USA > Indiana > A history of the National Guard of Indiana, from the beginning of the militia system in 1787 to the present time, including the services of Indiana troops in the war with Spain > Part 7
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In the infantry branch there were seven divisions, eighteen brigades, fifty regiments, 430 companies, 1,582 officers and
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27,795 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a total of 29,377. In the cavalry there were nineteen troops, seventy- three officers and 843 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a toal of 916. There were ten batteries in the artillery, thirty-eight commissioned officers and 456 noncommissioned officers and men, or a total of 494. The haversacks disap- peared during the year, for the report of equipment shows four knapsacks and six canteens only. There were seven six- pound iron cannon, while music was furnished by 228 drums, 406 fifes.
The records of organization had been so imperfectly kept that many arms had been issued and not accounted for. The federal government issued arms according to the returns made, and many of those sent to Indiana had been, in turn, issued to companies which had disbanded. The Legislature of 1828 passed a law to secure record of these arms, but it proved to be ineffectual, and while the enrollment in the militia increased, its usefulness and its organization de- creased. The officers were negligent in returning the strength of their organizations, so that when the next call came from the general government for a report of strength the Governor and Adjutant-General were compelled to report 12,000 as the estimated number of those not reported.
The call was for the strength at the close of 1828, and, including the estimated number, the aggregate strength re- ported was 42,852. The infantry reported consisted of 29,442. There were seven divisions, eighteen brigades, sixty-three regiments, 430 companies, 1,647 commissioned officers and 27,795 noncommissioned officers and privates. In the cavalry there were nineteen troops, seventy-three commissioned offi- cers, 843 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a total of 916. The artillery consisted of ten batteries, thirty-eight com- missioned officers and 456 noncommissioned officers and pri- vates, or a total of 494.
There was a further decline of interest and duty by 1830, so the report for that year was most defective. The aggre- gate strength of the recorded militia was but 16,420, although the Governor and Adjutant-General reported to the general government that the strength was at least 50,000, but it was impossible to state the exact number on account of the negli- gence of the officers in making returns.
No attempt was made to show the number of brigades or divisions in that year, and the report was necessarily brief. There were 769 officers and 14,422 noncommissioned officers and privates in the infantry, or a total of 14,991. The cavalry
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report showed a total of thirty commissioned officers and 322 noncommissioned officers and privates, or 352. In the artil- lery there were twenty nine commissioned officers, and 307 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a total of 336. A separate rating was made of riflemen, which showed thirty- seven officers and 707 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a total of 741.
This condition of affairs roused the Legislature to action, and under the law approved January 30, 1830, Hancock, Dela- ware, Randolph and Warren counties were each given a bri- gade, and Delaware County was attached to the Eighteenth Brigade. By the session of 1831 the Legislature became con- vinced that certain support must be given to the militia and that the laws should be such as would meet the demands upon a large organization. A general revision was made under date of February 10, 1831, in which the militia age was pre- scribed as from eighteen to forty-five years and the troops were armed as before except that the troopers did not have to provide cruppers. The divisions prescribed were:
First Division-Second Brigade, Gibson, Pike and Dubois counties; Twelfth Brigade, Vanderburgh, Warrick and Posey counties.
Second Division-Eighth Brigade, Clark and Floyd counties; Ninth Brigade, Perry and Spencer counties.
Third Division-Sixth Brigade, Franklin, Union and Ripley counties; Thirteenth Brigade, Wayne. Fayette, Allen and Randolph counties.
Fourth Division-Fourth Brigade, Washington county; Seventh Bri- gade, Orange and Lawrence counties; Fourteenth Brigade, Jackson, Bar- tholomew and Johnson counties.
Fifth Division-Fifth Brigade, Jefferson, Jennings and Scott coun- ties; Tenth Brigade, Dearborn and Switzerland counties.
Sixth Division-First Brigade, Knox, Daviess and Martin counties; Eleventh Brigade, Sullivan, Vigo and Green counties.
