Time between enlistment and mustering in

[JCM6395]

I have been researching my uncles regiment the 42nd Indiana. I've found that my uncles enlisted in mid-September of 1861 but weren't mustered into the regiment until October 30, 1861. What all went on in between those dates with them? Did they pack up things they wanted to take with them and say their goodbyes to family members? Curious thing is that one soldier in one of the companies of the regiment states that he was in camp waiting for his company to fill up to its quota of troops. So did the enlistees report earlier than the mustering in date and hang out?

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

Recruits travelled from their town (enlistment place) to camps of instruction, also known as Rendezvous camps. There they would be issued uniforms, arms (if they were lucky), drilled and instructed. Companies were not mustered in until there was a sufficient number of men (ideally 100 but rarely). Companies generally assembled at county seats or other large towns; regiments assembled at camps in major regional cities, such as Camp Allen at Fort Wayne and Camp Dick Thompson at Terre Haute. Fairgrounds were often turned into military camps. Most regiments spent time at Camp Morton in Indianapolis before being sent to the front.

Company K for example rendezvoused at Camp Vanderburg, where it was mustered into the service October 11, 1861. Company B was mustered in October 30th

Here's a link to Indiana camps:

http://visions.indstate.edu/civilwar/camps.html

Here's the 42nd Indiana website. It has a diaries/letters section:
http://www.42ndindiana.com/

 

[M E Wolf]

O.R.--SERIES III--VOLUME II [S# 123]
CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, REPORTS, AND RETURNS OF THE UNION AUTHORITIES FROM APRIL 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1862.(*)--#9
GENERAL ORDERS No. 75.
WAR DEPT., ADJT. GENERAL'S OFFICE,
Washington, July 8, 1862.
I. In organizing new regiments of volunteers the Governors of States are hereby authorized to appoint, in addition to the staff officers heretofore authorized, one second lieutenant for each company, who shall be mustered into the service at the commencement of the organization, who shall have authority to muster in recruits as they are enlisted. If any recruit shall be enlisted by such officer, who shall afterward, on medical inspection, prove to have been obviously unfit for the service at the time of his enlistment, all expenses caused thereby shall be paid by such officer, to be stopped against him from any payment that may be coming to him from the Government thereafter.

Any officer thus appointed and mustered shall only be entitled to be paid on the muster and pay roll of his company, and should he fail to secure an organized company within such reasonable time as the Governor may designate, his men may be transferred to some other company, his appointment be revoked, and be discharged without pay, unless the Governor shall think proper to give him a position in the consolidated company to which his men have been transferred.

Articles of enlistment, as in the Regular Army, will be made out in triplicate by such recruiting officers, one copy of which will be sent to the adjutant-general of the State, one to the adjutant of the regiment, and one will be kept by the recruiting officer.

Recruits will be sent to the regimental rendezvous at least as often as once a week, where they will be immediately examined by the surgeon of the regiment, and if found unfit for duty by reason of permanent disability will be discharged from the service forthwith by the surgeon, who will report such discharges to the adjutant-general of the State, and also to the adjutant of the regiment, noting particularly those cases where the disability was obvious at the time of enlistment.

The muster-in rolls of each company will be made out by the adjutant of the regiment from a list to be furnished by the adjutant-general of the State, together with the articles of enlistment furnished him by the recruiting officer, and will note upon it the names of all persons discharged by the surgeon for permanent disability, designating particularly those cases where the disability was apparent at the time of enlistment.

As soon as the organization of a regiment is completed it will be carefully inspected by the mustering officer for the State, who will see that at least the minimum number of each company is present. No absentees, except sick in hospital, will be counted. He will also compare the muster-in rolls, and if found correct will sign the roll, certifying to the muster of each man at the date of his enlistment.

Mustering officers will report promptly to the Adjutant-General of the Army the names of all recruiting lieutenants mustered into the service by them, under conditional letters of appointment, together with the regiments to which they belong.
II. Officers will be mustered into the service only on the authority of the Governor of the State to which their regiments belong.
III. Until regiments are organized and their muster-rolls completed they will be under the exclusive control of the Governors of the States, and all requisitions for quartermaster, medical, and ordnance stores, and contracts for subsistence, will, if approved by them, be allowed, and not otherwise.
IV. Where it is desired by the Governors of States, the U.S. officers of the Quartermaster, Medical, and Ordnance Departments may turn over stores to the State authorities, to be issued by them in accordance with the regulations, and accounted for to the proper bureau of the War Department.
V. Persons traveling under the order of the Governor of a State on business connected with the recruiting service will be allowed the actual cost of transportation, to be paid by the mustering and disbursing officer on presentation of the account, accompanied by proper vouchers and the order under which the journey was performed.
By order of the Secretary of War:
L. THOMAS,
Adjutant-General.
-----

 

[M E Wolf]

Document owned by M. E. Weyraugh, posted with permission.

 

[M E Wolf]

Document owned by M.E. Weyraugh, posted with permission.

