Combined Units:?

[Karmices]

Sorry if this isn't the correct forum to post this. I'm wondering how you can find out what units were combined with others? I'm showing my relative was in the 1st Div. 1st Brig. 4th Reg. LA. Militia, but when I go to the Louisiana In The Civil War page on FamilySearch, they show no record of that unit. I've also searched the web for info on this unit and it shows that Theo Alonzo was Captain of this unit, but I can't seem to find much if any information on him. I do have the muster sheets that show the 1st Div. 1st Brig. 4th Reg. LA. Militia as well that I got from the Secretary of State in LA.

 

[NedBaldwin]

Perhaps look for a copy of the book Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units by Arthur Bergeron published by LSU.

Scratch that. The book doesnt have much information about the state militia

Sorry if this isn't the correct forum to post this. I'm wondering how you can find out what units were combined with others? I'm showing my relative was in the 1st Div. 1st Brig. 4th Reg. LA. Militia, but when I go to the Louisiana In The Civil War page on FamilySearch, they show no record of that unit. I've also searched the web for info on this unit and it shows that Theo Alonzo was Captain of this unit, but I can't seem to find much if any information on him. I do have the muster sheets that show the 1st Div. 1st Brig. 4th Reg. LA. Militia as well that I got from the Secretary of State in LA.

 

[DixieRifles]

A good source for this is the service records in National Archives (NARA) records (also found on Fold3). The NARA service records for soldiers include cards with info on the soldier. These cards are pre-printed with name of the unit and the date of the record, etc., and the soldier's info is filled out by hand. At the bottom of the card can be found printed info on the unit. It usually gives both the early organization and a brief history of the re-organization.

Most of the time this history is accurate as they will state something to the effect that Company D of 30 Regiment became Company K of 29 Regiment after merger. Sometimes, this info does not seem to be right. But then is there anyone who can explain the re-org's of the Cavalry regiments?

Steve

 

[Karmices]

In went to Fold3 and they show 2 photos of cards. 1 I got a scan of already from the Secretary of State the other is new to me. The one I haven't seen before, has no info written out on the bottom and has No info for enrollment date. It just says that he was a 3rd Lieutenant under Theo M Alonzo's Company D.

 

[M E Wolf]

http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm

T. M. Alonzo (First_Last)
Regiment Name 4 Regiment, 1 Brigade, 1 Division, Louisiana Militia
Side Confederate
Company D
Soldier's Rank_In Captain
Soldier's Rank_Out Captain
Alternate Name
Notes
Film Number M378 roll 1

 

[M E Wolf]

http://www.missouridivision-scv.org/hispanic.htm

Capt. T. M. Alonzo, Co. D, 4th Reg't, 1st Brig., Louisiana Militia

==================================
Dictionary H - Louisiana Historical Association

www.lahistory.org/site25.php- Similarto Dictionary H - Louisiana Historical Association
First lieutenant and captain, Prairie Rangers, Company K, Third Louisiana Cavalry, .... Band, 1921-1923, and Alonzo Ross and his Deluxe Syncopators, 1926-1928. ... the gubernatorial aspirations of John T. Michel, one of the city ward leaders. ..... First Division of the Louisiana State Militia with the rank of captain; July 22, ...
========================================

"J. Ziemer" who was in the 4th Infantry Regiment Louisiana"

http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/soldiers.cfm

J. Ziemer (First_Last)
Regiment Name 4 Regiment, 1 Brigade, 1 Division, Louisiana Militia
Side Confederate
Company D
Soldier's Rank_In 3 Lieutenant
Soldier's Rank_Out 3 Lieutenant
Alternate Name
Notes
Film Number M378 roll 31

 

[Karmices]

Thanks for that info. I just can't seem to find information on the 4th Reg, 1st Brig, 1st Div Louisiana Militia, it must have been combined with another unit, but I just can't seem to find that info. When there's no written info on a soldiers muster card, is that common?

 

[ole]

From Sifakis's "Compendium:

Louisiana seceded from the Union on January 26, 1861.

There were several specialized types of units organized for the army. The Confederate Congress passed an act authorizing the creation of local Defense Trops units on August 21, 1861. However the Confederate Adjutant and Inspector General's Office did not issue it's General Orders #86 outling the regulations for their organization until June 23, 1863. These units were usually organized on the company and battalion level for defense of the areas in which they were raised. They were frequently composed of employees of government arsenals, armories, bureaus, etc. or from men detailed from regular line units for detached service. Toward the end of the war some of these units were organized into regiments. These units were only to be called into active when the situation in the vicinity required it.

The Confederate Congress created the Reserves on February 17, 1864, when it expanded conscription to include all white males between 17 and 50. Those under 18 and those over 45 were to be organized in the Reserves, troops that did not have to serve beyond the boundaries of the state.

Not of much use, but it does outline why Louisiana's Militia and Reserves were such a cluster. Your 4th Louisiana might well have been a temporary administrative designation for a unit intended to act in concert during an emergency (or when some official panicked and soiled his drawers).

Combining units would be done mostly in active-duty regiments later in the war when their numbers dropped so low that they could no longer function as a regiment. It doesn't seem too likely that a militia unit in Louisiana would be in such a situation.

 

[Karmices]

Ole,that's good info. Thanks. I did a lot of research today on Fold3 and haven't come up with much. I did research everyone in Co.D and there isn't much info on any of the 7 guys listed on my "unofficial memorandum" copy. Some of the names listed on it don't even show up on the Fold3 database. On the unofficial memorandum, what do the number or letter mean after each name. My relative is listed as Ziemer. J.....:2 and another is listed as Harris. W.J.....:C. Does that mean Captain, 2nd Lieutenant etc..?

 

[ole]

Ole,that's good info. Thanks. I did a lot of research today on Fold3 and haven't come up with much. I did research everyone in Co.D and there isn't much info on any of the 7 guys listed on my "unofficial memorandum" copy. Some of the names listed on it don't even show up on the Fold3 database. On the unofficial memorandum, what do the number or letter mean after each name. My relative is listed as Ziemer. J.....:2 and another is listed as Harris. W.J.....:C. Does that mean Captain, 2nd Lieutenant etc..?

I don't know, but somebody does. I just looked in the Louisiana Compendium, couldn't find the 4th, but thought the preface might help you understand the situation of militias in Louisiana.

There are things I know something about, things I know nothing about, and things I comment on just to keep a good argument going. The C and the 2 are among the things I know nothing about. Sorry.

 

[Karmices]

I don't know, but somebody does. I just looked in the Louisiana Compendium, couldn't find the 4th, but thought the preface might help you understand the situation of militias in Louisiana.

There are things I know something about, things I know nothing about, and things I comment on just to keep a good argument going. The C and the 2 are among the things I know nothing about. Sorry.

I'm thinking that maybe the "C" stands for Captain and the #'s mean 1st Lieutenant 2nd L etc...

 

[ole]

I'm thinking that maybe the "C" stands for Captain and the #'s mean 1st Lieutenant 2nd L etc...

Somehow, I doubt that, but I'm not equipped to argue the point. Someone will know.