I get the 21st and 22nd Confused constantly (I believe one of them was often numberred as the other). Yeah must have been the 21st.
Like you and most everyone else, I have found these 2 units very confusing.
You might be pleased, or even further confused, but I am including my attempt to trace I W Patton.
Tracing Major/Col I W Patton
23
rd afterward-22nd La-composed chiefly of Arty…
# of Regt probably changed to 22nd….in 1863
Originally organized Jan 62-reorganized May 2[5]? 1862
Theard-Col
W S Lovell-Lt Col
I W Patton-Major-did not…accept
4/17 Capt Patton, 23
rd La, apptd Maj of 23
rd La to rank 3/9—declined
May 62-Purves [Sr Capt at the time] says Regt very much broken up as New Orleans was falling & only 5 Co's were united at Camp Moore & Lt Col Higgins was a prisoner. An election was determined upon at Camp Moore over my objections since only 5 Co's present. The order for election was issued in Gen Lovell's absence & without his knowledge. Patton elected Col-Plattsmeier to Lt Col & Robertson as Major. On Lovell's return, he quashed the entire proceedings. When Higgins was exchanged, he was apptd Col of 22nd La to date from 4/11 which was the date of Smith's promotion to general. I rec'd my apptmt as Major to rank from that date. Ivy was afterwards apptd Lt Col of Arty. Upon some representations made to the War Dept, this arrangement as it pertains to Higgins & I was changed & an order has made Col Patton, Lt Col Plattsmeir & Major Robertson as field officers.
I represent to the War Dept that the Camp Moore election was illegal [& gives the reasons] & ask to be restored as Major.
The Regt has always been known as the 22nd but Higgins, Ivy & I were commissioned as of the 21st-some mistake having occurred in numbering when the Regt was first formed.
Signed Purves, Major 21st La
Capt Jones to Maj Palfrey AG-Richmond-last Feb [1862], Lovell caused unattached Co's to be organized into a Regt to be known as 23
rd La-apptd at that time were Theard Col, Lovell-Lt Col, I W Patton-Major. The latter did not accept. Some of the Co's were mustered in for the war & some for 12 mos. My Co was org for the war & I was Sr Capt & stationed at Ft Jackson. Only 3 Co's of the Regt reported to Gen Lovell at Camp Moore.
5/12/62 Patton apptd Maj & QM 7/16 to report to M L Smith- Rank to date from 5/12
5/18-7/27 Patton mentioned by Gen M L Smith as his Bgde QM
8/22 Patton signs as Maj & QM of 3
rd Bgde
8/25/62 Jackson, Gen Lovell to Van Dorn-while in command of Dept #1, I ordered Col Theard 23
rd La to move his men from Ft Livingston to Vicksburg simultaneous with evacuation of New Orleans. Haven't heard from him or his command since, but have a report from him stating he tried to bring his men to me but they dispersed over New Orleans where he followed them & has remained there since. He concludes his report with his resignation which I think should be accepted & advance the remaining field officers 1 rank:
Lt Col Lovell to Col
Maj Patton to Lt Col
The Co officers who returned & remain in New Orleans to be named deserters.
10/14/62 Holly Springs, Army of the West-Van Dorn approves the recommendation
10/6/62 Higgins applies to Gen Ruggles for the 22
nd La [
afterward becomes 21st La Patton] to be put under his immediate command. By order of S O #59, I am ordered to take charge of reorganizing my Regt & reassemble all the officers & men
11/1/62 Richmond-J W Patton states that per orders from Hqs 5 Co's of 22
nd La then at Camp Moore reorganized by electing me as Col. Gen Lovell pronounced this election void due to lack of sufficient Co's present for the election.
11/1/62 Patton signs as Maj & QM of [
Smith's]3
rd Bgde & applies to be Col of Arty
11/1/62 Richmond, in 1861 a number of independent Co's were called into service for 12 months by the Governor to defend La & manned the posts & Btrys thereof. Before the expiration of their service, the Sec of War ordered them consolidated into Regts & field officers appointed by the Sec on Lovell's recommendation-these Co's composed the 22
nd [now the 21
st] & the 23
rd Regts of La Vols, though the Co's never came together as Regts.
