Unit Conversions

[atlantis]

GG grandfather enlisted in artillery unit prior to it being mustered into confederate service. There weren't any field pieces for it, so it was converted into infantry. My understanding this practice was not uncommon.
Does anyone know was there some kind of policy/regulation set out by war dept.
Did this go on in union forces as well.

 

[Sheltowee]

Not sure about requirements, etc. But my National Guard unit went from infantry to armor in 1990.
So I guess still happens- based on need?

 

[rpkennedy]

GG grandfather enlisted in artillery unit prior to it being mustered into confederate service. There weren't any field pieces for it, so it was converted into infantry. My understanding this practice was not uncommon.
Does anyone know was there some kind of policy/regulation set out by war dept.
Did this go on in union forces as well.

I know a number of cases that went the other way. An established infantry company would be converted to an artillery battery when guns became available. For example, Company I of the 3rd Georgia became Blodgett's Battery, Georgia Light Artillery (and later Milledge's Battery when Captain Blodgett resigned early in 1862). In fact, a bunch of the Georgia artillery batteries were created this way.

Ryan

 

[PrivateBrooke]

I know it was SUPER common later in the war, on both sides. The Union famously converted whole brigades of "Heavy Artillery" units into infantry to replace losses throughout 1864 and 1865. As the war drug on and it became harder and harder to replace field pieces, many Confederate batteries were converted to infantry companies when their guns were abandoned/captured or otherwise no longer serviceable, simply because their were no guns to replace them with.

 

[Dan Kohli]

The original Company K of the 2nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was converted to heavy artillery.
4th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was converted to cavalry. The 4th New York Volunteer Heavy Artillery was converted from an infantry regiment, but I can't recall which one. That's all that I can remember for right now.

I know it was SUPER common later in the war, on both sides. The Union famously converted whole brigades of "Heavy Artillery" units into infantry to replace losses throughout 1864 and 1865.

"Pressed into infantry service" I believe is a far more accurate phrase than "converted into infantry". The heavy artillery regiments did not get redesignated or have have there regimental structure reorganized as infantry. They also already were equipped with muskets and associated accoutrements, due to the need to use their own men for garrison and outpost duties, which included guard duties, in the forts and batteries they occupied.

 

[rpkennedy]

The 4th New York Volunteer Heavy Artillery was converted from an infantry regiment, but I can't recall which one.

It was the 6th New York Heavy Artillery. They were originally recruited as the 135th Infantry but converted to heavy artillery 1 month after being mustered into service.

Ryan

 

[Stryker65]

Okay ... I have a ton of these units I've been wanting to share. I'll start posting them after (late) lunch.
-Stryker

 

[Stryker65]

Infantry to Artillery (for a basic example, let's use New York):
19th Infantry - 3rd Light Artillery
113th Infantry - 7th Heavy Artillery
129th Infantry - 8th Heavy Artillery
135th Infantry - 6th Heavy Artillery
138th Infantry - 9th Heavy Artillery
Infantry to Cavalry:
130th Infantry - 19th Cavalry
Cavalry to Artillery:
(hardly ever, only example I remember is the SC battalion Rutledge Mounted Rifles to Horse Artillery)
Cavalry to Infantry:
(almost never, usually just temporarily as dismounted, most prominent in the Trans-Mississippi)
Artillery to Infantry:
2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, and 15th New York Heavy Artillery - Infantry from Spotsylvania onward
Artillery to Cavalry:
(never?)
-Stryker

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

GG grandfather enlisted in artillery unit prior to it being mustered into confederate service. There weren't any field pieces for it, so it was converted into infantry. My understanding this practice was not uncommon.
Does anyone know was there some kind of policy/regulation set out by war dept.
Did this go on in union forces as well.

The 60th, 61st, and 62nd, Tennessee Infantry (and possibly the 59th and 31st / 39th) were mounted after being exchanged following Vicksburg and ended the war as "Mounted Infantry".

 

[Luke Freet]

GG grandfather enlisted in artillery unit prior to it being mustered into confederate service. There weren't any field pieces for it, so it was converted into infantry. My understanding this practice was not uncommon.
Does anyone know was there some kind of policy/regulation set out by war dept.
Did this go on in union forces as well.

Somewhat depends on circumstances.
A good example are Union Heavy Arty Regiments. Many were originally raised as regular infantry regiments, but upon arrival in D.C. were renamed & renumbered and trained for garrison duty. As they converted to artillery, they raised more companies, meaning they were often ridiculously oversized; I heard the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiments joined Grant's army with 1900 officers & men, which, for Civil War standards, is absurd.
Where it gets weird is with Mounted infantry and cavalry, especially with the Union. So, standard practice was for infantry regiments to contain 10 companies, while cavalry regiments contained 12. Therefore, if an infantry regiment is mounted, it will be considered Mounted Infantry until it recieves two more companies to become a regiment. This is the case with the 39th Indiana Infantry, which start out dismounted as part of August Willich's Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland. In 1863 they were mounted and became the 39th Indiana Mounted Infantry. Later in the year they recieved two new companies and became the 8th Indiana Cavalry.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Infantry to Artillery (for a basic example, let's use New York):
19th Infantry - 3rd Light Artillery
113th Infantry - 7th Heavy Artillery
129th Infantry - 8th Heavy Artillery
135th Infantry - 6th Heavy Artillery
138th Infantry - 9th Heavy Artillery
Infantry to Cavalry:
130th Infantry - 19th Cavalry
Cavalry to Artillery:
(hardly ever, only example I remember is the SC battalion Rutledge Mounted Rifles to Horse Artillery)
Cavalry to Infantry:
(almost never, usually just temporarily as dismounted, most prominent in the Trans-Mississippi)
Artillery to Infantry:
2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, and 15th New York Heavy Artillery - Infantry from Spotsylvania onward
Artillery to Cavalry:
(never?)
-Stryker

