Infamous outrage against would be engineers?

[major bill]

Why Chadwick's Corps of Engineers never left Michigan. At this point of the War Michigan was intending to add a company of engineers to each regiment.

 

[A. Roy]

Why Chadwick's Corps of Engineers never left Michigan. At this point of the War Michigan was intending to add a company of engineers to each regiment.

I believe I've read that engineers could get better promotions and pay if they were recognized as engineers, rather than regular infantry. Maybe that's why this was such an affront...

Roy B.

 

[major bill]

I believe an engineer private made more money than a infantry private.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

That does seem outrageous though. The men thought they'd signed up for vital job. I mean, without the engineers the war would have ground to halt or at least devolved into muddle and confusion. Think about it. How far up or down river would armies have to march before before finding place to ford it? What bridges wouldn't have been there without them? Lee's engineers glued together THAT bridge after Gettysburg- give a LOT to see that!

Anyone know why Washington wouldn't acknowledge the regiment as engineers?

 

[John Hartwell]

Anyone know why Washington wouldn't acknowledge the regiment as engineers?

It was only one company in the regiment, and out of line with Regulations. In the whole army, this might have been the only regiment organized that way, and the administrative confusion would have been a minor nightmare.

It might have been a workable system had all infantry regiments been organized that way. The Engineer Companies of each regiment might be detached to serve together as ad hoc Engineer regiments.

It was unfair to the recruits, for sure. But the fault was with the Michigan authorities, for failing to clear the idea with the War Department in advance.

 

[John Hartwell]

Seeing how the company was touted in the Kalamazoo Gazette (Nov. 11, 1861), the re-assignment as infantry must also have seemed personally humiliating to the men, as well as lower-paying.

 

[Belfoured]

I believe an engineer private made more money than a infantry private.

My ancestor was in the US Engineer Battalion and I believe he got the same pay as an infantry private.

 

[major bill]

My ancestor was in the US Engineer Battalion and I believe he got the same pay as an infantry private.

I will have to research this a bit more.

 

[Belfoured]

I will have to research this a bit more.

FWIW, I'm working off a ledger in one of his diaries.

 

[Ray Ball]

I believe an engineer private made more money than a infantry private.

I had to edit my original response here. Privates were the same rate. Promotions change things though. Engineers were often promoted to the rank of artificer which is much like a modern PFC. It included a pay rate increase as well.

 

[A. Roy]

I had to edit my original response here. Privates were the same rate. Promotions change things though. Engineers were often promoted to the rank of artificer which is much like a modern PFC. It included a pay rate increase as well.

Interesting -- where does this schedule come from?

Roy B.

 

[Ray Ball]

I believe that is from the 1861 Federal Regulations

 

[Ray Ball]

I will have to research this a bit more.

Bill, who was your relative? My son has many of the original roster names. I'd be happy ask him to look him up if you like.