After the evacuation of N O, 5 Co's of the 22
nd arrived at Camp Moore & acting on Dept orders went into reorganization & elected their Co officers, who in turn elected field officers & I
[Higgins] was chosen as Col of the Regt but Lovell pronounced this election illegal. At that time, Maj E A Palfrey was Lovell's Adjt & is no doubt well aware of the details. I request the decision of the Sec.
Three of the missing Co's were captured at Fort Jackson & none of the men & but 3 officers reported at Vicksburg up to 10/24. The other Co's dispersed in N O & none have reported but 8-10 men & 2 of the officers.
11/7/62 Richmond, Paul Theard, Col 23
rd La to Sec of War-You now have Pemberton's communication recommending disbanding the 23
rd La distributing rank & file among the other La Regts. I would like to add the following:
The Regt has always been known & designated as the 23
rd although the War Dept shows it as the 22
nd. I do not know what caused this error.
It was formed of 10 Co's mustered separately for different service; 4 were originally Infy.
Their terms of service also were different
They were consolidated into 1 Regt of Hvy Arty I stationed at various points at the evacuation of N O.
A-B-C & D preferred to march out of the state & I was unable to prevent their disbursement
I was captured at Fort Jackson
G & H revolted in Bayou Lafourche-Lt Marks with 5 or 6 men made it to Camp Moore.
E-H & K much reduced by desertion reached Vicksburg.
These 3 were formed into a dtchmt & attchd to the 1
st La Arty where they are yet & have done noble service.
Lt Col Lovell has always been on dtchd service generally in the ord. Dept
Maj I Patton has been in the QM service
11/25/62 Vicksburg, Hqs 22
nd La Regt-Higgins to Gen Cooper-protesting against Maj Patton's claim to be Col, & to the Sec of War's agreement with Patton. Gives several reasons why, including-
The order for the election was issued in the absence of Gen Lovell & without his knowledge or consent & that the pretend election was annulled by Lovell on his return
5 Co's do not have the right to elect a Col & Lt Col
11/26/62 Patton applied to Gen M L Smith to be placed in command of the 21
st La of which he had been elected Col & now claimed by Col Higgins-Patton signs as Maj AQM
11/28/62 protest against the election of Maj J W Patton
12/9/62 Maj Patton to Sec of War stating that on 11/26 he had applied to Gen Smith to be Col of 21st La-to the Colonelcy he has been elected & now claimed by Col Higgins cdg the Regt.-Patton signs as Maj AQM, 3
rd Bgde
12/13 Gen Pemberton determined that [when exchanged from prison] Col Higgins had superior claims to be Col of the Regt & referred the matter to Seddon, who decided he had no grounds to reverse the decision of Sec of War. [See 11/8]
12/14/62 Fort Hill- S Jones to Maj Palfrey, AG Richmond-last Feb, Lovell caused unattached Co's to be organized into a Regt to be known as 23
rd La-apptd at that time were Theard Col, Lovell-Lt Col, I W Patton-Major. The latter did not accept. Some of the Co's were mustered in for the war & some for 12 mos. My Co was org for the war & I was Sr Capt & stationed at Ft Jackson. Only 3 Co's of the Regt reported to Gen Lovell at Camp Moore.
In May, & in the absence of Lovell, Col Fuller ordered an election of field officers of the 23
rd La Regt. Only 3 Co's & 9 officers represented the Regt & some of the officers refused to vote with less than the full Regt. Elected were:
Herrick-Col
Tissot-Lt Col
No Major
On Gen Lovell's return he ordered the election annulled on grounds that a majority of Co's were not represented. Capt Tissot subsequently resigned from the service. I was not present at the election, being a prisoner on parole.
The decision of the Sec of War under date of 12
th ult in the case of Col I W Patton confirming his election to the command of the 22
nd La Regt did not make a precedent in the case of the 23
rd as in the 22
nd. I understand a majority of the Co's were represented but not so in the case of the 23
rd. I protest the election being in violation of my rights as Sr Capt. I understand Col Theard has been dropped from the service for cause & that Lt Col Lovell has resigned to take another appointment, thus leaving the Regt with no field officers.
I am now in command of it & in command of a Btry of Hvy Arty in the defense of Vicksburg. By a recent exchange of prisoners from New Orleans, parts of 7 Co's including 11 officers & 66 enlisted have been added to it, & all the men combined into 3 Co's for the sake of efficiency.
