, grey Jackets & grey Caps. The collars & cuffs of the Jackets are trimmed [sic] with light blue."

In Joseph Boyce's memoirs he says that by September 1863, after their exchange following Vicksburg, they were issued "new uniforms of gray, faced with blue."

3c1d6f660f4a97b1de8717cde06dc53f.jpg

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/articles/walden/cdjacket.htm

Jacket worn by Pvt. Michael Jackson Jones of Co. H, 1st Missouri Infantry. Jones received a disabling wound at Champion Hill. His daughter donated the jacket to the Vicksburg National Military Park in 1956 and stated that he was wearing it in the battle.
 
Capt. Patrick Canniff and Company F, 5th Missouri Infantry: The 1st Missouri Brigade's "Fighting Irish".

Company F of the Fifth dated back to several all-Irish prewar militia units, the Washington Blues among them, raised in St. Louis in 1857 and commanded by Joseph M. Kelly. They were among the best and most prestigious militia units in prewar St. Louis. At the time, St. Louis was about the fifth largest city in America and the largest west of the Mississippi. Many Irish immigrants settled there in the 1840s and 50s; a large number lived in poverty, but the members of Kelly's Washington Blues were mostly middle- and upper-class Irish immigrants of the city. The Washington Blues' militia uniform consisted of dark blue frock coats, sky blue trousers and shakos. In 1860 they took part in the Southwest Expedition to guard the border between Missouri and Kansas.

Joining the Missouri Volunteer Militia, Kelly's company avoided capture at Camp Jackson because they were sent off to escort 200 muskets and 70 tons of powder from St. Louis to Jefferson shortly before the Camp Jackson affair took place. Volunteering for service in the Missouri State Guard, the Washington Blues became part of Kelly's 1st Rifle Regiment in Parsons' Division. Kelly's Regiment also consisted of the Emmet Guards and the Montgomery Guards. They would participate in a number of battles and skirmishes, including Carthage, Wilson's Creek and Lexington. Though designated a regiment (aka "Kelly's Irish Brigade"), Kelly's was not much larger than a company - only 142 strong at Wilson's Creek - which was typical for many State Guard units.

With the transfer of State Guard troops to Confederate service in winter of 1861-62, Kelly's Regiment became part of Bevier's Battalion in the Second Missouri Brigade, Sterling Price's Division. As part of the Army of the West, they saw action at Pea Ridge. Bevier's Battalion, with the consolidation of other battalions, later formed the 5th Missouri Infantry in April 1862, and Kelly's men were organized as Company F. The company was initially commanded by Joseph Kelly, but after he was promoted and left the command, Patrick Canniff, one of Kelly's best officers, was promoted to captain and took command of Company F.


In his early twenties and with shoulder-length auburn hair, Patrick Canniff likely settled in St. Louis with his brother in the late 1850s. By 1859 he was was a saddle, harness and collar-maker. During those few years he also enlisted in the Emmet Guards - another all-Irish militia unit in St. Louis - and served as a volunteer firefighter in the city's Central Fire Company No. 1. Joining the the Missouri State Guard, Canniff served as a lieutenant in Kelly's Regiment. After transferring to Confederate service in early 1862 and fighting with Bevier's Battalion, he was promoted to captain of Co. F, 5th Missouri Infantry after its organization in April 1862.

Company F would serve as the 1st Missouri Brigade's premier "light infantry" or skirmish company. When skirmishers were called up Company F was always one of the companies chosen to act in that role. They were said to have been exceptionally well drilled by Capt. Canniff - one of, if not the best-drilled company in the brigade - the best of the best. At Corinth the company lost 70% of its strength fighting as skirmishers in the brigade's advance and retreat. Less than a dozen men who fought in Co. F would live through the war.

Capt. Canniff was one of the many who didn't make it. While acting major in command of the consolidated 3rd & 5th Missouri Infantry he was killed in the Missouri Brigade's charge at Franklin.

