I actually feel dumb asking this.

[ColonelBuckwalter]

I've been fascinated with the war since I was eight years old. But I never thought to find out just how numbers were assigned to regiments.

So... how?

(don't laugh too hard at my ignorance)

 

[Stryker65]

Meanwhile, a battalion that consolidated with another battalion or some independent companies had to get an entirely new number as a regiment.

I have a document with every battalion that later became a regiment. Over half of Virginia's forty-seven numbered battalions were eventually consolidated into regiments. One extreme example: the 31st and Godwin's cavalry battalions became the 40th, then the 32nd and the 40th battalions became the 42nd battalion, and then became the 24th Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

I've realized that we've been giving examples, not answering the "how" question.

When federal authority had to be given to the state to raise regiments, the state gave individual authority to recruiting officers to raise the regiments themselves. Upon completion of a regiment, it was assigned the next number in line. (Example: After the organization of Pennsylvania 3-month units 1-25, the new three-year regiments began at 26.) After the state mustered the unit in, the US Army mustering officer placed the unit in federal service, always under the same number.

Confederate army worked a bit differently. At the beginning of the war, many states were convinced that every unit raised would be part of a "state army" in the same line as the "Connecticut Line" of the Revolution. They organized state mustering boards that assigned each unit a number, based chronologically on when the regiment had finished formation. The Confederate Congress/Executive Branch said no. They took the state units and reassigned them a new number, based on when the muster rolls arrived in Richmond. (Example: Arkansas had the most active mustering board. Colonel Patrick R. Cleburne's regiment received the designation of 1st when it was accepted by the Military Board. However, Confederate authorities had already ordered the recruitment of a "1st", and Cleburne's was hastily redesignated as the 15th. Unfortunately, there was already a 15th Arkansas in service, but its muster rolls had not yet arrived in Richmond.)

Hope this helps!

To cloud the whole question again, I had a relative in the 10th Volunteer Infantry. They then became Witt's 10th Arkansas Cavalry. But the Newton's 10th Arkansas Cavalry.

How did the number system go at that point?

 

[Stryker65]

To cloud the whole question again, I had a relative in the 10th Volunteer Infantry. They then became Witt's 10th Arkansas Cavalry. But the Newton's 10th Arkansas Cavalry.

How did the number system go at that point?

Witt's 10th Arkansas was mounted infantry. The problem was that few on either side used that term that late in the war. Rode horses? Must be cavalry.

Newton's 10th Arkansas was a federalized militia unit; its militia designation was the 3rd Arkansas State Cavalry. Yet another example of state and federal numbering systems messing researchers up.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

Witt's 10th Arkansas was mounted infantry. The problem was that few on either side used that term that late in the war. Rode horses? Must be cavalry.

Newton's 10th Arkansas was a federalized militia unit; its militia designation was the 3rd Arkansas State Cavalry. Yet another example of state and federal numbering systems messing researchers up.

Whoa boy, I opened up a kettle of fish. I think need a cocktail.

 

[Stryker65]

Whoa boy, I opened up a kettle of fish. I think need a cocktail.

Newton formerly commanded the 5th Arkansas Cavalry; in 1864, the unit was reorganized as the 8th Arkansas Cavalry under Col. Thomas J. Morgan, and Newton was transferred to the state militia to command the 3rd State Cavalry, which then became the 10th.

 

[1SGDan]

In new Hampshire the mold is somewhat different. Instead of creating new regiments the old regiment s were rebuilt with the same regimental number. The 5th New Hampshire Infantry returned from Gettysburg with just 173 men. Instead of forming a new regiment this one was rebuilt.

 

[Stryker65]

In many cases, especially in 1864, 1865, there were regiments that failed to complete their organization within the given time window, such as the 180th, 181st, and 183rd New York. If more than one company of recruits had been formed, those recruits would be consolidated into a different unit, or all consolidated into one.

