The 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

, formed from a voluntary regiment using the same name, that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

2nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry

A voluntary infantry regiment evolved from one of several unofficial pro-Unionist militia units formed semi-secretly in St. Louis in the early months of 1861 by Congressman

Francis Preston Blair, Jr. Francis Preston Blair Jr. (February 19, 1821 – July 8, 1875) was a United States Senator, a United States Congressman and a Union Major General during the Civil War. He represented Missouri in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ...

and other Unionist activists. The organization that would become the Second Missouri was largely composed of ethnic Germans, who were generally opposed to slavery and strongly supportive of the Unionist cause. Although initially without any official standing, beginning on April 22, 1861, four militia regiments Blair helped organize were sworn into Federal service at the St. Louis Arsenal by Captain

John Schofield John McAllister Schofield (September 29, 1831 – March 4, 1906) was an American soldier who held major commands during the American Civil War. He was appointed U.S. Secretary of War (1868–1869) under President Andrew Johnson and later served ...

acting on the authority of President Lincoln. The 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment included a significant number of members with military experience from service in Europe. Many had also participated in drill and marksmanship competitions in St. Louis's many

Turnverein Turners (german: Turner) are members of German-American gymnastic clubs called Turnvereine. They promoted German culture, physical culture, and liberal politics. Turners, especially Francis Lieber, 1798–1872, were the leading sponsors of gy ...

societies. The Second Missouri was an unusually large regiment, having two dedicated "Rifle Companies" in addition to its ten companies of infantry. Upon entry into Federal service the members of the new Second Missouri elected

Henry Boernstein Henry Boernstein n Europe, Heinrich Börnstein(November 4, 1805 – September 10, 1892) was a German revolutionary who served as the publisher of the ''Anzeiger des Westens'' in St. Louis, Missouri, the oldest German newspaper west of the ...

colonel of the regiment.Rombaur, Robert Julius, ''The Union Cause in St. Louis in 1861'', St. Louis, St. Louis Municipal Centennial Year, 1909, p367 The new Missouri Volunteer regiments, subsequently elected (then) Captain

Nathaniel Lyon Nathaniel Lyon (July 14, 1818 – August 10, 1861) was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War. He is noted for his actions in Missouri in 1861, at the beginning of the conflict, to forestall secret secessionist plans of th ...

as the brigadier general of the new brigade of Missouri volunteers. President Lincoln would later confirm Lyon's promotion from Captain to Brigadier general.

Military service

On May 10, 1861, the 2nd Missouri Infantry participated in the arrest of the Missouri Volunteer Militia drilling at Camp Jackson at Lindell Grove on the western border of St. Louis City. As the Missouri militiamen were being march under guard back to the Arsenal near the riverfront, angry crowds confronted the Federal forces and the confused situation soon devolved into rioting and gunfire. Over 27 people were killed and the Camp Jackson Affair helped to polarize the state and send Missouri down the road to its own internal civil war. On June 15, 1861, the 2nd Missouri Infantry participated in the unopposed occupation of the Missouri state capitol at

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

, by Federal troops. Nine companies of the Second Missouri remained as the garrison at Jefferson City, under Colonel Boerstein who acted as interim military commandant of the city. Company "B" and Rifle Companies "A" and "B" continued up river in pursuit of fugitive Governor

Claiborne Fox Jackson Claiborne Fox Jackson (April 4, 1806 – December 6, 1862) was an American politician of the Democratic Party in Missouri. He was elected as the 15th Governor of Missouri, serving from January 3, 1861, until July 31, 1861, when he was for ...

and the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

. At Boonville the three company battalion of the Second Missouri, fighting under the command of Captain

Peter J. Osterhaus Peter Joseph Osterhaus (January 4, 1823 – January 2, 1917) was a German-American Union Army general in the American Civil War and later served as a diplomat. Early life Osterhaus was born in Koblenz, Rhenish Prussia, the son of Eleanora (Kraeme ...

helped defeat the newly organized

on June 17 in the short, one-sided

Battle of Boonville The First Battle of Boonville was a minor skirmish of the American Civil War, occurring on June 17, 1861, near Boonville in Cooper County, Missouri. Although casualties were extremely light, the battle's strategic impact was far greater than ...

. While the Battle of Boonville was small by later war standards, it had major strategic consequences, driving the pro-secessionist forces into the southern part of the state and securing the Missouri River valley and communications across the state for the Federal government. The Second Missouri garrison at Jefferson City made a number of expeditions and "scouts" into the counties near the state capital and the central Missouri River valley. A Second Missouri detachment from Jefferson City fought a small engagement with guerrillas at Mexico Missouri, on July 15, 1861. Osterhaus' small battalion continued to campaign with Lyon, marching southwest to Springfield, eventually confronting a united Confederate and Missouri State Guard force near Springfield. The resulting

Battle of Wilson's Creek The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, was the first major battle of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War. It was fought on August 10, 1861, near Springfield, Missouri, Springfield, Missou ...

fought ten miles south of the city on August 10, 1861, was a bloody affair, and the second costliest in American history up to that time. Osterhaus, by that time promoted to

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

, led his men in the fighting as part of Lyon's detachment of the Federal force on Bloody Hill. Isolated and outnumbered after a second Federal element under Colonel

Franz Sigel Franz Sigel (November 18, 1824 – August 21, 1902) was a German American military officer, revolutionary and immigrant to the United States who was a teacher, newspaperman, politician, and served as a Union major general in the American Civil W ...

was routed, the Federals on Bloody hill fought the Confederate forces to a stalemate. The battle ended only after General Lyon was killed leading the 1st Iowa Infantry against the Confederate right. As the senior U.S. Army regular officer present, command devolved to Major Samuel D. Sturgis. Concerned about his force's ammunition supply, Sturgis decided to withdraw towards Springfield. Osterhaus' men withdrew with the battered Federal force to Springfield, then to Rolla, continuing on to St. Louis. The regiment was mustered out of Federal service on August 31, and the members were reorganized as the Second Missouri Volunteers (3 Years Service) on September 10, 1861, under Colonel Friedrich Schaefer.