Seventh Division-Fifteenth Brigade, Monroe, Owen and Clay coun- ties; Seventeenth Brigade, Shelby, Marion. Madison, Hendricks, Hamil- ton and Hancock counties: Eighteenth Brigade, Decatur, Rush, Henry and Delaware counties.
Eighth Division-Sixteenth Brigade. Putnam, Parke and Vermillion counties; Twentieth Brigade, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Carroll, Cass, Elk- hart and St. Joseph counties; Nineteenth Brigade, Montgomery, Warren and Fountain counties.
Under this law each company was entitled to from forty to 100 men. Four to six companies composed a battalion; two battalions a regiment; three to six regiments a brigade; and two to three brigades a division. The commander-in- chief was the Governor, who was allowed a staff of one Adju- tant-General, one Quartermaster-General, and two aides-de- camp, all of whom had the rank of colonel. To each division was assigned a major-general, whose staff consisted of one
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division inspector, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and a division quartermaster and two aides-de-camp, all of whom had the rank of major. The brigade was commanded by a brigadier-general, who had an inspector, with the rank of major, and one aide-de-camp and one quartermaster, both of whom bore the rank of captain. The officers for each regi- ment were a colonel, lieutenant-colonel, a major, a surgeon with the rank of captain, a paymaster, a surgeon's mate and a judge advocate with the rank of lieutenant. The company officers consisted of a captain, one lieutenant, one ensign, four sergeants, four corporals, a drummer and a fifer. The regimental noncommissioned staff consisted of a sergeant- major, a quartermaster-sergeant, a provost marshal, a forage master, a drum-major and a fife-major.
It was further provided that the general and field officers and the general, division and brigade staff should wear the uniform prescribed for the United States army, but the com- panies might adopt any uniform decided upon by a majority vote. During the same session a resolution was adopted ask- ing Congress to uniformly arm the militia. Congress failed to act on the resolution and a similar one was adopted the next year.
The general report to the Secretary of War was again de- fective. The aggregate strength reported for 1832 was 53,- 913. The laws passed had the effect of slightly stimulating public interest in military affairs, and a better report was secured in 1832. At the close of that year there were in the infantry nine divisions, twenty-two brigades, seventy-nine reg- iments, 158 battalions, 734 companies, 2,573 commissioned officers, and 46,159 noncommissioned officers and privates, or a total in this branch of the service of 48,732. In the cavalry there were 106 commissioned officers and 1,681 noncommis- sioned officers and privates, or a total of 1,787. In the artil- lery there were sixty commissioned officers and 620 noncom- missioned officers and privates, or a total of 680. The rifle- men reported this year were 122 officers and 2,592 noncom- missioned officers and privates, or a total of 2,714.
The attention of the Legislature was called to this report by Governor Noble in his annual message, in which he said that not over three-eighths of the entire strength of the militia had been reported and incorporated in the report. This was the last report made for many years to the general government, and the issue of arms from the government was based on this report until the outbreak of the Mexican War. The officers failed to make reports of the strength of their
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commands, and,except on paper, the militia of the State was a matter of history. A few companies here and there kept their organizations, but it was not general.
There is no report as to the strength or conditon of the militia until 1844, but the organization was maintained on paper and a few companies were in existence. Three com- panies were called into active service on September 19, 1836, under the command of Major Andrews. They were sent to preserve the peace at a meeting of the Pottawatimies near the Tippecanoe River, and their presence was effective, for there was no trouble.
A few scattering papers among the records of the State show that during 1839 commissions were issued to officers in the First, Second, Fourth, Ninth, Tenth, Thirteenth, Sev- enteenth, Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, Twenty-first, Twenty-third, Twenty-fifth, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-ninth, Thirty-second, Thirty-fourth, Thirty-eighth, Fortieth, Forty- fourth, Forty-seventh, Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, Fifty-first, Fifty- third, Fifty-sixth. Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, Sixty-second, Sixty-fourth, Sixty-sixth, Seventieth, Seventy- second, Seventy-fifth, Seventy-seventh, Seventy-ninth, Eighty- third, Eighty-seventh, Eighty-eighth, and Eighty-ninth regi- ments.