"Then the death of Capt. Patrick Canniff, commanding the 5th Missouri, caused us great grief. He was also a model soldier. After passing through so many battles, he was killed when needed most. He was wounded near the works and was too badly hurt to crawl away to a place of safety and received his death wound later on." - Capt. Joseph Boyce of the 1st Missouri Infantry.

Buried in the McGavock Cemetery in Franklin, he rests there today with 129 other Missourians who fell in the battle. Lt. Col. Robert S. Bevier, veteran and later historian of the brigade, said that Canniff was "a favorite with all - never away from his post, always ready for duty - finished and complete in the study of tactics, and considered by the Brigade as the best officer of his rank in the army."

Also to note: After the 5th Missouri Infantry was consolidated with the 3rd Missouri Infantry in fall of 1863, Co. F became Co. A of the 3rd-5th Missouri Infantry.
 
From Joseph Boyce's memoirs, Co. D, 1st-4th Missouri Infantry:

"May 16, 1863, about 9 o'clock a.m. our company, under command of Capt. Martin Burke, was ordered forward as skirmishers. We were joined by Capt. C[a]nniff's company of the Fifth Missouri, Col. McCo[wn]. This was the same that Capt. Joe Kelly of St. Louis Washington Blues took away with him from Camp Jackson. It was made up of details of several companies forming the First regiment [Missouri Volunteer Militia] captured there and was without a doubt one of the best companies in the Confederate army. It was drilled to perfection by that grand tactician, Col. Joe Kelly, and after his promotion transferred to Capt. Patrick Canniff, his protege and worthy successor. The company was like regulars in every movement it made. They were veterans, for they had been in all the engagements from Boonville, Mo., to Corinth, Miss., under Gen. Price and Bowen after he assumed command of the division.
"I have departed from my narrative to do this company justice, for really it was the pride of the Missouri division. I hope in the near future to hear a paper read before this society giving a history of 'Kelly's men.' It was the creation of the ablest tactician in Price's army, and he had no superior in either armies. His company reminded one of Ellsworth's Chicago zouaves, they were simply perfection.
"We were also joined by a company from the Second regiment, Col. F. M. Cockrell. The three companies formed a battalion and were placed under command of Lieut. Col. Hubb[ell] of the Third Missouri. Our movements were executed by calls from a whistle instead of the bugle. We discarded the bugle some months previous though the influence of Capt. Burke, as the calls on this instrument were the same as those used by the federal forces. Hence, while we had the advantage of knowing his movements by the bugle calls, he could not anticipate our moves, as he was not familiar with our orders by the whistle. This change afforded us great advantage and amusement while we anticipated his every move."
- Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A., ed. William C. Winter, p. 105-6

The three companies forming a battalion of skirmishers at Champion Hill were Co. G, 2nd Missouri, Co. F, 5th Missouri, and Co. D, 1st-4th Missouri.

Company G of the 2nd Missouri Infantry was also one of the brigade's designated skirmish companies. According to Ephraim M. Anderson's memoirs, who served in Co. G, "the company was armed with Mississippi rifles, and was constituted and drilled as skirmishers."
 
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Captain Joseph Boyce.jpg

http://civilwarmo.org/gallery#item/CWMO-295

Captain Joseph Boyce, the son of Irish immigrants, was born April 4, 1841, in St. Louis. Prior to the Civil War he was a member of the local militia company, the St. Louis Grays, and a volunteer firefighter in the city. In 1861, after capture in the Camp Jackson Affair and parole, Boyce and other former Grays formed Company D of the 1st Missouri Infantry (C.S.), organized by Col. John S. Bowen in Memphis, TN. Rising from sergeant to captain of the company by 1864, Boyce fought in nearly every major battle with the regiment, was wounded in the hip at Shiloh and in the neck at Allatoona, until a sever wound at Franklin put him out of action for the remainder of the war. He returned to St. Louis, where he married and worked in the tobacco manufacturing business and in real estate. Boyce was also involved in local veterans' organizations, authored a number of articles and gave talks on his service and the history of the 1st Missouri Infantry. He died July 28, 1928, and is buried in St. Louis.