Therefore, I request to be commissioned as Col of the Regt to rank from the date of Lt Col Lovell's resignation. I ask for an order on the conscript camps for 950 men to fill up the ranks of the different Co's
12/27/62 Patton signs as Maj & QM of 3
rd Bgde
12/29/62 Gen Cooper to Pemberton-In reply to a communication from Maj Patton relative to his election to Col of the 21st La [now commanded by Col Higgins] I am directed by the Sec of War to say that he can see no sufficient grounds to rescind the decision of the late Sec of War which sanctioned the validity of the election as it appeared to him that the Regt had not been disbanded, & that all were present who could be assembled, including a majority of the officers.
1/30/63 Pemberton telegraphs War Dept-It is a matter of great importance that Col Higgins 22
nd La, be retained in command of the Hvy Arty at Snyder's Mills-by electing, he has been superseded-should have commission of Col
2/1/63 Snyder's Hill, Col Higgins late Col cdg 22
nd La Regt to President-appealing a decision by Sec of War regarding an election in his late Regt by which he & other officers were deprived of their positions. Alleges that Lovell & Pemberton hold the election to have been illegal-that is the pretended election of Col Patton 22
nd La-my Regt. Enclosed is my protest to the Sec of War in Nov last, to he has not had the courtesy to respond.
In addition to the other reasons for it to be invalid, it was ordered held not by the Maj Gen cdg but by his AAG in violation of the regulations
2/2 Pemberton to AG-Higgins' commission to enable him to command should go back to date of original commission dtd 4/11/62.
2/3/63 AG Cooper to Pemberton-Higgins apptd Col of Arty to rank from 4/7/62
2/3/63 Cooper to Pemberton-Col Higgins apptd Col of Arty to rank from 4/11 last-Commission to be sent upon senate confirmation
2/5/63 Patton reference as Maj & QM
2/13/63 Vicksburg-Purves to Sec of War--In May 62-Purves [Sr Capt at the time] says Regt very much broken up as New Orleans was falling & only 5 Co's were united at Camp Moore & Lt Col Higgins was a prisoner. An election was determined upon at Camp Moore over my objections since only 5 Co's present. The order for election was issued in Gen Lovell's absence & without his knowledge. Patton elected Col-Plattsmeier to Lt Col & Robertson as Major. On Lovell's return, he quashed the entire proceedings. When Higgins was exchanged, he was apptd Col of 22
nd La to date from 4/11 which was the date of Smith's promotion to Gen. I rec'd my apptmt as Major to rank from that date. Ivy was afterwards apptd Lt Col of Arty. Upon some representations made to the War Dept, this arrangement as it pertains to Higgins & I was changed & an order has made Col Patton, Lt Col Plattsmeier & Major Robertson as field officers.
I represent to the War Dept that the Camp Moore election was illegal [& gives the reasons] & ask to be restored as Major.
The Regt has always been known as the 22nd but Higgins, Ivy & I were commissioned as of the 21st-some mistake having occurred in numbering when the Regt was first formed.
Signed Purves, Major 21st La
3/1/63 Col Patton, 21
st La signs for spurs at Vicksburg
4/1/63 Col Patton, 21
st La, signs for forage at Snyder's Mills
4/4/63 Patton rec'd appointment [election] as Col of the Regt to date from 5/12/62
4/4 appointed Col 22
nd aka 21st La to rank from
5/15/62-no record found of when he actually entered on duty
5/19-7/4/63 Col Patton was wounded at the siege of Vicksburg while in command of his Regt in Hebert's Bgde.
8/15/63 Patton applies for his Regt to be transferred west of the Ms River, & that he will be ready for duty when he is exchanged in about 2 weeks.
8/31 Col Patton ordered to report to K Smith for assignment to duty when exchanged
9/26/63 Col Patton signs for saddle at Mobile
10/26/63 Shreveport, Gen Allen recommends his friend Col Patton of the 22
nd La for promotion who is bearing this letter to Richmond. He has supported Gen Smith at this place, but finding nothing to do here…back to Mobile. I know of no man in the army more deserving or qualified to command a Bgde.
8/19/64 Lt Col Pemberton recommends Patton for Brig Gen