The calling out of militia for Gettysburg Campaign.

I cannot think of a single sustained conflict in history where a militia defeated a regular force unaided. Washington won with the men he turned into regulars at Valley Forge and the French. The Viet Cong won because they were regulars fighting a guerilla war. Tito won in Yugoslavia because he had outside support.
never expose this kind of valutation in this lovely but controversial matter :D
check Garibaldi's expedition in the italian dirty south, he recruited volunteers home by home on the route of his campaign, conquering about the half of this country without the intervention of the regulars troops from the kingdom of Piedmont (Savoy house).
About Tito's jugoslavian forces, they already were authentic warriors (in formations like Chetnicks, Ustasha, ..) before the war started, so a sort of veterans, sure!
 
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Let's assume for a moment you had 10k militia ready and available in Gettysburg on July 1st. Post them AMONG (not as a unified command NEXT to) Buford and Reynolds men, might that give you enough of additional firepower to modestly improve the outcome for the Union? Heck, can't you just have them hold cavalry horses and free up 1/3 additional cavalrymen? Alternatively, on day 2 if you posted them on Cemetery or Culp's Hill, the most fortified and entrenched positions, among veteran troops, doesn't that also help? I'm sure Greene could have used 1,000 green rifles. Can't you just have them guard wagon trains or escort prisoners or do other duties which might free up more troops?

My point is, if you put 10k of troops in line against 5k of Lee's regulars, they're worthless. But aren't their creative ways to use them that could actually make an impact to the battle?
 
The problem with interspersing militia on the line is that the soldiers don't trust the militia.

Have militia hold the horses on July 1 and Buford's men now wonder if the militia will run off with their horses.

Maybe as an emergency reserve at Culp's Hill.
 
Just as an aside: If you served in a state militia, did that exempt you from the Federal draft? And if so, did you have a lot of guys not enamored w/ the cause signing up for militia service?

I am not sure and would need to read the rules of the draft. This was a fear in some areas as state militia officials were worried about the loyalties of these armed militias. Once all the loyal militia had went off to war a state could well have resulted with less loyal militia still at home. Both the Union and the Confedercy did disarmed and ban some militias suspected of being disloyal.
 
Let's assume for a moment you had 10k militia ready and available in Gettysburg on July 1st. Post them AMONG (not as a unified command NEXT to) Buford and Reynolds men, might that give you enough of additional firepower to modestly improve the outcome for the Union? Heck, can't you just have them hold cavalry horses and free up 1/3 additional cavalrymen? Alternatively, on day 2 if you posted them on Cemetery or Culp's Hill, the most fortified and entrenched positions, among veteran troops, doesn't that also help? I'm sure Greene could have used 1,000 green rifles. Can't you just have them guard wagon trains or escort prisoners or do other duties which might free up more troops?

My point is, if you put 10k of troops in line against 5k of Lee's regulars, they're worthless. But aren't their creative ways to use them that could actually make an impact to the battle?

Certainly. Guard wagon trains, litter bearers, ammunition bearers, water bearers, and maybe even show of force but not intermingled among the regulars or volunteer infantry. If the militia panics and flee, they could leave gaps in the line or cause widespread panic.

Revolutionary War American General Daniel Morgan factored in the unreliability of the militia to win his battle against Banastre Tarleton and his feared British Legion (American Torys) and some British units. He'd knew they'd run and told them, "Just two volleys and you can go home." Then he placed his forces with their backs to the river so they'd have no choice but to stay and fight. His most reliable force, discharged veterans of the Continental Line, were in his third rank and he calculated that when the militia fled, they'd rally to the (which they did). Cowpens was the most brilliant tactical victory for American Arms during that first civil war.
 
I am not sure and would need to read the rules of the draft. This was a fear in some areas as state militia officials were worried about the loyalties of these armed militias. Once all the loyal militia had went off to war a state could well have resulted with less loyal militia still at home. Both the Union and the Confedercy did disarmed and ban some militias suspected of being disloyal.
Missouri comes to mind with the Missouri State Guard (pro-Confederate) and the Missouri Militia.
 
Part of this is also dependent on how good the militia companies were. They probably went from so so to very poor, perhaps some were even fairly good. Some of these militia regiments had seen 90 days active service one or two times. Some militia companies trained once a month, some one a week. Some militia companies had a fair amount of veterans others were not much more than inexperienced youths.
 
Part of this is also dependent on how good the militia companies were. They probably went from so so to very poor, perhaps some were even fairly good. Some of these militia regiments had seen 90 days active service one or two times. Some militia companies trained once a month, some one a week. Some militia companies had a fair amount of veterans others were not much more than inexperienced youths.

So after Sumter, Lincoln called up 90 day volunteers. Was this predominantly calling up the militias?

Were militias ever converted into regular 2 or 3 year volunteer units wholesale, or if you wanted to serve in the Federal army, did you have to resign from the militia and re-enlist?
 
So after Sumter, Lincoln called up 90 day volunteers. Was this predominantly calling up the militias?

