Missouri State Militia (Union)

Original Missouri state militia (pre-Missouri State Guard) Prior to the Civil War, Missouri had a system of state-regulated local militia companies organized as the official Missouri Volunteer Militia (MVM), that could be called up by the governor for emergencies or annual drill. During the secession crisis Missouri Governor Claiborne Jackson used the MVM covertly as secessionist tool until the majority of its members in eastern Missouri, and almost all the state's arms, were captured during the Camp Jackson Affair in St. Louis. The events in St. Louis prompted the Missouri legislature to pass Governor Jackson's "Military Bill" reorganizing the state militia into the Missouri State Guard. Home Guard In Missouri at the beginning of the Civil War, volunteer Unionist Home Guard regiments were formed with the support of Federal authorities to oppose secessionist Governor Claiborne Jackson's efforts at organizing secessionist strength, and his efforts to prevent Missouri enlistments into Federal service. Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon was given authority by the War Department to organize the Home Guard units throughout Missouri on June 11, 1861. Six-month militia By late 1861 most of the Home Guard regiments had been disbanded. They were replaced by a smaller Six-month militia under state rather than Federal control. This force was too expensive for the cash-strapped Provisional Government of Missouri to maintain. It was also too small to be effective. ==Creation==

On November 6, 1861 Provisional Missouri Governor Hamilton Rowan Gamble reached an agreement with Abraham Lincoln to form a new full-time state militia equipped and financed by the United States but under control of the Missouri governor with officers appointed by him. The new Missouri State Militia would cooperate with Federal commanders but would not be subject to service outside the state except when necessary to directly defend it. The Six-month militia was disbanded by General Order No. 2 of the Missouri Adjutant General on January 14 and effective January 25, 1862. The new Missouri State Militia (MSM) was primarily a mounted force active throughout the remainder of the war. Cavalry were necessary to pursue and confront fast moving mounted guerrillas, recruiters, and raiders. By April 1862 the Missouri State Militia consisted of fourteen cavalry regiments, three cavalry battalions, two light artillery batteries, an infantry regiment and several independent companies of various types. On February 13, 1862 however, the United States Congress limited the size of the force to 10,000 in an effort to control expenses. The exigencies of war produced delay by the Federal War Department in complying with this law—primarily through attrition. Eventually the militia would be reorganized into nine regiments of cavalry and one of infantry. This was accomplished through General Order Number 5 by the Missouri Adjutant General which broke up the 3rd and 12th Missouri State Militia Cavalry regiments and distributed them among other regiments. The 5th Missouri State Militia Cavalry was mustered out. The 2nd Battalion Missouri State Militia was also disbanded and the 11th regiment and 1st battalion had been consolidated within the 2nd Missouri State Militia Cavalry earlier. ==History==

As the Missouri State Militia began organizing and training in early 1862, the warming weather also increased guerrilla activity. Confederate recruiters infiltrated the state and began organizing new commands to be sent south. This accelerated the learning curve for the new militia cavalry. Despite setbacks and a surge in Confederate activity even north of the Missouri River, the militia cavalry proved to be an effective offensive force in confronting guerrillas, recruiters, and raiders within the state during the Summer of 1862. By Fall the recruiters had been driven from the state. Although guerrilla activity would remain a constant nuisance in much of the state, and raids would continue south of the Missouri River, the militia cavalry established Federal control of Missouri throughout the remainder of the war. There were three unusual aspects of the militia cavalry compared to conventional cavalry. The first was the frequent integration of light artillery into regimental or battalion level actions. The additional firepower was often effective against guerrillas or raiders with no artillery of their own. The second was that cavalry soldiers were required to provide their own horses, and were paid for this periodically. Thirdly, the militia served primarily in their own state, aside from limited periods in Arkansas and Kansas. There was considerable controversy surrounding the actions and officers of men of the Missouri State Militia Cavalry. Several officers were charged with inefficiency or worse during operations, particularly during Sterling Price's 1864 Raid. General Alfred Pleasonton relieved General Egbert Brown and John McNeil for "failure to obey an order to attack." Also relieved by Pleasonton in the same action was Colonel James McFerran of the 1st Missouri State Militia Cavalry "whose regiment was straggling all over the country, and he was neglecting to prevent it." Colonel Henry S. Lipscomb of the 11th Missouri State Militia Cavalry was relieved for not pursuing Joseph C. Porter more vigorously during the summer of 1862 and the regiment was consolidated with the 2nd. An entire regiment (the 5th Regiment (Old) was disbanded and replaced by the 5th Regiment (New), due to their lack of discipline. With Confederate General Sterling Price openly supporting guerrilla activity in Missouri, on March 13, 1862, the Union head of the Department of the Missouri, Henry Halleck, issued orders stating that such activity was "contrary to the laws of war" and directing that such combatants "will be hung as robbers and murderers." Militia cavalry units participated in most of the significant engagements in Missouri from 1862 to 1864. They were eligible for re-enlistment and, unusually for militia, were eligible for Federal pensions. On June 23, 1865, orders were given that all remaining troops and officers of the Missouri State Militia would be mustered out. History of specific units Regiments of the Missouri State Militia mustered out on different dates. Some regiments were also consolidated or transferred to other regiments. The 5th (old) Regiment was disbanded. 1st Regiment Infantry, MSM Mustered out April and May, 1865. 7 enlisted men were mortally wounded. 58 enlisted men died of disease. 172 deserted and 31 officers and 494 enlisted men were honorably discharged. 125 were discharged for disabilities, 3 officers were dismissed, 2 were cashiered, and 16 resigned. There were 3 accidental deaths, 27 missing in action, 13 dishonorably discharged, 3 drowned, and 5 discharged for being under age. 1st Regiment Cavalry, MSM Was organized at large in Missouri, 3 Feb. to 8 April 1862. Served in: Apr 1862 - District of Central Mo. Jul 1863 - District of the Border Jan 1864 - District of Central Mo. Mustered out March and April, 1865 1 officer and 65 enlisted men were killed or mortally wounded. 3 officers and 59 enlisted men died of disease. 70 deserted, 37 officers and 798 enlisted men were honorably discharged, 368 were discharged for disabilities, 5 officers were dismissed, and 22 resigned (some to join the 12th, 13th and 14th Missouri Cavalry Regiments). There were 4 accidental deaths, none missing in action, 14 dishonorably discharged, 4 dropped from the rolls, 1 drowned, 1 discharged, being minor, 1 killed by sunstroke. 2d (old) Regiment Cavalry, MSM 1st and 2d consolidated September 2, 1862 2d (new) Regiment Cavalry, MSM Feb 1862 - District of Northern Mo. Mar 1863 - District of St. Louis Jun 1863 - District of S. E. Mo. Jul 1863 - District of St. Louis 6th Regiment Cavalry, MSM Feb to Apr 1862 - Organized at large in Mo. Apr 1862 - District of Central Mo. Jun 1862 - District of SW Mo. Dec 1862 - District of Central Mo. Jul 1863 - District of SW Mo. Oct 1864 - District of Northern Mo. Feb 1865 - District of SW Mo. Casualties not recorded Commanding Generals The following generals commanded the MSM during its existence. • Maj. Gen. H. W. Halleck - November 19, 1861 • Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis - September 27, 1862 • Maj. Gen. J. M. Schofield - May 29, 1863 • Maj. Gen. W. S. Rosecrans o- February 1, 1864 • Maj. Gen. Grenville M. Dodge - December 13, 1864, resigned June 1865 ==Weapons==