The most convoluted consolidation I have ever seen is the making of the 178th New York Infantry in 1863. Bear with me, now.
- October 23, 1862: Col. Ethan Allen receives authority to recruit the "3rd Merchants' Regiment" (3MR) for nine months
- November 12, 1862: Col. Julius W. Adams receives authority to recruit the "2nd Hawkins' Zouaves" (2HZ) for nine months
- November 19, 1862: Col. Henry E. Gottlieb receives authority to recruit the "Federal Guard" (FG) for nine months
- December 2, 1862: Col. John G. Bell receives authority to recruit the "Pratt Guards" (PG)
- December 4, 1862: Col. Henry F. Liebenau receives authority to recruit the "Seymour Light Infantry" (SLI)
- January 10, 1863: Col. Edward Wehler receives authority to recruit the "Burnside Rifles" (BUR)
- January 24, 1863: FG recruits ordered transferred to 3MR.
- February 6, 1863: Col. James R. Quick receives authority to recruit the "Westchester Light Infantry" (WLI)
- February 11, 1863: Col. Francis H. Braulich receives authority to recruit the "Defenders" (DEF)
- February 23, 1863: 2HZ recruits' term limit extended to three years.
- April 21, 1863: 3MR recruits ordered transferred to 2HZ to form Col. Julius W. Adams's "Blair Rifles" (BR)
- May 6, 1863: Col. George von Schack receives authority to recruit the "7th New York Infantry (2nd)" (7N)
- May 11, 1863: Col. Felix Salm receives authority to recruit the "8th New York Infantry (2nd)" (8N)
- May 12, 1863: 3MR recruits' term limit extended to three years.
- June 3, 1863: Col. Frank Jones receives authority to recruit the "31st New York Infantry (2nd)" (31N)
- June 20, 1863: BR, PG, SLI, BUR, WLI, and DEF combined to form the 178th New York Infantry (but only six companies!)
- October 14, 1863: 7N, 8N, and 31N recruits ordered transferred to the 178th New York Infantry, completing the organization.

In total, the 178th New York Infantry contained the recruits from eleven separate planned organizations.

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

I have a question that is potentially "dumb" on my part. Did any states, Union or Confederate, skip numbers of regiments, for example transitioning from the 10th infantry regiment to the 40th infantry regiment just to give the opposing side an impression that their side's army was much larger than it actually was.?

The 19,967th Texas Cavalry…. Just kind of rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

The 19,967th Texas Cavalry…. Just kind of rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?

5.7000th Tennessee Cavalry (dismounted)

 

[Stryker65]

Funnily enough, the famous NY unit in Red Badge of Courage was the 304th New York Infantry.

New York's highest-numbered unit was the 194th.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

The 19,967th Texas Cavalry…. Just kind of rolls of the tongue, doesn't it?

Hahaha!

 

[RedRover]

The US Army in World War II had some pretty high numbered outfits. The 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) comes to mind, better known as "Merrill's Marauders."

 

[drezac]

also, at times regiment numbers were re-used. Here is an example from Ohio:

The Cleveland light artillery under Col. Barnett ( Ohio Militia, 6 1-gun batteries) enlisted for 3 months and were mustered in as the 1st Regiment of Ohio Volunteer light Artillery. After their 3 months were up, they were mustered out of service. Col. Barnett was given orders by the Gov. of Ohio to form a 3-year enlistment Artillery Regiment, which was also given the name 1st Regiment Ohio Volunteer light Artillery. So Ohio had 2 1st Ohio Artillery Regiments, both under the command of Col. Barnett, but totally unrelated other than the name and Col. Barnett.

 

[13 IL Cav & 64 GA Inf]

also, at times regiment numbers were re-used. Here is an example from Ohio:

The Cleveland light artillery under Col. Barnett ( Ohio Militia, 6 1-gun batteries) enlisted for 3 months and were mustered in as the 1st Regiment of Ohio Volunteer light Artillery. After their 3 months were up, they were mustered out of service. Col. Barnett was given orders by the Gov. of Ohio to form a 3-year enlistment Artillery Regiment, which was also given the name 1st Regiment Ohio Volunteer light Artillery. So Ohio had 2 1st Ohio Artillery Regiments, both under the command of Col. Barnett, but totally unrelated other than the name and Col. Barnett.

Now that's really interesting, @drezac.

