Enrolled Missouri Militia facts for kids

The Enrolled Missouri Militia was a special group of part-time soldiers in Missouri during the American Civil War in 1862. Their main job was to guard important places and buildings. They helped the full-time Missouri State Militia protect the state from attacks. They also freed up the Missouri State Militia to go after Confederate guerrillas (small groups of fighters who used surprise attacks) and people trying to recruit for the Confederate army.

Why it Was Needed

At the start of the Civil War, Missouri formed volunteer groups called Home Guard units. These groups supported the Union. They were created to oppose Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson who didn't want Missourians joining the Union army. General Nathaniel Lyon was given permission to organize these Home Guard units in June 1861.

By late 1861, most of these Home Guard units were gone. They were replaced by a smaller group called the Six-month Militia. This group was also disbanded in January 1862. The Missouri State Militia then took over, mostly made up of cavalry (soldiers on horseback).

After the Battle of Pea Ridge, Confederate soldiers left northern Arkansas. They sent recruiters into Missouri to find new soldiers. Pro-Southern guerrillas helped these recruiters. They often fought alongside them.

Guerrilla warfare was a big problem in Missouri from the start of the war. It got worse in early 1862 as the weather got warmer. To fight these growing guerrilla groups, General Henry Halleck issued a special order on March 13. He warned that anyone joining a guerrilla band would not be treated as a regular prisoner of war if captured. Instead, they would be punished severely.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis responded on April 21, 1862. He tried to control guerrilla warfare by allowing "partisan rangers" to form. These groups were supposed to follow war rules and eventually join the Confederate army. However, the United States did not accept this. On May 29, General John Schofield issued his own order to the Missouri State Militia. It said that guerrillas caught fighting would be shot on the spot.

Forming the Enrolled Missouri Militia

As guerrilla fighting and recruiting increased, General Schofield took a stronger step. Missouri had very few soldiers left, mostly just the volunteer Missouri State Militia Cavalry. With help from Missouri's temporary Governor Hamilton Rowan Gamble, a new rule was made on July 22, 1862. This rule said that all loyal men had to join a new militia, called the Enrolled Missouri Militia.

General Schofield's order also required anyone who had fought against the United States to register and give up their weapons. People who supported the Confederates were not required to join the militia. But many didn't want to admit their Confederate sympathies. So, they chose to enroll in the Enrolled Missouri Militia instead.

The new Enrolled Missouri Militia could be called up when there was an emergency. They would guard important places in their local area. They could also break up nearby guerrilla camps. Many of these soldiers did not get uniforms. Soon after they formed, they started wearing white hatbands to show who they were.

What Happened Next

These new orders helped create a militia force for guarding and local policing. This allowed the Missouri State Militia to actively chase after guerrillas and recruiters. However, these rules also forced people who supported the South to pick a side. Thousands chose to join guerrilla groups or seek out Confederate recruiters.

Confederate recruiters like John A. Poindexter and Joseph C. Porter in northeast Missouri quickly gained many new soldiers. These were Southerners who were unhappy with the new rules. For a short time, it seemed like the Enrolled Militia enrollment was causing more problems. But within a month, both Confederate forces were defeated. They lost battles at Moore's Mill, Kirksville, and Compton's Ferry.

The new Enrolled Militia units increased the Union's presence across the state. The Missouri State Militia drove out the recruiters and their groups. Even so, about 5,000 Southerners from northern Missouri managed to join the Confederate army in Arkansas.

It was harder for the Union to regain control in western Missouri, south of the Missouri River. Leaders like Upton Hays, John Hughes, Jerry Coffee, Jeremiah "Vard" Cockrell, and Jo Shelby were all busy recruiting Confederate soldiers. They were helped by William Quantrill's guerrillas, who worked with them. At the First Battle of Independence, Hays, Hughes, and Quantrill captured Independence. They also captured its Union soldiers. Hays, Cockrell, and Coffee then defeated another Union force at the Battle of Lone Jack. The newly recruited Confederate groups were able to retreat safely to Arkansas.

After the recruiters left, the biggest crisis in Missouri passed. Guerrilla warfare and raids continued. But they never reached the same level as they did in the summer of 1862.

Other Challenges

The Enrolled Missouri Militia was called up locally only when needed. They were not given uniforms. This meant they did not cost a lot of money. The formation of the Enrolled Missouri Militia was an agreement between Schofield and Gamble. But the Federal authorities (the main U.S. government) had not fully approved it. Because of this, only a few of these soldiers would later be able to get Federal pensions (retirement payments).

There were also problems with how reliable and loyal some units were. Some companies were mostly made up of men who supported the South. This led to some of these companies being disbanded. Eventually, another group was formed from the more reliable militia members. This was called the Provisional Enrolled Missouri Militia.