Borderruffian
Captain
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2007
- Location
- Marshfield Missouri
Before the war, James Wiswell lived in Rutland County, Vermont with his parents, James and Catherine, and his three young sisters.1 James was a day laborer and only seventeen years old when he joined the military. He enlisted in Company C, 4th Regiment, US Cavalry. The 4th Regiment was on duty at Fort Washita, Wise, and Kearney, Kansas at the outbreak of the Civil War.2 The regiment then moved to Fort Leavenworth and stayed there between April 17 and May 31, 1861. Wiswell's company, under the command of General Nathan Lyon, participated in the Battles of Dug Springs and Wilson's Creek in August 1861.
Wiswell was one of thousands of young men throughout the North and South who enthusiastically joined the army. At the outbreak of the Civil War, there was a standing force of "regular" units in the United States Army. Each state was also given a quota of "volunteer regiments" to be raised for service lasting from three months to three years. These state militias were called into service, but they needed to be Federalized in order to receive pay from the United States government and serve outside of state borders.3 By 1863, many of the state regiments in both armies had served since 1861 and still composed of mostly volunteer soldiers. A regiment's flag contained the regiment's number and state affiliation, usually followed by "VOLUNTEER INFANTRY". Wiswell noted the distinction between volunteer and regular soldiers stating, "There is a great difference between Volunteers and regulars about coolness in Battle the Volunteers go in on a run yelling like indians the regulars take it as cool as they would if they was going to supper, talking and wondering whether they will get coffee at night or not.".4
http://www.ozarkscivilwar.org/archives/2101
The Letter:
http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/mack&CISOPTR=5226&REC=1
Wiswell was one of thousands of young men throughout the North and South who enthusiastically joined the army. At the outbreak of the Civil War, there was a standing force of "regular" units in the United States Army. Each state was also given a quota of "volunteer regiments" to be raised for service lasting from three months to three years. These state militias were called into service, but they needed to be Federalized in order to receive pay from the United States government and serve outside of state borders.3 By 1863, many of the state regiments in both armies had served since 1861 and still composed of mostly volunteer soldiers. A regiment's flag contained the regiment's number and state affiliation, usually followed by "VOLUNTEER INFANTRY". Wiswell noted the distinction between volunteer and regular soldiers stating, "There is a great difference between Volunteers and regulars about coolness in Battle the Volunteers go in on a run yelling like indians the regulars take it as cool as they would if they was going to supper, talking and wondering whether they will get coffee at night or not.".4
http://www.ozarkscivilwar.org/archives/2101
The Letter:
http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/mack&CISOPTR=5226&REC=1
Bringing the