Regiment service

The 2nd Missouri Infantry Regiment was organized at

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

and mustered in for three years on September 10, 1861, under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Frederick Schaefer Frederick Schaefer was a German revolutionary and Union Army colonel during the American Civil War. He was a brigade commander at the battles of Pea Ridge and Stones River where he was killed in action. Biography Schaefer was born in the Grand D ...

. The regiment was attached to 5th Brigade, Army of Southwest Missouri, Department of Missouri, November 1861 to February 1862. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, Army of Southwest Missouri, to May 1862. 2nd Brigade, 5th Division,

Army of the Mississippi Army of the Mississippi was the name given to two Union armies that operated around the Mississippi River, both with short existences, during the American Civil War. History 1862 The first army was created on February 23, 1862, with Maj. Gen ...

, to September 1862. 35th Brigade, 11th Division,

Army of the Ohio The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863. History 1st Army of the Ohio General Orders No. 97 appointed Maj. Gen. Do ...

, to October 1862. 35th Brigade, 11th Division, III Corps, Army of the Ohio, to November 1862. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, Right Wing,

XIV Corps 14 Corps, 14th Corps, Fourteenth Corps, or XIV Corps may refer to: * XIV Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars * XIV Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army prior to and during World ...

Army of the Cumberland The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio. History The origin of the Army of the Cumberland dates back to the creation ...

, to January 1863. 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, XX Corps, to October 1863. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, IV Corps, to October 1864.

Detailed service

Moved to Jefferson City, Mo., September 1861. Fremont's Campaign against Springfield, Mo., October 4-November 8. Moved to Rolla, Mo., November 8, and duty there until February 1862. Curtis' Campaign against Price in Missouri and Arkansas February and March. Advance on Springfield, Mo., February 2–11. Pursuit of Price into Arkansas February 14–29. Battles of Pea Ridge, Ark., March 6, 7 and 8. March to Batesville April 5-May 3. Moved to Cape Girardeau, Mo., May 11–22; thence to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., May 23–26. Advance on and siege of Corinth, Miss., May 27–30. Pursuit to Booneville May 31-June 6. At Rienzi until August 26. Moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, August 26-September 4; thence to Louisville September 17–19. Pursuit of Bragg into Kentucky October 1–16. Battle of Perryville, Ky., October 8. March to Nashville, Tenn., October 16-November 7, and duty there until December 26. Reconnaissance to Mill Creek November 27. Advance on Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 26–30. Battle of Stones River December 30–31, 1862 and January 1–3, 1863. At Murfreesboro until June. Expedition toward Columbia March 4–14. Tullahoma Campaign June 23-July 7. Fairfield June 27 and 29. Estill Springs July 2. Occupation of middle Tennessee until August 16. Reconnaissance from Cowan to Anderson July 11–14. Passage of Cumberland Mountains and Tennessee River and Chickamauga Campaign August 16-September 22. Battle of Chickamauga September 19–20. Siege of Chattanooga September 24-November 23. Chattanooga-Ringgold Campaign November 23–27. Orchard Knob November 23–24. Missionary Ridge November 25. Pursuit to Graysville November 26–27. March to relief of Knoxville November 28-December 8. Campaign in eastern Tennessee December 1863 to February 1864. Charleston, Tenn., December 28, 1863. About Dandridge January 16–17, 1864. Moved to Chattanooga, thence to Cleveland, Tenn., and duty there until May. Demonstrations on Rocky Faced Ridge and Dalton, Ga., May 8–13. Buzzard's Roost Gap May 8–9. Assigned to garrison duty at Dalton, Ga., May 14 to September. Action at Dalton August 14–15. The 2nd Missouri Infantry was mustered out of service on October 1, 1864.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 188 men during service; 6 officers and 85 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 3 officers and 94 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel

- in brigade command at Pea Ridge and Stones River; killed at Stones River *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

Bernard Laiboldt Bernard Laiboldt or Bernard Laibold (b. 1827) commanded the 2nd Missouri Volunteer Infantry in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Born in Germany, Laiboldt came to the United States with his family as a child. He joined a Missouri infant ...

- commanded at the battles of Pea Ridge, Stones River, Missionary Ridge, Calhoun (Tenn.), Rocky Face Ridge, and Second Dalton. *

Francis Ehrler - commanded at the battle of Stones River * Major Arnold Beck - commanded at the battle of Chickamauga *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Walter Hoppe, Company H - commanded at the battle of Perryville where he was killed in action

Notes

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * {{CWR

External links

The Missouri Civil War Museum
and a discussion of ethnic Germans in early war Missouri units Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1864 Units and formations of the Union Army from Missouri 1861 establishments in Missouri