Were militias ever converted into regular 2 or 3 year volunteer units wholesale, or if you wanted to serve in the Federal army, did you have to resign from the militia and re-enlist?

Companies had to "muster" into the Federal service. Usually passing a physical, meeting other standards, and taking an oath. So one did leave the state militia and join the federal forces.

When Lincoln asked the states for men, the states responded in different ways. Some states had entire militia regiments and thus called up or accept the entire militia regiment. Many states had skeleton militia regiments, meaning they had four or five militia companies assigned to a regiment and planned to add another five to six newly formed companies to fill out the regiment.

Early in the war it appears many states allowed ten volunteer militia companies to voluntarily join a regiment being formed. In many cases a 50 man militia company would need to get another 50 new recruits to join to raise the number of men to 100 man war strength.
 
The problem with interspersing militia on the line is that the soldiers don't trust the militia.
But integration units of very different quality can work.
This is how Wellington did it in Spain. Mixing Portuguese and English units in the same brigade.
(In 1815 it was at the corp level the integration happened... but that was because he never had the needed time to do it at a lower level.)
And in this case you have the added problem of different language and culture.

But it would have required time... that Made did not have.
 
Sears suggests that unlike the previous year (Lee's Maryland Campaign that culminates in Antietam) when Governor Curtin called out the Pennsylvania militia in 1863 the response was patchy at best and that he had to call upon the New York State militia to assist him (which they do).
 
But integration units of very different quality can work.
This is how Wellington did it in Spain. Mixing Portuguese and English units in the same brigade.
(In 1815 it was at the corp level the integration happened... but that was because he never had the needed time to do it at a lower level.)
And in this case you have the added problem of different language and culture.

But it would have required time... that Made did not have.
In Missouri , Militia units were integrated with regular Union soldiers for counterinsurgency duties.
Leftyhunter
 
never expose this kind of valutation in this lovely but controversial matter :D
check Garibaldi's expedition in the italian dirty south, he recruited volunteers home by home on the route of his campaign, conquering about the half of this country without the intervention of the regulars troops from the kingdom of Piedmont (Savoy house).
About Tito's jugoslavian forces, they already were authentic warriors (in formations like Chetnicks, Ustasha, ..) before the war started, so a sort of veterans, sure!
I couldn't find @Mark Roth post. Tito did not liberate Yugoslavia all by himself the Soviet Army played a major role. The Vietnam War is very complex and I have a thread in the moderated forum comparing it to the ACW.
Saying the Viet Cong won that conflict is a bit of an over simplification.
Leftyhunter
 
never expose this kind of valutation in this lovely but controversial matter :D
check Garibaldi's expedition in the italian dirty south, he recruited volunteers home by home on the route of his campaign, conquering about the half of this country without the intervention of the regulars troops from the kingdom of Piedmont (Savoy house).
About Tito's jugoslavian forces, they already were authentic warriors (in formations like Chetnicks, Ustasha, ..) before the war started, so a sort of veterans, sure!
Not aware of Chemicals and Ustasha in Tito's forces.
Leftyhunter
 
From the research I have done ( I am not an historian and most of this research was to understand what ancestors had done) there were only 19,000 men in the militia in 1860. I have not found any good information on how many of them had guns and uniforms but have seen many sources that stated many units did not. In the first call for men in 1861 PA sent 29 regiments (3 months) and had another 15 that were held in reserve. Those units have two different designations, 30th to 44th regiment or 1st to 15th reserve. Many of them were mustered in after the 3 month units mustered out. Makes it fun doing research on them until you figure that out.
It looks like in June 1863 there were 8 regiments raised in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. I have also seen sources that show some NY regiments were sent to Chambersburg but were compelled to fall back to Carlisle upon the advance of Rodes division. Looks like the regiments in Gettysburg kept falling back through Hanover, York and stopped at Columbia where they finally torched the bridge (BTW the pillars for that bridge still stand in the river today). So short answer is not much but they did stop them from crossing the river.
 
New Jersey raised ten infantry companies and on light artillery company and they were rushed to Harrisburg. These were called up for 30 days. Two other New Jersey regiments that had called up for nine months volunteered to extend their service for the invasion. They were rushed to Harrisburg and dug trenches, but had returned to New Jersey and had been discharged before the actual Battle of Gettysburg.

Pennsylvania supplied 8 militia regiments during the invasion. Additional Pennsylvania militia regiments formed after the Battle of Gettysburg by the end of July 1863. New York added 14,000 men in 26 militia regiments.

So in the end around 35 militia regiments were called out for the Gettysburg campaign. They were not a real game changer, but the New York and New Jersey militia regiments did provide some protection for the capital of Pennsylvania.
 
There's a wonderful memoir by John Lockwood called "Our Campaign Around Gettysburg" that's about the militia around Harrisburg, and marching around western Maryland after the battle. Lot of digging, lot of marching. Great story about men who were in the midst of a titanic battle, but nowhere near the middle of it. I think you can get it free at Gutenberg.
 
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