 

[ErnieMac]

The various companies of the 5th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Reserve Corps (aka 34th Pennsylvania Infantry) were sworn into service between May 28 and June 12, 1861. The regiment, itself, was not complete organized until June 20. During the organizational period the several companies were encamped at Camp Curtain. Some of the companies had an informal correspondent reporting their activities to home newspapers for publication. A number of those reports are posted online and the ones from the beginning of May through early June can be considered typical of many regiments in their pre-muster days:
http://pareserves.com/?q=node/303

Captain Robert Sturrock of the Bradford Union Guards (later Company F) reported on the activities of the early days of the camp to the Bradford Reporter:
http://pareserves.com/?q=node/150

"The Camp, when full, is a place of considerable interest, and on a pleasant day the movements of sometimes five thousand men in all styles of dress and discipline combined with the glistening of acres of burnished muskets, and the inspiring colors of the hundreds of banners, and the presence of the ladies, make up an attractive scene, and the time passes pleasantly; but on a day like this, the boys have to fall back on the primitive amusements of a nap in the straw, a game of euchre, smoking, reading and meditation.
************
Cooking is done generally by two or three men from each company, who make it their business. Some have stoves inclosed in shanties, while others may be seen sitting in the rain around a wood fire, holding their meat to the coals on the point of the bayonet. The rations of fresh beef, bread, potatoes, rice, coffee, sugar, &C., are drawn every day, and are of good quality, and in quantity more than sufficient, enough being wasted to feed a small town.

The routine of Camp life is about as follows. At the revillie in the morning at 5 o'clock, every one is required to turn out to roll call, after which there is a drill till breakfast time, when they are dismissed till some appointed time – which time sometimes means the next morning, and the balance of the day is spent in killing time to the best advantage – some preferring to drill in squads, others comfortably disposed in the tents read the papers, or the Bible, while not a small number direct their energies to some means of eluding the guard and getting to town, in which they are often successful.

At 9 o'clock, tattoo is beat, and every one is supposed to put out his lights and be quiet; but it is often times the noisiest time of all – whole companies often joining in singing some familiar hymn, or roaring in laughter at some odd circumstance or remark. The reality of war does not seem to be realized, but all has the appearance of a protracted Fourth of July."
​

On June 10 "A Recruit"of the Scott Infantry (Company I) reported to the Huntington Globe:
http://pareserves.com/?q=node/206

"Some companies have been here in Camp, they tell me, six weeks and as yet are not sworn in. This evidently results only from the negligence of the company officers. Idle Rumor says, but you know it is poor authority, four or five companies are organizing, secretly, for the purpose of forcing their way out of Camp and compelling the proper authorities to either furnish or dismiss them."​

 

[leftyhunter]

I have been researching my uncles regiment the 42nd Indiana. I've found that my uncles enlisted in mid-September of 1861 but weren't mustered into the regiment until October 30, 1861. What all went on in between those dates with them? Did they pack up things they wanted to take with them and say their goodbyes to family members? Curious thing is that one soldier in one of the companies of the regiment states that he was in camp waiting for his company to fill up to its quota of troops. So did the enlistees report earlier than the mustering in date and hang out?

One of our poster had a link to a questionnaire sent by the State gov of Tn somewhere around the turn of the century to both Union and CSA vets from Tn about their wartime experiences. One Tn federal soldier said he enlisted was given three weeks training and was on the front line. I wish I knew the title to that thread I am sure the state historian of Tn would know. I doubt their is a single uniform answer to your question for enlisted men on either side it just depended on circumstances.
Leftyhunter

 

[major bill]

I have been researching my uncles regiment the 42nd Indiana. I've found that my uncles enlisted in mid-September of 1861 but weren't mustered into the regiment until October 30, 1861. What all went on in between those dates with them? Did they pack up things they wanted to take with them and say their goodbyes to family members? Curious thing is that one soldier in one of the companies of the regiment states that he was in camp waiting for his company to fill up to its quota of troops. So did the enlistees report earlier than the mustering in date and hang out?

Basic yes. In fact many soldiers had to wait to muster in until the entire regiment reached strength. This could take a couple of weeks or a couple months.

 

[JCM6395]

Thanks for all the responses!

Camp Vanderburgh (Evansville, IN) is where my four relatives in the 42nd Indiana reported to in 1861. They enlisted on September 16, 1861 and mustered in on October 30, 1861. I had drove by the very spot where they mustered in at many times not knowing that is where they had mustered in at. I went to a gun show on those grounds back in the 90's...as we were leaving.... buddy of mine said this was a Civil War camp. At the time I didn't know it was where my relatives reported to. About 20 years later I found out I had relatives in the 42nd Indiana and their regiment mustered in there. So now every time I pass by it I take a look at it.

 

[airlinkdiva]

Thanks for posting this question JCM6395! I was quite curious on this also! I noticed weeks and months differences and wonder why! Learn something new each time!