 

[Stryker65]

The 56th Illinois had a similar story to the 1st Ohio. It was formed as a Mechanics regiment, but the unit mutinied and was disbanded. A new 56th Illinois was formed (and fought with Sherman throughout the war), and the story of the old was completely erased. There are no references to the first unit in the Official Records, and there exist only two other references to the unit: in the Official Army Register and in a presentation @Library Lady shared with me.

 

[ColonelBuckwalter]

The 56th Illinois had a similar story to the 1st Ohio. It was formed as a Mechanics regiment, but the unit mutinied and was disbanded. A new 56th Illinois was formed (and fought with Sherman throughout the war), and the story of the old was completely erased. There are no references to the first unit in the Official Records, and there exist only two other references to the unit: in the Official Army Register and in a presentation @Library Lady shared with me.

Not the original pasty faced mechanics?

 

[Luke Freet]

I've been fascinated with the war since I was eight years old. But I never thought to find out just how numbers were assigned to regiments.

So... how?

(don't laugh too hard at my ignorance)

Simply put: units were usually number sequentially once they were raised...in theory at least.
To makes things more complicated:
Numbering often depended on how a particular state handled things. For one, in states like North Carolina, Indiana & Pennsylvania, the numbering was applied to all units raised by the state. For example, the 8th North Carolina Regiment was an infantry unit; the 9th North Carolina Regiment was a cavalry unit (often called the 1st North Carolina Cavalry by most sources outside of state records); and the 10th North Carolina Regiment was an artillery unit (also often noted as the 1st North Carolina Artillery, see previous). Most states would have separate numbering for infantry, artillery and cavalry.
But then you get to certain states where weirdness reigns. In the case of Indiana, their numbering started at the 6th Indiana (Infantry). Why at 6? Because during the Mexican War, the state raised the 1st-5th Volunteers for service in that war, and their numbers were not reused, either for continuity or political reasons (I am not an expert on this, I can't say anything more with certainty). Illinois similarly started their numbering at 7, because they contributed 6 volunteer regiments to the Mexican War.
But then you get concurrent units raised with seperate numberings. Tennessee is a good example; when they initially seceded, they formed the "Provisional Army" containing five infantry regiments numbered 1st-5th. However, when they joined the Confederacy and raised troops for volunteer service, these new volunteer units began at 1st going up and up. The 4th & 5th Provisional Army would be renumbed in Volunteer service as the 34th & 35th Tennessee, while the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Provisioanl Army Regiments kept their numberings, even though there were still the 1st, 2nd (breifly before they were disbanded following shiloh and merged into the 5th Confederate Infantry but this is confusing enough as is) and 3rd Volunteers.
And then there's Arkansas...representing pre-20th Century American military bureaucracy at it's finest. The best (if that is the word to use for this travesty) example would be the 15th Arkansas Infantry...there were three 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiments. One was Colonel Johnson's 15th Arkansas, which was part of the Fort Donelson Garrison & later fought with distinction at Port Gibson; they were the first 15th Arkansas. However, after they was captured at Fort Donelson, another unit, Patrick Cleburne's 1st Arkansas, was ordered by the War Department to change its numbering because there was already another 1st Arkansas under Col. James Fagan; apparently the War Department didn't realize that Johnson's 15th Arkansas existed and gave Cleburne's unit that number. And finally, Dandridge McRea's Northwest Arkansas Regiment was first renumbered to the 22nd then the 15th, once again because no one realized there were already two 15th Arkansas.
Trust me, this is the tip of the iceberg; every Arkansas regiment numbered above 22nd had to renumber at least once.

 

[REBVojak]

It was customary to enumerate them by branch of service. In other words, a separate enumeration between regiments of infantry, artillery, cavalry, engineers, etc.

For example the United States Army, which existed at the time of the war's commencement, included ten regiments of infantry, numbered 1 to 10, four of artillery, numbered 1-4, two of cavalry (1st and 2nd), two of dragoons (1st and 2nd), and one of mounted rifles. During 1861 more regiments were added to the regular Army and numbers were assigned upon organization in continuation of their number among their branch.

In April, 1861, President Lincoln called forth 75,000 Militia from the States for three months active service. These regiments where newly assembled from their militia were by some States designated with new numbers, like the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Connecticut regiments (3 mos.); while New Jersey designated them 1st-4th Regiments of "New Jersey Foot Militia." Meanwhile other States employed existing volunteer Militia regiments entire for this service, like the existing 7th New York National Guard.