I'm under the impression that the heavy artillery regiments were still titled and organized as heavy artillery. The 4th New York is a good example of not really being converted, I'm not saying that they weren't used as infantry.

 

[Stryker65]

Yes, of course. However, for the most part (excluding the 5th, 6th, and 10th), those regiments served as infantry for the rest of the war.
Note:
5th later transferred to Harpers Ferry for defense of the heights
6th and 10th later transferred to Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg for the artillery defenses there

 

[Dan Kohli]

Yes, of course. However, for the most part (excluding the 5th, 6th, and 10th), those regiments served as infantry for the rest of the war.
Note:
5th later transferred to Harpers Ferry for defense of the heights
6th and 10th later transferred to Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg for the artillery defenses there

The 4th New York Heavy and other heavy artillery regiments were frequently bounce from Infantry brigade to artillery brigades during the Overland Campaign.

 

[rpkennedy]

The heavy artillery units were trained as both infantry and artillery since they were designated as garrison units. As such, they would be expected to defend their fortifications with both rifles and cannon. For the Overland Campaign, they were used principally as infantry units in order to stiffen infantry brigades with their large numbers. That said, on occasion, they did serve as artillerymen when needed. What really ticked them off was that they had signed up as garrison troops but were sent into the field as regular infantrymen.

Ryan

 

[Dan Kohli]

My point is that these were still artillery regiments pressed infantry service and not artillery regiments that were converted to infantry regiments.
Is the original question was asking about permanent unit conversion and reorganization. Or does is it include units that were serving on a adhoc basis without any actual conversion happening to the unit?

 

[Stryker65]

My point is that these were still artillery regiments pressed infantry service and not artillery regiments that were converted to infantry regiments.
Is the original question was asking about permanent unit conversion and reorganization. Or does is it include units that were serving on a adhoc basis without any actual conversion happening to the unit?

Actually, the Confederate Army had several artillery-to-infantry units. For instance, the 2nd Virginia Heavy Artillery became the 22nd Virginia Infantry Battalion, the 3rd Virginia Heavy Artillery became part of the 25th Virginia Infantry Battalion, and the 4th Virginia Heavy Artillery to the 34th Virginia Infantry. Those are the most notable examples I can think of.
-Stryker

 

[Stryker65]

Other info:
1. Near the end of the war, a couple fullstrength batteries from South Carolina and Georgia were transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia and redesignated as infantry companies ... iirc the Chestatee Georgia Artillery became a company in the 38th Georgia.
2. The original Milton Florida Artillery (not Dunham's and Abell's batteries) was the former I, 8th Florida Infantry, and was later transferred as an infantry company to the 1st Georgia Regulars.
3. If we're counting consolidations, the 28th Georgia Heavy Artillery Battalion was consolidated into the 1st Georgia Regulars in March or April, 1865, and part of the Sumter Artillery Battalion became part of the 4th Georgia Infantry during the same period.
4. Artillery to Cavalry - the 8th Louisiana Heavy Artillery Battalion reorganized into one or two companies and became Ogden's Louisiana Cavalry Regiment.
5. The 3rd South Carolina Heavy Artillery / 1st Regulars. Don't really want to debate that one, so I'll leave it up to y'all.
6. Also, the organization of the 2nd North Carolina Artillery (36th Volunteers) had some organization problems, and the original Company B became Company K of the 18th Volunteers.

 

[Dan Kohli]

Actually, the Confederate Army had several artillery-to-infantry units. For instance, the 2nd Virginia Heavy Artillery became the 22nd Virginia Infantry Battalion, the 3rd Virginia Heavy Artillery became part of the 25th Virginia Infantry Battalion, and the 4th Virginia Heavy Artillery to the 34th Virginia Infantry. Those are the most notable examples I can think of.
-Stryker

My main issue was the heavy artillery regiments pulled from the defenses of Washington D.C. to reenforce the Army of the Potomac without fully converting it into an infantry unit.

 

[Stryker65]

Oh right...I forgot about the OP post.

 

[General Casey]

While we are on the subject of heavy artillery units, many were actually originally formed as infantry and then converted to heavy artillery while in the defenses of Washington. Example, the 14th Massachusetts Infantry became the 1st Massachusetts Heavy Artillery