State Guards vs. State Troops vs State Line

[Northstep]

Trying to sort out the different descriptions. My ancestor served in Co. C 2nd Regt., GA State Line. I understand how Gov. John Brown, legally, was able to organize the 1st and 2nd State Line.

At nps.gov they list "2nd Regt GA State Line. Special Function: State (State Guard, State Line, State Troops, etc.)(Non Militia)"
This makes me think they are all the same thing.
https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search...State+Line,+State+Troops,+etc)+(Non+Militia)"

I understand the "Non Militia" meaning but what was the difference in a State Guard, State Line and State Troops?

 

[Desert Kid]

Trying to sort out the different descriptions. My ancestor served in Co. C 2nd Regt., GA State Line. I understand how Gov. John Brown, legally, was able to organize the 1st and 2nd State Line.

At nps.gov they list "2nd Regt GA State Line. Special Function: State (State Guard, State Line, State Troops, etc.)(Non Militia)"
This makes me think they are all the same thing.
https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units.htm#fq[]=State:"Georgia"&fq[]=Battle_Unit_Special_Function:"State+(State+Guard,+State+Line,+State+Troops,+etc)+(Non+Militia)"

I understand the "Non Militia" meaning but what was the difference in a State Guard, State Line and State Troops?

State Guard was basically the equivalent to today's National Guard. In Georgia for instance almost all fighting age men became Confederate regular army and left the state guard as an emergency reserve made up of young boys and old men.

State Troops (at least in places like Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas) were emergency reserve that were made up of guys who had deferments from frontline duty or were young boys and old men who were called up as an emergency force. Like the Mississippi State Troops during the seige of Vicksburg and Jackson. The Texas State Troops were just lightly armed militias who kept the Indians out and were oftentimes called up to assist the pro-Confederate tribes in Oklahoma.

The Home Guards were the same thing as the above and were technically a civil extension of the regular army but just maintained civil order and requisitioned goods for frontline troops from Confederate citizens through rationing.

 

[Northstep]

Great answer. Now I understand. Thank you!

 

[jepridgen]

Georgia is particularly fun. At different times they had the State Line, the Reserves, and of course, the militia. I think the Reserves came after the State Guard with the militia reconstituted somewhere in there. All were replacements more or less for the original pre-war militia that mostly became volunteers. Ole Joe Brown tried as much as possible to have his own, private army.

 

[Desert Kid]

Georgia is particularly fun. At different times they had the State Line, the Reserves, and of course, the militia. I think the Reserves came after the State Guard with the militia reconstituted somewhere in there. All were replacements more or less for the original pre-war militia that mostly became volunteers. Ole Joe Brown tried as much as possible to have his own, private army.

So the State Line was more of a private force?

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Great answer. Now I understand. Thank you!

@Desert Kid provided a great explanation.

I think that was basically the same organizational plan for many states.
In Mississippi we had State Troops along with local Home Guards.

I'm not familiar with what Georgia "Line Troops" were.

But speaking only for my state, The Mississippi State Troops were a valuable resource.

Normally older, but far from anything close to being invalids.
Those men were still capable of "putting-up" a serious fight.
They were usually the forty-something Fathers of their sons far away from home in the regular CSA regiments.

The Home Guards were a different story.
That's usually where one finds a 75 year old man with his duck hunting shotgun, and a 14 year old boy with a squirrel rifle.

 

[Pollaco]

My ggg grandfather was in the 5th Texas State troops. I would say it was made up of "older men", I think He was 45 when he enlisted.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

I forgot to add, many States still maintain "State Guards" to back up their National Guard.

We have a State Guard in our Military Department :

MSSTATEGUARD.ORG

Want to continue your military service, or serve in the Guard? Check out the Mississippi State Guard.

msstateguard.org

The best is probably the Texas State Guard:

Texas State Guard - Texas Military Department

The mission of the Texas State Guard (TXSG) is to provide mission-ready military forces to assist state and local authorities in times of state emergencies.

tmd.texas.gov

 

[jepridgen]

So the State Line was more of a private force.

It was really just a militia by another name made up of "exempt" Georgians. Brown kinda viewed them as his state army. As you may know, he was a very ardent states right guy. I haven't read on that particular group recently, but I believe they were eventually disbanded or absorbed into the official state militia. They definitely didn't stay organized for the duration. They were used to guard bridges and such along the railroad lines well before an Federal forces threatened non-coastal areas.

 

[19thGeorgia]

Georgia had about 30 regiments and battalions of "State Guards" (organized by the state) that did six months CSA service in late 1863/early 1864.

 

[Northstep]

I found the great book by William Harris Bragg (1987). "Joe Brown's Army: The Georgia State Line, 1862-1865." Mercer University Press, Macon, GA. Google books offers only limited reading, so I ordered the book and am waiting for it to arrive.
The following, my notes, goes along with what @jepridgen and @19thGeorgia have said.

Legislation authorized the GA governor Joe [edited to correct name] Brown "to organize two Regiments of State troops to be employed in the military service of the State for the protection of her people against invading forces of the enemy, and for internal police duty." Resolutions restricted the companies' strength to 100 men rank and file. Of the twenty companies, two would be the Bridge Guard companies, mustered in as already organized, with the officers remaining in place. The governor could post on the State Road that number of companies he thought necessary with the others used as he deemed advisable.
The GA Line would be governed by the Articles of War, Confederate military laws and military regulations. Therefore, it was an entirely different organization than the GA Militia which operated under the Constitution of GA. The GA Line volunteers received the same pay and allowances as their counterparts in Confederate service.
The ten companies raised nearest the state's northern border would form the first regiment and the ten closest to the southern border formed the second regiment. All officers and volunteers would serve for at least the duration of the war. The troops became known as the GA State Line Regiments.
With the passage of the legislation, the governor began receiving request from men who desired to fill important positions. Two of those were quartermaster and commissary posts. With so many request for so few positions, the governor needed a way to expand his powers of appointment. He found it in a obscure act of 1818 which allowed him to "obtain" men already in confederate service and appoint them to assistant quartermaster and commissary positions. In one case, the governor made his request to a General that he release a Sergt. Major to the service of GA and another was made directly to the Secretary of War for another officer's transfer.

