Enrolled Missouri Militia
Encyclopedia
The Enrolled Missouri Militia was a state militia
organization of Missouri
in 1862 during the American Civil War
. It was a part-time force whose primary purpose was to serve as garrison and infrastructure guards, both to augment the Unionist Missouri State Militia
in defense versus raids and to free the Missouri State Militia for offensive operations versus Confederate
guerrillas and recruiters.
Nathaniel Lyon
was given authority by the War Department to organize the Home Guard on June 11, 1861.
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 too was disbanded in January 1862, to be replaced by the Missouri State Militia (almost entirely cavalry.)
Following the Battle of Pea Ridge
, Arkansas
and the resulting Confederate withdrawal from northern Arkansas, recruiters were dispatched throughout Missouri in an attempt to rebuild the Confederate forces. Southern guerrillas aided the recruiters and often fought alongside them.
Guerrilla warfare plagued Missouri from the start of the conflict in Missouri, but intensified in early 1862 as the weather warmed. To combat the growing guerrilla menace General Henry W. Halleck issued General Order Number 2 on March 13:
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
responded on April 21, 1862 attempted to legitimize guerrilla warfare by authorizing commissions for those forming bands of “partisan rangers.” This was not accepted by the United States authorities. On May 29 Brigadier General John Schofield
responded with General Order No. 18 to the Missouri State Militia which read in part:
, a compulsory militia enrollment was declared on July 22, 1862, the Enrolled Missouri Militia. Schofield issued General Orders No. 19 requiring loyal men to enroll in the militia, required registration of all who had previously taken up arms against the United States, and for them to surrender their weapons. The disloyal and sympathizers would not be required to enroll in the militia, but would of course have to declare their sympathies.
The new Enrolled Missouri Militia could be called up in time of emergency to garrison key points in their locale or even to disrupt guerrilla encampments nearby. Many were not provided with uniforms and soon after their formation would rely on white hatbands as a form of identification.
Confederate recruiters such as John A. Poindexter
and Joseph C. Porter
in northeast Missouri would immediately benefit from the order as their numbers were soon swelled by disaffected Southerners. For a time the Enrolled Militia enrollment appeared counterproductive, but within a month both of their forces had been beaten and scattered after defeats at Moore's Mill
, the Battle of Kirksville
, and at Compton's Ferry
. The new Enrolled Militia regiments increased the Union presence throughout the state while the Missouri State Militia drove out the recruiters and their regiments. Despite this, approximately 5,000 Southerners did succeed in making their way from northern Missouri to the Confederate army in Arkansas.
It was more difficult for the Union to reassert control in western Missouri south of the Missouri River. Upton Hays, John Hughes, Jerry Coffee, Jeremiah "Vard" Cockrell, and Jo Shelby were all busy recruiting Confederate regiments during this same period. They were aided by William Quantrill
's guerrillas. At the First Battle of Independence
Hays, Hughes, and Quantrill succeeded in capturing Independence and its garrison (a battalion of the 7th Missouri Cavalry.) Hays, Cockrell, and Coffee then defeated another force at the Battle of Lone Jack
. The newly recruited Confederate commands were able to withdraw intact to Arkansas.
With the withdrawal of the recruiters, the major crisis in Missouri had passed. Guerrilla warfare and raids would continue but would never reach the peak that occurred in the Summer of 1862.
There were also problems of reliability and loyalty. Some of the units were composed primarily of Southern leaning men and officers. As a result some companies were disbanded. Eventually yet another organization, the Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia
, would be formed from the more reliable militia.
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
organization of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1862 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. It was a part-time force whose primary purpose was to serve as garrison and infrastructure guards, both to augment the Unionist Missouri State Militia
Missouri State Militia (Union)
The Missouri State Militia was a federally funded state militia organization of Missouri conceived in 1861 and beginning service in 1862 during the American Civil War...
in defense versus raids and to free the Missouri State Militia for offensive operations versus Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
guerrillas and recruiters.
Background
In Missouri at the beginning of the Civil War, volunteer Unionist Home Guard regiments were formed with the blessing of Federal authorities to oppose secessionist Governor Claiborne Jackson's militia and his intent to deny Missouri enlistments into Federal service. Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
was given authority by the War Department to organize the Home Guard on June 11, 1861.
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 too was disbanded in January 1862, to be replaced by the Missouri State Militia (almost entirely cavalry.)
Following the Battle of Pea Ridge
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and the resulting Confederate withdrawal from northern Arkansas, recruiters were dispatched throughout Missouri in an attempt to rebuild the Confederate forces. Southern guerrillas aided the recruiters and often fought alongside them.
Guerrilla warfare plagued Missouri from the start of the conflict in Missouri, but intensified in early 1862 as the weather warmed. To combat the growing guerrilla menace General Henry W. Halleck issued General Order Number 2 on March 13:
"Evidence has been received at these headquarters that Maj. Gen. Sterling Price has issued commissions or licenses to certain bandits in this State, authorizing them to raise "guerrilla forces," for the purpose of plunder and marauding. General Price ought to know that such a course is contrary to the rules of civilized warfare, and that every man who enlists in such an organization forfeits his life and becomes an outlaw. All persons are hereby warned that if they join any guerrilla band they will not, if captured, be treated as ordinary prisoners of war, but will be hung as robbers and murderers. Their lives shall atone for the barbarity of their general."
