How many regiments were there?

[Michael C. Hardy]

Over the years, I've been asked how many regiments were formed during the war years. That is a great question, and I do not h

ave a solid answer. On the Confederate side, it was somewhere around 1,500. A Wikipedia entry (yes, not good research), stated there were more than 1,700 volunteer Federal regiments. Maybe the Confederate number is a little high and the Federal number a little low. It might also be handy to define "regiment." For the time period, a regiment had at least ten companies, commanded by a colonel. A handful of Confederate infantry regiments, and US regular regiments, had more than ten companies. Anything consisting of fewer than ten companies is a battalion. And then there is the artillery. In North Carolina, some artillery batteries were placed in regiments. However, the batteries never really served together in that regiment. They were spread out among brigades or divisions, each with their own history. While there are some famous regiments, like the 20th​ Maine, 26th​ Wisconsin, 26th​ North Carolina, 1st​ Texas, etc., most regiments languish in obscurity, historically speaking. So, back to my question, how many regiments were there?

 

[Arioch]

One of the first things that comes to my mind is: units cycling in and out of Federal service. I'm specifically thinking of State Militia units...would they count as a 'Federal Regiment'?...would they count twice if cycled in and out? What does that mean? I'm thinking about state units mustered in for a brief federal service; like say, Pa state militia mustered in for the the defense of the state line for Antietam....incidents like that.

Did not know that about the word 'battalion'!....along the same lines: Platoon = Brigade, correct?

 

[19thGeorgia]

According to this there were 1,069 Confederate regiments, battalions and batteries-

Confederate Veteran

www.google.com

...but it probably does not include militia, state troops and local defense.

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

One of the first things that comes to my mind is: units cycling in and out of Federal service. I'm specifically thinking of State Militia units...would they count as a 'Federal Regiment'?...would they count twice if cycled in and out? What does that mean? I'm thinking about state units mustered in for a brief federal service; like say, Pa state militia mustered in for the the defense of the state line for Antietam....incidents like that.

Did not know that about the word 'battalion'!....along the same lines: Platoon = Brigade, correct?

Great questions Arioch. If they were mustered into Federal or Confederate service, then yes, I would believe that they would count. But if they were not, then no. Here in North Carolina, militia or home guard regiments or battalions are not considered Confederate units. They were products of the state and were under orders from the state.

A platoon was half a company.

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

According to this there were 1,069 Confederate regiments, battalions and batteries-

Confederate Veteran

www.google.com

...but it probably does not include militia, state troops and local defense.

I can tell you that North Carolina had seven cavalry regiments, five cavalry battalions, and three independent cavalry companies, so, I think there numbers are off by a few.

 

[19thGeorgia]

According to this there were 1,069 Confederate regiments, battalions and batteries-

Confederate Veteran

www.google.com

...but it probably does not include militia, state troops and local defense.

Georgia had about 30 regiments and battalions of "State Guards" that did six months CSA service in 1863/early 1864, two regiments of "State Line" troops, 12 regiments of militia (1864-65), six regiments of reserves, and several local defense units. They are not included.

 

[Red Raider]

Michael,

That is a great question to try and figure out. One of the things that also need to be taken into consideration is those that were reflagged. The 113th PA Vols. were reflagged as the 12th PA Cavalry. PA numbered every regiment in numerical order as they organized regardless of branch. It is possible to count those Regiments twice without realizing it. There are also Regiments that failed to organize that need to be taken out of the equation.

Does this question also include those Regiments that never saw combat?

V/r
Joe

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

Michael,

That is a great question to try and figure out. One of the things that also need to be taken into consideration is those that were reflagged. The 113th PA Vols. were reflagged as the 12th PA Cavalry. PA numbered every regiment in numerical order as they organized regardless of branch. It is possible to count those Regiments twice without realizing it. There are also Regiments that failed to organize that need to be taken out of the equation.

Does this question also include those Regiments that never saw combat?

V/r
Joe

I would say that if a regiment was sworn into regular service, Union or Confederate, then yes, they count, regardless of their seeing combat. Regiments that were re-designated is another great question. And, it requires a great deal of research into each state. Some of the North Carolina regiments were re-designated, i.e., the 6th North Carolina Volunteers became the 16th North Carolina State Troops. Some of them had two designations: the 1st North Carolina Cavalry was also known as the 9th North Carolina State Troops (confused yet?). This is also true for some of the United States Colored Troops. The 1st North Carolina Colored Infantry was later re-designated the 35th United States Colored Troops.

 

[lupaglupa]

I think this is a situation where the definition creates the answer. All of the points made above are great - the total needs to reflect decisions made as to what qualifies as a regiment. Once you get those parameters, it would be relatively easy (though probably time consuming) to get a number. But would that number be the actual number outside of the parameters you established?

Ah - I can see my statistics professor now leading a debate on this!

 

[19thGeorgia]

Georgia State Guard

The 23rd Battalion were employees of Cook & Brother - manufacturer of rifles for the CSA.