"A good many of these men had already seen either state or Confederate service….. Many, according to General Wayne, had fought during the war's first year in the Confederate armies in VA and TN; several bore 'the scars of honorable wounds received in battle in those states'." The most prominent of these Confederate veterans was [my ancestor], who raised a company for the Second Regiment. Formerly a private in the famed 18th Georgia Regiment of Hood's Texas Brigade, he had heroically captured a stand of colors at Second Manassas, for which act the 1862 Georgia legislature directed that he be presented with a medal for valor." As a result of this action, my ancestor had one arm amputated.
Many other volunteers had been exempt from service but still desired to serve the Confederacy. Other volunteers in the GA Line were refugees residing in GA from as far away as Louisiana and Arkansas. Those who had managed to skirt the conscription act jumped at the change to join, so it is fair to say the GA Line was not made up entirely of only the best-of-the-best."

The 2nd GA State Line mustered into service 14 Feb 1863. The last muster roll I located for Co. C was for 1 Dec to 30 Jan 1864 but I have yet to find documentation as to the date they disbanded. I hope Bragg's book will include this information.

 

[Desert Kid]

I'm finding it kinda funny that Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown has now been accidentally referred to as John Brown and James Brown in this thread.

 

[jepridgen]

@Northstep, thanks for filling in the details. I never made it to my bookshelf to add to the thread. I've been meaning to get Bragg's book (I have the one on the state militia), but I haven't got around to buying it yet. Let me know if it's a good read. I thought the state line was shorter lived than that.

 

[jepridgen]

I'm finding it kinda funny that Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown has now been accidentally referred to as John Brown and James Brown in this thread.

Yes, Governor James Brown….the great-great grandfather of soul.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

Yes, Governor James Brown….the great-great grandfather of soul.

 

[7th Mississippi Infantry]

My ggg grandfather was in the 5th Texas State troops. I would say it was made up of "older men", I think He was 45 when he enlisted.

At the "old age" of 42, My GG Grandfather was in the 2nd Mississippi State troops.

GG Grandad's regiment of "40 somethings" were ordered to Vicksburg at the first threats during late 1862.
However, after Sherman was defeated at Chickasaw Bayou , they were basically sent home until needed again.

If my GG Grandfather's Regiment had not been "deactivated", I might not be here today.

One thing I learned about these State Troop Regiments ... most were well disciplined and effective.
But a few regiments not so much. ( letters home from the undisciplined State Troops are actually quite funny.
Seems they all bitc**d and moaned about the most trivial things).

A few State Troop Regiments were good enough to be retained and placed in the siege lines during Grant's "real"
Vicksburg Campaign a few months later.

After Vicksburg, many of the Mississippi State Troops seemed to reorganize into new cavalry units and spent the remainder
of the War in that capacity. A few were incorporated into Bedford Forrest's overall command.

I guess my point is not to automatically dismiss State Troops

.... or men in their 40's .

 

[Pollaco]

My ggg grandfather was in the 5th Texas State troops. I would say it was made up of "older men", I think He was 45 when he enlisted.

Oh I forgot to add, him and grandma already had 4 of their 8 children.

 

[Desert Kid]

At the "old age" of 42, My GG Grandfather was in the 2nd Mississippi State troops.

GG Grandad's regiment of "40 somethings" were ordered to Vicksburg at the first threats during late 1862.
However, after Sherman was defeated at Chickasaw Bayou , they were basically sent home until needed again.

If my GG Grandfather's Regiment had not been "deactivated", I might not be here today.

One thing I learned about these State Troop Regiments ... most were well disciplined and effective.
But a few regiments not so much. ( letters home from the undisciplined State Troops are actually quite funny.
Seems they all bitc**d and moaned about the most trivial things).

A few State Troop Regiments were good enough to be retained and placed in the siege lines during Grant's "real"
Vicksburg Campaign a few months later.

After Vicksburg, many of the Mississippi State Troops seemed to reorganize into new cavalry units and spent the remainder
of the War in that capacity. A few were incorporated into Bedford Forrest's overall command.

I guess my point is not to automatically dismiss State Troops

.... or men in their 40's .

Never EVER discount "old man strength".

 

[Northstep]

I'm finding it kinda funny that Georgia Governor Joseph E. Brown has now been accidentally referred to as John Brown and James Brown in this thread.

Okay, okay, I did manage to mangle the good name of Governor Brown. Silly me. Thank you for catching my mistake! Soul Man..... now that's funny.

 

[Northstep]

@jepridgen I will let you know about the book! Since you are familiar with Governor "I Feel Good" Brown, do you have any idea why he would discharge a GA State Line soldier from service? My ancestor, the Capt. of his company in the State Line, recruited his youngest brother and his name appears on the initial muster roll and for the next 3 months. On the next roll is written, "Discharged by the Governor."
This brother was only 16 years old and I cannot image why he was discharged unless it was for a disability of some sort. I can find nothing showing he enlisted in any other regiment. Perhaps the records did not survive. There were two more brothers who served - one was a 1st Sgt in the 60th GA Regt Inf and the other in the 1st GA Regt Cavalry who died a POW at Rock Island in 1864. So, this was not a family who tried to avoid service.