George K. Steele was major-general commanding the Tenth Division, John J. Mechan was brigadier-general com- manding the Sixteenth Brigade, and Ishan Fuller, of the Twelfth Brigade.
The colonels commissioned during the year, so far as rec- ords show, were: Daniel Brawley of the Sixty-second, Walter Donaldson of the Fiftieth, John L. Berry of the Seventy-sec- ond, Henry Oilan of the Eighty-seventh, John Osborn of the Sixty-sixth, Samuel Cavit of the Thirty-fourth, John Sheek of the Sixty-fourth, James A. McPheters of the Nineteenth, Lemuel Gentry of the Twentieth, Valentine Baker of the Thirty-eighth. Jesse Nash of the Twenty-sixth, and John Van- dine of the Fifty-ninth.
The lieutenant-colonels commissioned were: Cyrus Wol- verton of the Fiftieth, Andrew Beel of the Eighty-ninth. Dan- iel Kress of the Seventeenth, Abner G. Christy of the Sixty- sixth. Elisha G. Lane of the Eighty-seventh, John Hyden of the Forty-ninth, Thomas Gambriel of the Eighty-third, Wil- lim C. Kick of the Forty-ninth, Thomas Melvin of the Sixty- fourth, James M. C. Vane of the Nineteenth, John Eller of the Twentieth, and Peter Smith of the Twenty-sixth.
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The majors were John B. Swain of the Fiftieth, Henry McGill of the Eighty-ninth, John R. Tinbrook of the Seventy- second, Leonard H. Smith of the Thirty-eighth, John Martin of the Twenty-third, William C. Durland of the Seventeenth, John Douring of the Eighty-seventh, Aquilla Jones of the Seventy-seventh, William D. Farley of the Forty-ninth, Wil- liam H. Dille of the Sixty-sixth, Alfred Burton of the Sixty- fourth, Leonard H. Smith of the Nineteenth, James Nash of the Twenty-sixth. William A. Richardson of the Fifty-ninth, and William A. Lawler of the Eighty-eighth.
Artillery is referred to in the Second, Forty-ninth and Twenty-third, and cavalry in the Twenty-sixth, Seventeenth, Thirty-fourth, Seventieth, Forty-seventh, Fourth, Fifty-eighth and Eighty-eighth. Riflemen and light infantry companies were in the Ninth, Eighty-eighth, Sixty-sixth, Second, Twenty- first, Sixty-second, Eighty-ninth, Fiftieth and Sixty-sixth.
The companies mentioned by name are the Orange Guards in the Fifty-first, Orange Blues in the Thirteenth, Vincennes Guards in the First, Marion Guards in the Fortieth, Marion Pioneers in the Fortieth, Governor's Guards in the Tenth, Bedford Guards in the Eighteenth, New Albany Guards, Gov- ernor's Guards of Evansville and the Jackson Guards of West Union, Fayette County.
From 1840 to 1844 strenuous efforts were made by the Legislature to revive the waning military spirit in the State, and many inducements were offered to companies to organize. On February 24, 1840, the militia was divided into two classes, the active, which was composed of those between eighteen and thirty years old, and sedentary, which consisted of those between thirty and forty-five years old. Volunteer artillery and light infantry companies were authorized, which could be incorporated. and they were empowered to elect their own officers.
It was believed that more interest would be taken in the militia if more independent companies should be organized, and volunteer organizations of not less than thirty-two mem- bers, rank and file, were authorized by a law passed January 31, 1842. All companies so organized were called the inde- pendent militia, but they were subject to the same rules and regulations as the other militia, which was called the district militia. When three or more companies of the independent militia were in one county, they were authorized to form themselves into battalions and regiments. A battalion con- sisted of from three to five companies and a regiment con-
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sisted of two battalions. Each company was permitted to adopt any name it pleased and the State agreed to arm all.