The US soon called for 3 year volunteer troops, and most Union soldiers served in such units. The volunteer force followed the regular army mode, in generally numbering the regiments by State and by branch of service. In Connecticut, they continued enumeration beyond the 3 mo. regiments from the 4th Volunteer Infantry (3 yrs.) up. In others, they went from 1st up... For example New Jersey, which raised besides its 1st Regiment of Foot Militia (3 mo.) raised volunteer units designated from 1st Regiment of New Jersey Volunteer Infantry, up. But very generally somewhat like the regular army's mode.

The Southern Confederacy generally followed the same general mode.

With reference to the Regular Army mounted regiments, in April 1861 congress authorized the organization of a third Regiment of Cavalry to be enumerated as the 3rd Regiment. Then Congress decided that all mounted regiments would be designated Cavalry and that the 1st and 2nd Dragoons, the Regiment of Mounted Riflemen and the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Regiments and the newly formed 3rd Cavalry be re-designated the 1st to 6th Cavalry Regiments in accordance with the regiments seniority. No other regular army cavalry regiments would be formed until 1866 when the 7th to 10th Regiments were authorized and raised.

 

[Stryker65]

But then you get to certain states where weirdness reigns. In the case of Indiana, their numbering started at the 6th Indiana (Infantry). Why at 6? Because during the Mexican War, the state raised the 1st-5th Volunteers for service in that war, and their numbers were not reused, either for continuity or political reasons (I am not an expert on this, I can't say anything more with certainty). Illinois similarly started their numbering at 7, because they contributed 6 volunteer regiments to the Mexican War.

Maybe in the sense that @ColonelBuckwalter mentioned earlier ... by the political pushings of those regiments' colonels, who may have wanted to honor their men's service.

But then you get concurrent units raised with seperate numberings. Tennessee is a good example; when they initially seceded, they formed the "Provisional Army" containing five infantry regiments numbered 1st-5th. However, when they joined the Confederacy and raised troops for volunteer service, these new volunteer units began at 1st going up and up. The 4th & 5th Provisional Army would be renumbed in Volunteer service as the 34th & 35th Tennessee, while the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Provisioanl Army Regiments kept their numberings, even though there were still the 1st, 2nd (breifly before they were disbanded following shiloh and merged into the 5th Confederate Infantry but this is confusing enough as is) and 3rd Volunteers.

There were also the 7th and 8th Provisional Army, which respectively became the 37th and 38th Tennessee. No mention of a 6th Provisional, but I hazard a guess to say that it was the 36th Tennessee, which lasted for less than a year.

And then there's Arkansas...representing pre-20th Century American military bureaucracy at it's finest. The best (if that is the word to use for this travesty) example would be the 15th Arkansas Infantry...there were three 15th Arkansas Infantry Regiments. One was Colonel Johnson's 15th Arkansas, which was part of the Fort Donelson Garrison & later fought with distinction at Port Gibson; they were the first 15th Arkansas. However, after they was captured at Fort Donelson, another unit, Patrick Cleburne's 1st Arkansas, was ordered by the War Department to change its numbering because there was already another 1st Arkansas under Col. James Fagan; apparently the War Department didn't realize that Johnson's 15th Arkansas existed and gave Cleburne's unit that number. And finally, Dandridge McRea's Northwest Arkansas Regiment was first renumbered to the 22nd then the 15th, once again because no one realized there were already two 15th Arkansas.
Trust me, this is the tip of the iceberg; every Arkansas regiment numbered above 22nd had to renumber at least once.

It was actually McRae's that fought at Port Gibson, not Johnson's. (LOL you can see the numbering system is still messing us up today!)

 

[Luke Freet]

It was actually McRae's that fought at Port Gibson, not Johnson's. (LOL you can see the numbering system is still messing us up today!)

No, I mean Port Hudson, not Gibson. McRae's unit was at Gibson, but I meant to say Port Hudson, Johnson's 15th did distinguished fighting at Port Hudson holding Fort Desperate.