The 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the "Irish Seventh", was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In 1864 a battalion of veteran volunteers of the "Irish Seventh was consolidated with a sister Irish regiment, the 30th Missouri Volunteer Infantry (the "Shamrock Regiment") and operated as a "demi-brigade" known popularly as the "Missouri Irish Brigade"

Service

The 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment was organized at St. Louis, Missouri, in June 1861 and mustered in for three years service. It was often referred to as the "Irish Seventh" given the large number of Irish immigrants who were enlisted in its ranks. The regiment was a special project supported by the Federal commanders in Missouri, Brigadier General

William S. Harney William Selby Harney (August 22, 1800 – May 9, 1889) was a Tennessee-born cavalry officer in the US Army, who became known during the Indian Wars and the Mexican–American War for his brutality and ruthlessness. One of four general officers ...

and Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon. Most of the volunteers in Missouri's early regiments were German immigrants, and Lyon supported the creation of a regiment recruited from St. Louis' Irish-American population to demonstrate that the Union cause in Missouri had support beyond the German-American community. Many St. Louis Irish (the second largest immigrant community in the city) were ambivalent about the new

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and Federal military action against seceding states. In addition, Irish Americans were strong participants in the pre-war Missouri Volunteer Militia, and many resented the May 10, 1861 Federal

arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...

of the Militia for suspected secession activity. The 7th Missouri was intended to attract ethnic-Irish support by focusing on the Irish community's "ownership" of the regiment, and make a public political statement by demonstrating that there were Irish Unionists in Missouri. Like other ethnically Irish regiments during the Civil War, the "Irish Seventh" carried a distinctive green regimental color. An article in the July 12, 1862 ''Boston Pilot'' described the flag, stating that on one side the flag featured the: "Irish harp, guarded by a savage-looking wolf dog, surrounded by a wreath of shamrocks, surmounted by an American eagle, and supported on either side by flags and other implements of war. A golden halo shoots out and over the whole. On the other side is a 'sunburst' in all its glory, with the Irish war cry as a motto - 'Faj an Bealac! icThe motto on the Seventh Missouri's colors is a variant transliteration of the Gaelic war cry Faugh A Ballagh which is usually translated as "Clear the Way!" and was used by numerous Irish-American units on both sides of the Civil War. The regiment was attached to

Boonville, Missouri Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeated the Missouri Stat ...

, to September 1861. Fremont's Army of the West to February 1862.

Lexington, Missouri Lexington is a city in and the county seat of Lafayette County, Missouri. The population was 4,726 at the 2010 census. Located in western Missouri, Lexington lies approximately east of Kansas City and is part of the Greater Kansas City Metropol ...

, Department of the Missouri, to July 1862. Unattached, Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, Army of the Tennessee, to September 1862. 4th Brigade, 1st Division, District of Jackson Jackson, Tennessee, to November 1862. 4th Brigade, 3rd Division, Left Wing, XIII Corps, Department of the Tennessee, to December 1862. 3rd Brigade, 3rd Division, XVII Corps, to April 1864. Maltby's Brigade, District of

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

, Mississippi, to June 1864. 1st Brigade, District of Memphis, Tennessee, XVI Corps, to August 1864. 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, XIX Corps, Department of the Gulf, to December 1864. The 7th Missouri Volunteer Infantry ceased to exist on December 17, 1864, when it was consolidated with the 30th Missouri Infantry.

Detailed service

Moved to Booneville, Mo., July 1–4, 1861, then to Rolla August 30 and to Syracuse, Mo., October 5–10. Fremont's Campaign against Springfield, Missouri October 21-November 2. Moved to Sedalia, Missouri November 10–14, then to Otterville, Missouri December and duty there until February 1862. Expedition to Blue Springs January 20-February 3, 1862 (Companies B, F, and H detached from regiment November 21, 1861, and ordered to Kansas City. Rejoined regiment at Lexington, Mo., February 1862.) Moved to Lexington, Mo., February 3–10, 1862, and duty there until May 9. Reconnaissance from Greenville, Missouri February 23–24 (Company H). Skirmish at Mingo Creek, near St. Francisville, February 24 (Company H). Moved to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., May 9–14, and guard and fatigue duty there until August 15. Moved to Jackson, Tenn., August 15–29, and duty there until October. Medon Station, Mississippi Central Railroad, August 31. Chewalla and Big Hill October 5. Medon Station October 10. Moved to Corinth with McPherson and to Jackson October 14. To Lagrange November 2. Grant's Central Mississippi Campaign November 2, 1862, to January 10, 1863. At Memphis, Tenn., January 17-February 21. Moved to

Lake Providence, Louisiana Lake Providence is a town in, and the parish seat of, East Carroll Parish in northeastern Louisiana. The population was 5,104 at the 2000 census and declined by 21.8 percent to 3,991 in 2010. The town's poverty rate is approximately 55 percent; ...

, February 21, and duty there until April. Moved to

Milliken's Bend, Louisiana The Battle of Milliken's Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had placed the strategic Mississippi River city of Vicksburg, Mississipp ...

., April 12. Passage of Vicksburg batteries April 22 (detachment). Movement on Bruinsburg, Mississippi and turning Grand Gulf April 25–39. Battle of Port Gibson May 1. Bayou Pierrie May 2. Battles of Raymond May 12. Champion Hill May 16. Big Black River Bridge May 17. Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., May 18-July 4. Assaults on Vicksburg May 19 and 22. Surrender of Vicksburg July 4. Provost duty there until June 1864. Stevenson's Expedition from Vicksburg to

Monroe, Louisiana Monroe (historically french: Poste-du-Ouachita) is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and parish seat of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolita ...

, August 20-September 2, 1863. Expedition toward Canton October 14–22. Bogue Chitto Creek October 17. Expedition from Vicksburg to Sunnyside Landing, Ark., January 10–16, 1864.

Meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

Campaign February 3-March 2.

Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...

February 5. Veterans on furlough March to May. Non-veterans mustered out June 14, 1864. Veterans at Memphis, Tenn., and Vicksburg, Miss., until July 29. Moved to Morganza, La., July 29 and duty there until September 3. Moved to mouth of White River, Ark., September 3–8 and duty there until October 18. Movement to Memphis and return October 18–30. Moved to Duvall's Bluff, Ark., November 9, then to Memphis, Tenn., November 28.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 186 men during service; 4 officers and 52 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 2 officers and 128 enlisted men died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel

John Dunlap Stevenson John Dunlap Stevenson (June 8, 1821 – January 22, 1897) was an American attorney, politician, and soldier in the U.S. Army in two wars. He was a brigadier general of volunteers during the American Civil War. In 1866 he was nominated and confirm ...

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 ...

Edwin Wakefield - commanded at the battle of Raymond *

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 ...

Robert Buchanan - commanded at the battle of Champion Hill and during the siege of Vicksburg * Captain William B. Collins - commanded during the siege of Vicksburg

Notes

References

* Crouch, Jerry Evan. ''Silencing the Vicksburg Guns: The Story of the 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment as Experienced by John Davis Evans, Union Private and Mormon Pioneer'' (Victoria, BC: Trafford), 2005. * Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. ;Attribution * {{CWR

External links

7th Missouri Infantry living history organization
Military units and formations established in 1861 Military units and formations disestablished in 1864 Irish regiments of the United States Army Units and formations of the Union Army from Missouri 1861 establishments in Missouri