The laws did not prove as stimulating as it had been be- lieved they would, and on January 23, 1843, the independent militia companies were empowered to elect second and third lieutenants if they so desired. On the February 11 following, each company of riflemen and each troop of cavalry was fixed at fifty, rank and file, and each company of light infantry and grenadiers at sixty, rank and file. Two days later the officers of regiments were authorized to prescribe the uniforms of their regiments and to make by-laws.
Every inducement of commissions and uniforms was pre- sented, but there was no material increase in interest, and ow January 15, 1844, a law was passed to accept a volunteer company of not less than thirty-two, rank and file, if no greater number could be secured. Such companies were au- thorized to select their own uniform by a majority vote and they were to serve six years in the independent militia.
During these years the regiments mentioned in the com- missions issued were the First, Second, Eighth, Ninth, Elev- enth, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth,, Twentieth, Twenty- third, Twenty-eighth. Thirtieth, Thirty-first, Thirty-fourth, Thirty-eighth, Fortieth, Forty-first, Forty-fifth, Forty-eighth, Forty-ninth, Fiftieth, Fifty-first, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, Sixty-first, Sixty-sixth, Sixty-seventh, Seventy- seventh, Seventy-eighth and Eighty eighth.
The organizations mentioned as having been assigned to regiments were the Marion Guards, Marion Rifle company, Marion Riflemen, Marion Light Horse, Perry Township In- fantry, and Washington Light Horse in the First Regiment of independent militia; Orange Guards in the Thirteenth; Marion Riflemen and Marion Guards in the Fortieth; the Greensburgh Artillery in the Forty-first; Morgan Rangers in the Fifty-fifth; German Rifle company in the Twenty-eighth; Danville Guards in the Sixty-first; Newburg Rifle company in the Thirty-fourth; Aberdeen Rifle company and the Ham- ilton Light Horse company in the Sixty-fifth; Sugar Creek Rifle company in the Fifty-eighth; Wayne Guards in the Fifty- fifth; Spencer Yellow Jacket Rifle company in the Twenty- eighth; Jackson Township Volunteers in the Eleventh; Prairie Rifle company in the Fifty-ninth; Boonville Infantry in the Thirty-fourth; German Washington Guards in the Tenth; Anderson Guards in the Thirty-fourth; Independent Blues in the Fifty-third: Mooresville Independent Rifle com- pany in the Forty-fifth; New Frankfort Independent Artillery
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in the Twenty-ninth; Harrison Blues in the Thirty-first; Inde- pendent company, rifle rangers in the Twenty-third; Lafay- ette Rangers in the Forty-ninth; Mississiniwah Fairview Ran- gers of New Albany in the Sixty-ninth; Newport Light In- fantry in the Fifty-ninth; New Albany Guards in the Twenty- eight; Deerfield Light Infantry in the Seventieth; Attica Greys in the Seventy-fourth; Newburgh Infantry in the Thirty-fourth; Versailles Volunteers in the Thirty-third; Spencer Greys in the Twenty-eighth; Independent Greys in the Sixty-fifth; and Lebanon Rifle company in the Sixty- Eighth.
Riflemen are mentioned as being in the Twentieth, Forty- eighth, Fiftieth, and light infantry in the Twenty-third, Forty-eighth, Fourteenth and Seventy-seventh. Artillery is referred to in the Twenty-third, and cavalry companies and light horse companies in the Twenty-ninth, Fifty-eighth, Forty- first and Forty-fifth. Organizations specified as belong- ing to the independent militia were the Washington Guards, York Guards and Huntington Guards.
