Companies within Regiments

[Michael C. Hardy]

Also, am I submitting these questions about regiments correctly rather than putting them out to a new post?

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I know you guys are going to be glad when I finish this diary, BUT...I have just discovered that Caswell and his youngest brother were in camp at Jacinto much of the same time. I'm still having trouble visualizing the sizes of regiments and companies and brigades. Caswell was 2nd Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi, and his brother was 1st Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi. There is nothing in his diary except campt, campt, campt occasional picket, and working on bridge--nothing about his brother. In my cinema version of the war, I'm having trouble with this. Can somebody explain to me please why it was unlikely that they would have known that the other was there?

In general, a textbook infantry regiment had 1,000 men. Most regiments operated with 400-600 men after a year of service. It takes at least two regiments to make a brigade (most have five regiments), and at least two brigades to make a division.

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I know you guys are going to be glad when I finish this diary, BUT...I have just discovered that Caswell and his youngest brother were in camp at Jacinto much of the same time. I'm still having trouble visualizing the sizes of regiments and companies and brigades. Caswell was 2nd Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi, and his brother was 1st Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi. There is nothing in his diary except campt, campt, campt occasional picket, and working on bridge--nothing about his brother. In my cinema version of the war, I'm having trouble with this. Can somebody explain to me please why it was unlikely that they would have known that the other was there?

In general, a textbook infantry regiment had 1,000 men. Most regiments operated with 400-600 men after a year of service. It takes at least two regiments to make a brigade (most have five regiments), and at least two brigades to make a division.

 

[Caswellcurious]

So if I am calculating correctly, the number of soldiers there could have been around 1600 at the very least and around 10,000 at the most. My lord, that's a small village. I'm beginning to understand why they may not have known the other was there. Thanks (and I just noticed that I should have replied to you rather than post--I'm learning)

 

[Dan Kohli]

I know you guys are going to be glad when I finish this diary, BUT...I have just discovered that Caswell and his youngest brother were in camp at Jacinto much of the same time. I'm still having trouble visualizing the sizes of regiments and companies and brigades. Caswell was 2nd Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi, and his brother was 1st Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi. There is nothing in his diary except campt, campt, campt occasional picket, and working on bridge--nothing about his brother. In my cinema version of the war, I'm having trouble with this. Can somebody explain to me please why it was unlikely that they would have known that the other was there?

This video might help a bit.

 

[Caswellcurious]

This video might help a bit.

Thanks, Dan. It helped a lot. My eyes are surely being opened to the vastness of this war. I'm changing my thinking now as to the size of the camps and the acreage of the battlegrounds.

 

[rpkennedy]

While preparing for the CWT Muster at Antietam, I printed up some maps. I was focusing on my ancestor's regiments: 17th Mississippi Regt and the 3d Arkansas Regt.
The 3d Arkansas Regt was in Manning's Brigade. Late in the morning, Manning's Brigade moved to the front and passed the Dunker Church. (The Park ranger pulled up their files and said they were right HERE—meaning the location of the current temporary Interpretive Center we were standing in).
However as they moved forward toward the North, the Union line had taken the Sunken Road. The 3d Arkansas and I think another regiment were sent to the East to attack the Sunken Road under the command of an officer named Cooke(I forget his rank and full name). Many maps do not show this Cooke "brigade".

Colonel John R. Cooke was commanding a demi-brigade that consisted of the 3rd Arkansas and his own 27th North Carolina (Colonel Van Manning of the 3rd Arkansas was temporarily commanding Brigadier General John G. Walker's brigade and was wounded during the fighting at Antietam). Cooke led his two regiment attack against the Sunken Road and was wounded for his efforts but his performance led him to be promoted to brigadier general.

Cooke's father was Philip St. George Cooke, an early commander of the Army of the Potomac's cavalry, and his sister married J.E.B. Stuart.

Ryan

 

[Old Soldier]

I have just discovered that Caswell and his youngest brother were in camp at Jacinto much of the same time. I'm still having trouble visualizing the sizes of regiments and companies and brigades. Caswell was 2nd Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi, and his brother was 1st Brigade 4th Division of the Army of the Mississippi. ...... In my cinema version of the war, I'm having trouble with this. Can somebody explain to me please why it was unlikely that they would have known that the other was there?

Did he know he was in 1st Brigade? These camps were usually organised around unit areas which were not always adjoining - or even in the same place. Unless they had met face-to-face, they would probably not know about each other's location.

 

[Caswellcurious]

Did he know he was in 1st Brigade? These camps were usually organised around unit areas which were not always adjoining - or even in the same place. Unless they had met face-to-face, they would probably not know about each other's location.

sorry I just found this--out of town for a while. He never mentions family in his diary except when he is sending it to his wife. He calls her by name. He never mentions his brothers. Thanks for the information. It will be useful.