The Missouri State Militia were recruited from the state of Missouri, but armed by the Federal Government. As many other western military units, they were often armed with quality weapons later in the war than eastern armies. Their weapons included both US and foreign made weapons. This resulted in a large variety of weapons, even within a single regiment (unit of approximately 1000 men or less) As an example, the 10th Missouri Cavalry (a United States unit, not militia), were uniformly armed with Gibbs' carbines by December 1863 or earlier, and the 11th Missouri Cavalry was armed with Merrill's and Sharp's carbines, all breech-loading weapons. At that same time, the 1st Missouri State Militia was still armed with 2 calibers of Austrian rifles, and a third caliber of Enfield rifles, all of which were muzzle-loading weapons. The cavalry specifically had a number of foreign weapons, including the French LeFaucheux military pinfire revolver. The 1st through 10th, 12th and 13 regiments were partially armed with Austrian weapons. The 1st through 9th, and 14th regiments were partially equipped earlier with the Savage & North Navy (.36) revolver. In September 1864, the 1st Missouri State Militia unit had 'sixteen different patterns of breech loaders, nine different types of muzzle loaders, and a few double barreled shotguns. Some of the Missourians were armed with nothing but revolvers.' The 3rd Missouri State Militia unit in July 1863 had Colt Navy (.36 caliber) and Army (.44 caliber) revolvers, receiving 10,000 Navy and 14,000 Army cartridges in that month. For long arms, they carried .69 caliber conversion musket (US M1816/22, US M1842, etc.), .58/.577 caliber rifle-musket (US M1861, British Pattern 1853 Enfield, Austrian Lorenz, etc.), Halls Rifles and Colt Revolving Rifles (possibly .52 cal) along with Wesson carbines. In September 1864, they carried an assortment of weapons including Starr Double Action Revolvers, Savage Figure 8 Navy Revolvers, Colt Revolving Rifles, and at least one Wesson Rifle. The 5th Missouri State Militia unit, in December 1863 had 633 Austrian rifles, 633 revolvers (primarily Lefaucheaux, Pettengill, Savage and Starr, with a few Colt Army revolvers), 320 sabres, 25 pistol carbines (most likely Colt), 202 pairs of holster pistols (commonly referring to the Colt Army Revolver of 1848), and 50 cavalry musketoons. By the end of the war, some units were also equipped with Wesson carbines (erroneously called 'Smith and Wesson rifles' in one source). The 5th continued to possess Austrian rifles or carbines as late as September 1864. At that time, they possessed Colt Army (.44 cal), Pettengill, Savage, Starrs (in both Army and Navy calibers) and .36 caliber 'Beals' (Remington Beals) revolvers The 8th carried Savage Revolvers, as well as some Colts Army revolvers. Specific Weapons Wesson carbines: the 3rd Missouri State Militia had 500, the 6th had 132, and the 8th had 60 in their regimental inventories in 1864. The 5th had 300. Most or all of these were privately purchased, and do not show up on government records. ==See also==