Organizations which are mentioned but not assigned to a regiment in the existing records were the Independent Blues, Portland Guards, Bloomington Light Infantry, Independent Rangers, Logansport Greys, Noble Rangers, Highland Ran- gers, Grand Prairie Guard, Crooked Creek Rifles, Kosciusko Guards, Washington Bines, Ladoga Light Horse company, Marion Pioneers, Carroll Horse Guards, Franklin Volunteers, Goshen Guards, Washington Greys, Wayne County Blues, Cass Gnards. Randolph Guards, Independent Riflemen of Lake County, Lafayette Hussars, Mishawaka Rangers, Amer- ican Light Infantry, Lake County Rangers, Georgetown Rifle- men, Johnson County Rifle company, Jefferson Blues, Noble Rangers, Eagle Village Light Infantry, Independent Riflemen, Decatur Artillery company, Indiana Blues, Boone County Union Light Infantry, Lafayette Blues, Capitol Guards, Crooked Creek Rifles, Republican Guards, Spencer Guards, Boone County Rangers, Winimac Rifle Rangers, Mounts Run Rangers, Lawrenceburgh City Guards, Lexington Artillery company, New Frankfort Artillery, Jamestown Light Horse company, and Rensselaer Riflemen.
In the independent militia during 1842, G. N. Fitch was commissioned colonel, Hervey Brown lieutenant-colonel and J. W. Dunn and George W. Drum majors in the First Regi- ment and Henry W. Ellsworth lieutenant-colonel, and Daniel Rhein major in the Second Regiment. During the following
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year Westley Smith was commissioned a lieutenant-colonel and Thomas P. Miller a major.
The other commissions issued were: In the Eighty-eighth, William A. Lawless as lieutenant-colonel and Durham Hood as major; in the Sixty-second, William E. Rank as colonel and John Ensminger as lieutenant-colonel; in the Twenty- eighth, Nathaniel Moore as lieutenant-colonel and Isaac P. Smith as major; in the Thirty-first, Lewis Jordan as colonel and Isaac Lawner as major; in the Thirtieth, Samuel B. Mul- len as colonel, Isaac M. Dawson as lieutenant-colonel and John R. Lee as major; in the Forty-fifth, Bealis Johnston as colonel, Gustavus H. Way as lieutenant-colonel and John J. Graham as major; in the Seventy-eighth, S. S. Tipton as colonel and B. H. Smith as major; in the Fifty-eighth, Bladen Ashby as lieutenant-colonel and Isaac A. Rhinearson as major; in the Thirty-eighth, David Cooley as colonel; in the Sixty-sixth, Eli Deal as lieutenant-colonel; in the Seventy- seventh. George M. Maxwell as colonel; in the Fiftieth, Eras- tus M. Benson as major; in the Ninth, Hiram B. Malott as colonel and Robert Neely as major; in the Thirty-eighth, Moses Monicle as colonel; in the Fiftieth, John B. Swain as colonel; and in the Sixty-seventh, James H. Anderson as major.
The oldest complete record of Indiana's war department which is in existence are the reports of the Adjutant-General and the Quartermaster-General for 1844. Both are necessar- ily brief. The report of Quartermaster-General Beck shows that, on paper, there were twenty-four brigades. Both Gen- eral Beck and Adjutant-General David Reynolds complain of the almost entire absence of records as to the militia.
Under date of November 30, 1844, General Reynolds sub- mitted his report to Governor Whitcomb, in which he de- scribes existing conditions thus: "In consequence of the en- tire failure of the major-generals to return to me the strength of the divisions composing the militia, it is impossible for me to make any return of the number of men in the State subject to military duty. The martial spirit of the State seems to have languished away, so that by common consent, more perhaps than through the inefficiency of the laws, the military organization is almost entirely abandoned. Offices have been vacated and not filled; and hence it is that the few officers who hold commissions are unable to report the strength of the militia under their commands."
General Reynolds put forth every effort to make a correct list of the companies then in existence and the dates of their
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organization. There were three regiments of independent militia, one on Marion, one in Tippecanoe and one in Cass counties. Between December 1, 1843, and the date of his re- port he had issued commissions in the district militia to one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, forty-two cap- tains, forty-seven lieutenants, and thirty-five ensigns. In the independent militia he had commissioned one major, twenty- five captains, fifty-one lieutenants, and seventeen ensigns, or a grand total of 224 officers, of whom 128 were in the district militia and ninety-four in the independent militia.