Confederate President Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
responded on April 21, 1862 attempted to legitimize guerrilla warfare by authorizing commissions for those forming bands of “partisan rangers.” This was not accepted by the United States authorities. On May 29 Brigadier General John Schofield
John Schofield
John McAllister Schofield was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He later served as U.S. Secretary of War and Commanding General of the United States Army.-Early life:...
responded with General Order No. 18 to the Missouri State Militia which read in part:
"When caught in arms, engaged in their unlawful warfare, they will be shot down upon the spot."
Creation of Enrolled Missouri Militia
As guerrilla warfare and recruiting increased, and as the state had been stripped of nearly all but the volunteer Missouri State Militia Cavalry regiments, General Schofield took a more drastic measure. With the aid of Missouri’s provisional Governor Hamilton Rowan GambleHamilton Rowan Gamble
Hamilton Rowan Gamble was the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court at the time of the Dred Scott Decision in 1852, when his colleagues voted to overturn the 28-year precedent in Misssouri of "once free always free". He wrote a dissenting opinion...
, a compulsory militia enrollment was declared on July 22, 1862, the Enrolled Missouri Militia. Schofield issued General Orders No. 19 requiring loyal men to enroll in the militia, required registration of all who had previously taken up arms against the United States, and for them to surrender their weapons. The disloyal and sympathizers would not be required to enroll in the militia, but would of course have to declare their sympathies.
The new Enrolled Missouri Militia could be called up in time of emergency to garrison key points in their locale or even to disrupt guerrilla encampments nearby. Many were not provided with uniforms and soon after their formation would rely on white hatbands as a form of identification.
Impact
While these orders did raise a militia force for garrison duty and local policing that freed the Missouri State Militia for active pursuit of guerrillas and recruiters, the policies also forced those of Southern loyalties to choose sides. Thousands chose the brush, guerrilla bands, or to seek out recruiters to join the Southern army.Confederate recruiters such as John A. Poindexter
John A. Poindexter
John A. Poindexter was a colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He and Joseph C. Porter were the primary recruiting commanders in northern Missouri during 1862.-Early life and career:...
and Joseph C. Porter
Joseph C. Porter
Joseph Chrisman Porter was a Confederate officer in the American Civil War, a key leader in the guerrilla campaigns in northern Missouri, and a figure of controversy. The main source for his history, Joseph A...
in northeast Missouri would immediately benefit from the order as their numbers were soon swelled by disaffected Southerners. For a time the Enrolled Militia enrollment appeared counterproductive, but within a month both of their forces had been beaten and scattered after defeats at Moore's Mill
Battle of Moore's Mill
The Battle of Moore’s Mill was an American Civil War battle that took place in northeast Missouri on July 28, 1862 along Auxvasse Creek near modern day Calwood...
, the Battle of Kirksville
Battle of Kirksville
The Battle of Kirksville was a battle in the American Civil War, fought in the town of Kirksville, Missouri, on August 6, 1862. The Union victory helped consolidate Federal control over northeastern Missouri.-Battle:...
, and at Compton's Ferry
Battle of Compton's Ferry
The Battle of Compton's Ferry was an action during the American Civil War, occurring August 11, 1862, along the Grand River....
. The new Enrolled Militia regiments increased the Union presence throughout the state while the Missouri State Militia drove out the recruiters and their regiments. Despite this, approximately 5,000 Southerners did succeed in making their way from northern Missouri to the Confederate army in Arkansas.
It was more difficult for the Union to reassert control in western Missouri south of the Missouri River. Upton Hays, John Hughes, Jerry Coffee, Jeremiah "Vard" Cockrell, and Jo Shelby were all busy recruiting Confederate regiments during this same period. They were aided by William Quantrill
William Quantrill
William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...
's guerrillas. At the First Battle of Independence
First Battle of Independence
-External links:** *...
Hays, Hughes, and Quantrill succeeded in capturing Independence and its garrison (a battalion of the 7th Missouri Cavalry.) Hays, Cockrell, and Coffee then defeated another force at the Battle of Lone Jack
Battle of Lone Jack
The Battle of Lone Jack was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 15 – August 16, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. The battle was part of the Confederate guerrilla and recruiting campaign in Missouri in 1862.-Background:...
. The newly recruited Confederate commands were able to withdraw intact to Arkansas.
With the withdrawal of the recruiters, the major crisis in Missouri had passed. Guerrilla warfare and raids would continue but would never reach the peak that occurred in the Summer of 1862.
Other problems
Since the enrolled militia were called up locally as needed and uniforms were not provided, they did not create an unmanageable financial burden. The formation of the Enrolled Missouri Militia was an arrangement between Schofield and Gamble that had not received the full consent of the Federal authorities. As a result only a few would later be eligible for Federal pensions.There were also problems of reliability and loyalty. Some of the units were composed primarily of Southern leaning men and officers. As a result some companies were disbanded. Eventually yet another organization, the Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia
Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia
The Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia or PEMM also known as the Detailed Militia was a state militia organization of Missouri's Union government during the American Civil War...
, would be formed from the more reliable militia.
External links
- http://www.civilwarstlouis.com/militia/federalmilitia.htm