The 5th Missouri Infantry Regiment evolved from a network of several unofficial pro-Unionist militia groups 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 Fifth 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, the 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. Upon entry into Federal service the members of the Fifth Missouri elected C. E. Solomon colonel of the regiment.Rombaur, Robert Julius, ''The Union Cause in St. Louis in 1861'', St. Louis, St. Louis Municipal Centennial Year, 1909, p407

Military service

After the breakdown of negotiations between Missouri 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 General

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 ...

on June 12, 1861, the Third Missouri was part of a complex movement against the Missouri State Guard. One force, under Brigadier General Lyon moved up the Missouri River by steamer, to capture the State capital at

Jefferson City 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 principa ...

. A second brigade, composed of the 3rd and 5th Missouri and two batteries of artillery moved into southwest Missouri under the overall command of Colonel Sigel, to cut off any

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 ...

troops which might move south before Lyon's advance. Colonel Sigel took his force to Rolla, thence to

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, arriving on June 25. They marched to Neosho (June 26–30) and were forced to retreat to Mt. Vernon in the face of a large force of State Guardsmen. On July 5, Sigel's force of 1,100 met 4,000 State Guardsmen (and 2,000 unarmed Guard recruits) at the Battle of Carthage. Confronted with the large force of Guardsmen Sigel retreated in good order into

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...

and successfully disengaged and retreated back to Sarcoxie that night. The Fifth Missouri joined with General Lyon's force at Springfield, and participated in the August 10

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 ...

. The Fifth was again part of a brigade (with the Third Missouri) under Colonel Sigel. Sigel's 2nd Brigade initially had significant success, attacking Confederate cavalry on the southeast corner of the southern camps (at the Sharp Farm). After driving off these southern troops, Sigel halted his brigade across the Wire Road, above Skeeg's Branch (Creek). However, Sigel positioned his artillery badly (behind the military crest of the ridge) and cautioned his men against accidentally firing on Federal troops he expected to be advancing south down the Wire Road (the 1st Iowa Infantry was uniformed in grey). At this point, Confederate Brigadier

Ben McCulloch Brigadier-General Benjamin McCulloch (November 11, 1811 – March 7, 1862) was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a major-general in the Texas militia and thereafter a major in the United States Army (United States Volunteers) d ...

lead an attack south down the Wire Road, with the respected Third Louisiana Infantry in the fore. Skirmishers, officers, and Sigel himself mistook the Louisiana troops for the Iowa infantry allowing them to advance to point blank range before they delivering a devastating volley into the confused Federal troops. Sigel shouted "they make a mistake" as his brigade was overrun. The majority of the shattered Fifth Missouri escaped, and eventually rejoined the Federal force retreating to Springfield, and then back to Rolla. From there the regiment was ordered back to St. Louis to be demobilized. The all companies of the regiment were mustered out by August 27, 1861. The regiment does not share lineage with the 5th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (3 Years Service), which was subsequently organized in March 1862.

Casualties

Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 24 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 32. Enlisted men by disease. Total 58.

Notes

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * * Piston, William Garrett and Richard W. Hatcher III, ''Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It''. The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. {{ISBN, 978-0-8078-2515-0

External links

*External link the Missouri Civil War Museum and a discussion of ethnic Germans in early war Missouri units, https://web.archive.org/web/20120303013738/http://www.mcwm.org/history_germans.html
Article discussing role of ethnic Germans during the Missouri Secession Crisis
German-American history German-American culture in Missouri German-American culture in St. Louis Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1861 Units and formations of the Union Army from Missouri 1861 establishments in Missouri