General Reynolds consulted every source of information and made two lists of the independent companies which had been organized, some of which he stated might possibly have disbanded. Those organized between April 27, 1842, and Jan- uary 6, 1844, were classified under the years of organization. Those organized in 1842, with the dates of organization, were: Marion Guards, April 27; Marion Riflemen, April 30; Lafay- ette Hussars, June 2; Rifle Company, name not given, June 2; Riflemen, June 12; Marion Rifle Company, June 9; Independ- ent Company of Lake County, June 9; Goshen Guards, June 9; Cass Guards, June 23; Randolph Guards, June 23; Franklin Volunteers of Marion County, June 29; Carroll Horse Guards, July 15; Company, no name on records, July 16; Marion Pioneers, July 19; Ladoga Light Horse Company, July 26; Ar- tillery Company, July 26; Perry Township Infantry of Marion County, August 23; Kosciusko Guards, August 24; New Frankfort Independent Artillery, August 24; Crooked Creek Rifle Company of Cass County, September 6; Cass Rangers, September 6; Grand Prairie Guards, September 12; Indiana Blues of Jefferson County, September 16; Highland Rangers, September 22; Marion Horse Company, September 22; Inde- pendent Blues of Warren, September 22; Noble Rangers of Cass County, October 6; Logansport Greys, October 6; York Guards of Tippecanoe County, October 6; Independent Ran- gers, November 18; Bloomington Light Infantry, Novem- ber 18.
During 1843 independent organizations were continued, and those listed, with dates of organization, were: Company, February 10; Riflemen, Carroll County, February 16; Lafay- ette Blues, February 16; Independent Riflemen, March 27; Eagle Village Light Infantry of Boone County, April 15; De- catur Artillery Company, April 21; Independent Riflemen, May 1; Union Light Infantry, May 8; Washington Guards, May 18; Riflemen, May 26; Johnson County Guards, June 12; Johnson County Rifle Company, June 13; Deerfield Light In-
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fantry, June 15; Boone County Rangers, August 15; Winamac Rifle Rangers, August 15; Mounts Run Rangers, August 16; Lawrenceburg City Guards, August 15; Light Artillery Com- pany, August 15; Spencer Greys, August 21; Republican Guards, August 29; Georgetown Riflemen, September 16; Washington Light Horse, September 28; American Light In- fantry, November 17.
General Reynolds took his office January 6, 1844, and the companies organized between that date and the date of his report were: Independent Greys of Hamilton, March 8; Jamestown Light Horse Company, March 20; Rensselaer Riflemen, March 8; Newport Independent Light Infantry, May 14; Hamilton Light Horse Company, May 28; Aberdeen Rifle Company, June 10; Danville Guards, June 8; Lafayette Guards, June 25; Independent Company of Rifle Rangers of Crawford, July 25; Raccoon Rifle Company, of Boone, August 6; Rising Sun Greys, August 12; Clarke Guards, August 27; Mooresville Independent Rifle Company, August 27; Ander- son Guards of Warrick County, September 13; Boonville In- fantry, September 20; Rifle Company, Elkhart, September 40; Prairie Rifle Company, September 25; Spencer Yellow Jacket Rifle Company, October 2; Jackson Township Volunteers of Fayette County, October 19; Wayne Guards of Allen County, November 4.
The total number of companies reported at that time was seventy-six, or about one-tenth of the militia. Nearly all trace of the arms which had been issued by the general gov- ernment was lost, and many companies which had received arms had disbanded without returning the equipment. The legislature appointed a committee to investigate the military needs of the State and to aid in securing a return of the arms outstanding. Before this committee could report, the mili- tary spirit was aroused through a call to arms.
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