 

[Coonewah Creek]

And how about consolidations? Several battalions added companies to become a regiment, and many regiments, especially in the Western Theater were consolidated, but apparently separately carried the men on the rolls at least for a time. Then prior to the end of the war, Johnston formally consolidated the skeleton regiments under his command. Do those count separately too? Later in the war the ANV created sharpshooter battalions for each brigade, but they were drawn from the constituent regiments. Do those count separately also? It's a difficult task to come up with the true number of regiments/battalions, at least on the Confederate side.

 

[Arioch]

A platoon was half a company.

YIKES!....Wasn't I way off on that one

 

[DixieRifles]

Maybe the Confederate number is a little high and the Federal number a little low. It might also be handy to define "regiment."

Yes but the other issue is that many regiments simply reformed under a new name or were consolidated. The CS Cavalry really gets bizarre when 2 or 3 companies went to one unit and the 3 or 4 more would go to another. Would a consolidated regiment be a new regiment?
Are you including cavalry and artillery?

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

Yes but the other issue is that many regiments simply reformed under a new name or were consolidated. The CS Cavalry really gets bizarre when 2 or 3 companies went to one unit and the 3 or 4 more would go to another. Would a consolidated regiment be a new regiment?
Are you including cavalry and artillery?

It is really tricky, and, a person would need a good knowledge of individual states. Concerning consolidation, I'm not sure if anyone has ever tried to come up with an answer (maybe no one has ever asked this question). After the battle of Bentonville Joe Johnston consolidated many of his fragmented regiments. And example: the 58th​ North Carolina Troops and the 60th​ North Carolina Troops became the 58th​ North Carolina consolidated. The 60th​ NC ceased to exist. But the 58th​ NC did not, although the men were transferred from small companies to fill out other companies, and the men from the 60th​ NC were added to the ranks. Some of the field and staff are the same, and they still marched under the 58th​ NC's flag. To me, the 58th ​NC is still the 58th​ NC. They just got an influx of new men.

Yes, I am including cavalry and artillery

 

[Coonewah Creek]

After the battle of Bentonville Joe Johnston consolidated many of his fragmented regiments.

I don't have my references in front of me, and can't remember for sure, but of some 44 Tennessee infantry regiments in the Army of Tennessee in 1864 (granted, perhaps a few of them didn't make it to Johnston's army at Bentonville and after), but at any rate, on the order of 30-40 regiments from Tennessee then in North Carolina, he consolidated them all into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tennessee Infantry Consolidated Regiments, IIRC. So an average of 9-10 regimental remnants in each consolidated unit.

 

[Harman Farm]

I have noticed in my perusals of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands that some soldiers at Camp Moore were mustered into companies and organizations that were a short time later disbanded and the recruits went home ( cold feet??). I wonder if those counted???

 

[thomas aagaard]

Over the years, I've been asked how many regiments were formed during the war years. That is a great question, and I do not hView attachment 389865ave a solid answer. On the Confederate side, it was somewhere around 1,500. A Wikipedia entry (yes, not good research), stated there were more than 1,700 volunteer Federal regiments. Maybe the Confederate number is a little high and the Federal number a little low. It might also be handy to define "regiment." For the time period, a regiment had at least ten companies, commanded by a colonel. A handful of Confederate infantry regiments, and US regular regiments, had more than ten companies. Anything consisting of fewer than ten companies is a battalion. And then there is the artillery. In North Carolina, some artillery batteries were placed in regiments. However, the batteries never really served together in that regiment. They were spread out among brigades or divisions, each with their own history. While there are some famous regiments, like the 20th​ Maine, 26th​ Wisconsin, 26th​ North Carolina, 1st​ Texas, etc., most regiments languish in obscurity, historically speaking. So, back to my question, how many regiments were there?

When talking the civil war - A battalion is a tactical organization made up of two or more companies.
When a regiment is in the field, the correct designation is "battalion"
If companies from different regiments ate combined in the field for a battle, its also a battalion.
(as happened a lot early in the war with the US regulars army, and later with csa units that had gotten too small)

The administrative organization is the regiment.

In Europe it was the norm that regiments had more than one battalion and that the regiment was a also tactical formation.
(In the case of the brits it was mainly a ceremonial and tradition thing)

 

[Red Raider]

@thomas aagaard You do realize that @Michael C. Hardy has literally written the book on what a Regiment is...

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

I have noticed in my perusals of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands that some soldiers at Camp Moore were mustered into companies and organizations that were a short time later disbanded and the recruits went home ( cold feet??). I wonder if those counted???

In some form or fashion, yes, as long as they were mustered into national (Confederate or Federal service). And that is my definition. If they are not mustered into national service, then they are simply organizations belonging to the state.

 

[Harman Farm]

Yes but the other issue is that many regiments simply reformed under a new name or were consolidated. The CS Cavalry really gets bizarre when 2 or 3 companies went to one unit and the 3 or 4 more would go to another. Would a consolidated regiment be a new regiment?
Are you including cavalry and artillery?

That's a really good question. A few Louisiana units were like that. The 18th infantry and the Yellowjacket battalion became the 18th Consolidated Regiment.