Unit Conversions

[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

@General Casey I reference some of those units here

 

[Dan Kohli]

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 impression that I get is that it's mostly done if there is a need for one type arm of service unit but they have another unit of a different service arm and equipment on hand.

 

[Old Soldier]

It is desperation by local area commanders who cannot replace losses - or get enough volunteers to form units. In those days, you were trained in your role and, for regular troops, the other military skills were developed afterwards. At the start there was aneed for trained men on the ground, but quick. There are many instances of even the infantry being trained only in musket drills, not marksmanship Why? 1) The rifle musket was new to infantry and the older indtructors had not caught up. 2) They needed troops FAST, the quicker, the better. The better conversions would have been infantry converting to cavalry or artillery which, despite the need for training in new skills, still meant they had their infantry skills and knowledge, hence the 'mounted infantry'.

 

[ErnieMac]

3rd West Virginia Infantry (organized June - July 1861) converted to the 3rd West Virginia Mounted Infantry (May 23, 1863) converted to the 6th West Virginia Cavalry (January 26, 1864).

 

[Stryker65]

3rd West Virginia Infantry (organized June - July 1861) converted to the 3rd West Virginia Mounted Infantry (May 23, 1863) converted to the 6th West Virginia Cavalry (January 26, 1864).

By the same order, the 2nd and 8th Infantries became the 5th and 7th Cavalries, respectively.

 

[Stryker65]

Others:
1st CO Infantry became 1st CO Cavalry
2nd and 3rd CO Infantries became 2nd CO Cavalry
4th CT Infantry became 1st CT Heavy Artillery
19th CT Infantry became 2nd CT Heavy Artillery
A, 17th IN Infantry became 26th IN Battery
21st IN Infantry became 1st IN Heavy Artillery
39th IN Infantry became 8th IN Cavalry
64th IN Infantry to become 1st IN Light Artillery, organization ordered stopped
65th IN Infantry to become 2nd IN Light Artillery, organization ordered stopped
71st IN Infantry became 6th IN Cavalry
5th IA Infantry became part of 5th IA Cavalry
41st IA Infantry became part of 7th IA Cavalry
11th KS Infantry became 11th KS Cavalry
B, 2nd KS Cavalry became 3rd KS Battery
Various KY Mounted Infantry units reorganized into 17th KY Cavalry
18th ME Infantry became 1st ME Heavy Artillery
41st MA Infantry became 3rd MA Cavalry
6th MI Infantry became 1st MI Heavy Artillery
1st MO Infantry became 1st MO Light Artillery
1st MO Cavalry Battalion (Marine Brigade) became part of 1st MO Infantry (Marine Brigade)
22nd MO Infantry became part of 7th MO Cavalry
25th MO Infantry became part of 1st MO Engineers
6th Provisional MO Enrolled Militia became 16th MO Cavalry
7th Provisional MO Enrolled Militia became 15th MO Cavalry
28th MO Infantry became 10th MO Cavalry
Van Horn's MO Cavalry Battalion became part of 25th MO Infantry
1st NE Infantry became 1st NE Cavalry
1st NM Infantry became 1st NM Cavalry
1st NM Infantry (new) and 1st NM Cavalry became 1st NM Infantry/Cavalry
15th NY Infantry became 15th NY Engineers
19th NY Infantry became 3rd NY Light Artillery
20th NY Veterans became part of 16th NY Cavalry
24th NY Veterans became 24th NY Cavalry
29th NY Veterans became part of 13th NY Heavy Artillery
30th NY Veterans became 2nd NY Veteran Cavalry
33rd NY Veterans became 1st NY Veteran Cavalry
35th NY Veterans became 20th NY Cavalry
50th NY Infantry became 50th NY Engineers
113th NY Infantry became 7th NY Heavy Artillery
129th NY Infantry became 8th NY Heavy Artillery
130th NY Infantry became 19th NY Cavalry
135th NY Infantry became 6th NY Heavy Artillery
138th NY Infantry became 9th NY Heavy Artillery
44th OH Infantry became 8th OH Cavalry
117th OH Infantry became 1st OH Heavy Artillery
4th OHSS Company became K, 79th OH Infantry
3rd RI Infantry became 3rd RI Heavy Artillery
5th RI Infantry became 5th RI Heavy Artillery
13th RI Infantry became 3rd RI Cavalry
4th TN Infantry became 1st TN Cavalry
7th TN Infantry became 6th TN Cavalry
11th VT Infantry became 1st VT Heavy Artillery
2nd WV Infantry became 5th WV Cavalry
3rd WV Infantry became 6th WV Cavalry
8th WV Infantry became 7th WV Cavalry
K, 2nd WI Infantry became 1st WI Heavy Artillery Company
4th WI Infantry became 4th WI Cavalry
7th USCHA became 11th USCT
9th LA (AD) became 5th USCHA
1st-4th CDAE became 95th-98th USCT

 

[Stryker65]

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.

Just remembered this ... what unit was your GG Grandfather in?

 

[Sgt. Tyree]

2nd and 3rd Colorado Infantry combined to become 2nd Colorado Cavalry.

The infantry regiments saw service in the New Mexico Campaign. The cavalry regiment saw service in Missouri and Kansas.

 

[Stryker65]

2nd and 3rd Colorado Infantry combined to become 2nd Colorado Cavalry.

The infantry regiments saw service in the New Mexico Campaign. The cavalry regiment saw service in Missouri and Kansas.

and 1st Colorado Infantry became 1st Colorado Cavalry.