Capt. Boyce's memoirs have been edited and published by William C. Winter in Captain Joseph Boyce and the 1st Missouri Infantry, C.S.A. (St. Louis: Missouri History Museum Press, 2011).

donbattleofallatoona.jpg

"Allatoona Pass" by Don Troiani depicts the fight at Rowett's Redoubt between the 1st Missouri Brigade and the 7th Illinois, 39th Iowa, and 93rd Illinois Infantry. Sgt. John M. Ragland of the 1st-4th Missouri is seen grabbing the colors of the 39th Iowa while Captain Joseph Boyce throws a clod of dirt into the Federal color-bearer's face. Also depicted is the one 12-pounder Napoleon of the 12th Wisconsin Battery being pulled by hand back from the redoubt and into the star fort.

As Capt. Boyce describes it in his memoirs:
As we gained the smoking, roaring parapet I observed the federal flag right in front and made for it; then the thought came up, "I have just gained my captain's commission, give others a chance," and yelled at Sergt. John Ragland of our regiment, "John, go for those colors," and with a daring leap John tore them from their bearer's grasp, who received a clod of hard clay from the hand of the writer between the eyes at the same instant. The flag belonged to an Illinois regiment. John Ragland was sent to Richmond with this flag, and won his lieutenant's commission.

Posted his full account here: https://civilwartalk.com/threads/capt-joseph-boyces-account-of-the-battle-of-allatoona-pass.150519/
 
This thread and this forum is very important. I feel I shouldn't post, but don't know what else to do.

Phillip Thomas Tucker, in his book "Westerners in Gray," page 187, states that during, or before, the charge at Champion Hill, "One-armed Rebels of the Fifth Missouri......... were also in formation and ready to do their part."

I have been unable to track down his primary source for this. Were there amputees involved? Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!
 
This thread and this forum is very important. I feel I shouldn't post, but don't know what else to do.

Phillip Thomas Tucker, in his book "Westerners in Gray," page 187, states that during, or before, the charge at Champion Hill, "One-armed Rebels of the Fifth Missouri......... were also in formation and ready to do their part."

I have been unable to track down his primary source for this. Were there amputees involved? Can anyone confirm this? Thanks!
No problem with posting or asking questions, that's what this forum is for!

Tucker says, "such as Privates Doyle, Hicks, and Tipton". On page 29 he identifies these men as Privates Thomas Doyle and William Henry Hicks of Company F and Private John T. Tipton of Company H. Tipton lost his arm while serving in the Missouri State Guard.

Edit to add: Here are their service cards:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00905/s00905_1114.pdf
http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00905/s00905_1780.pdf
http://www.sos.mo.gov/Images/Archives/Military/s00905/s00905_1268.pdf
 
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No problem with posting or asking questions, that's what this forum is for!

Tucker says, "such as Privates Doyle, Hicks, and Tipton". On page 29 he identifies these men as Privates Thomas Doyle and William Henry Hicks of Company F and Private John T. Tipton of Company H. Tipton lost his arm while serving in the Missouri State Guard.
Thank you so much! However, I'm looking for the "original source" for this (primary source) in regards to Champion Hill. I guess I'm lazy. But how do we put one-armed Rebels at Bakers Creek? I so want it to be true. Maybe I should pay and go to Fold3? Anyhow, Thanks for your response! What you and the others or doing with this forum is incredible. I can't thank you and the others enough!!
 
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Thank you so much! However, I'm looking for the "original source" for this (primary source) in regards to Champion Hill. I guess I'm lazy. Maybe I should pay and go to Fold3? Thanks for your response. What you and the others or doing with this forum is incredible. I can't thank you and the others enough!!
Sorry, his sources are: Compiled Missouri Service Records; Brauckman Scrapbook, Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis.

And thanks, glad you approve of the new Regimental Histories forum! Certainly more to come... I can think of a dozen other units I'd like to do threads on, though this one and the thread on the Texas Brigade were a must. I still have lots more to post here!
 
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Cool.
Aug351, do you think you could pull strings on this site and see if folks could look up Doyles, Hicks and Tipton to see if it was possible they were amputees who also fought at Bakers Creek? Just a thought and might be an interesting aspect to this particular thread.
 
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