provisions of Special Orders, No. 98," headquarters District of Missouri, dated September 1, 1862, authorizing the muster out of the Reserve Corps regiments.

Fourth Regiment. This regiment was organized at St. Louis, Mo., during the months of September and October, 1861, and was mustered out of service January 13, 1862, apparently under the provisions of General Orders, No. 25 of December 14, 1861, headquarters Department of the Missouri.

b

Fifth Regiment. This regiment was organized at St. Louis, Mo., from September to December, 1861, and was consolidated with certain independent companies to form the Fifth Missouri Volunteers. The companies originally forming the Reserve Corps regiment were mustered out of service November 22, 1862, under the provisions of Special Orders, No. 98," headquarters District of Missouri, dated September 1, 1862, authorizing the muster out of the Reserve Corps regi

ments.

Gasconade County Battalion.-This battalion was organized at Hermann, Mo., from October, 1861, to January, 1862. It was consolidated with the Third Infantry, United States Reserve Corps, to form the Fourth Missouri Volunteers, which latter regiment was mustered out of service February 1, 1863, apparently under the provisions of Special Orders, No. 98, headquarters District of Missouri, dated September 1, 1862, authorizing the muster out of the Reserve Corps regiments. Krekel's Battalion.-This battalion was organized at St. Louis, Mo., during the month of August, 1861. It was mustered out of service January 8, 1862, apparently under the provisions of General Orders, No. 25, of December 14, 1861, headquarters Department of the Missouri.

Van Horn's Battalion. This battalion was organized at Kansas City, Mo., during the months of June, July, and August, 1861, under authority of General Lyon. It was captured and paroled at Lexington, Mo., September 20, 1861, and the greater portion of the enlisted men were mustered out of service October 29, 1861. The remaining members were consolidated with the Thirteenth Regiment Missouri Infantry in December, 1861, the consolidated force forming the Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry. No claim appears to have been made by members of this regiment for discharge under the orders directing the muster out of the United States Reserve Corps regiments.

Dietrich's Independent Company. This company was organized at Manchester, Mo., August 15, 1861. It was mustered out of service February 3, 1862, apparently under the provisions of General Orders, No. 25,5 of December 14, 1861, headquarters Department of the Missouri.

King's Independent Company.-This company was organized at Franklin, Mo., during the months of September and October, 1861. It was mustered out of service January 23, 1862, apparently under the provisions of General Orders, No. 25, of December 14, 1861, headquarters Department of the Missouri.

b

The status of the United States Reserve Corps accepted into the service for the period of three years was that of Missouri volunteers in the service of the United States. It formed a part of the military establishment of the United States during the short period of its bOrder quoted on page 106.

"Order quoted on page 112.

existence. Its history has been given somewhat in detail and at considerable length, especially with regard to individual organizations, because the peculiar conditions of acceptance, the incidents of service, and the cause of disbandment may be of importance in the determination of questions that may arise relative to the rights of officers and enlisted men, or their representatives, under the bounty and pension laws and the statutes with regard to travel-pay, and other allowances. These questions, however, are not within the jurisdiction of the War Department, except so far as they involve questions with regard to military status or service.

As shown in this report, the United States Reserve Corps organizations, three years' service, were one battalion of cavalry, one regiment of artillery, and five regiments, three battalions, and two independent companies of infantry.

THREE YEARS' VOLUNTEERS.

Like the Missouri militia of 1861, the three years' volunteers accepted into the service from that State during the early period of the civil war were enrolled and organized under the supervision of the United States military authorities. No specific authority for their organization has been found of record, but that such authority was given is shown by the recorded correspondence. In a letter dated May 24, 1861, addressed to the Secretary of War, Col. F. P. Blair, jr. (colonel of the First Missouri Militia, three months' service), referred to "the four regiments assigned to Missouri for three years' service," and to an "order requiring two-thirds of the officers to be appointed by the governor of the State," which order he said would not be complied with, and the Government could not accept officers appointed by a traitor under any circumstances." Following is a copy of Colonel Blair's letter:

Hon. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War:

ST. LOUIS, MO., May 24, 1861.

The four regiments assigned to Missouri for three years' service can easily be raised, but the order requiring two-thirds of the officers to be appointed by the governor of the State will not be complied with, and the Government could not accept officers appointed by a traitor under any circumstances.

As the brigade will be under command of General Lyon, will it not be best to allow him to nominate the officers, subject to the approval of the President? Send him the order by telegraph immediately.

[Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. III, pp. 375, 376.]

Under date of June 1, 1861, Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, who had succeeded to the command of the Department of the West, addressed a letter to the President in which (subscribing himself as commanding the arsenal at St. Louis) he referred to "four regiments for the three years service" as the quota of the State of Missouri, and recommended the acceptance of the American Zouave Corps," of St. Louis, as an additional regiment. This letter is as follows:

His Excellency ABRAHAM LINCOLN,

President of the United States.

ARSENAL, St. Louis, June 1, 1861.

DEAR SIR: The "American Zouave Corps," of St. Louis, composed of some of the best young men of the city, have earnestly entreated me to receive them into the United States service, which I regret I have not the power to do.

I have referred them to Your Excellency, and Charles P. Johnson, esq., one of their number, visits Washington City for the purpose of tendering the services of the regiment to the Administration for such time as may be required by the public neces

sities. You can place full reliance upon the representations of Lieutenant Johnson, and I trust I may be permitted to hope that the tender of this valuable corps, coming as it does from this locality, will be accepted at once. If more than four regiments for the three years' service are to be accepted from this State, it is important this should be known, and how many, as five regiments have already offered besides the above. At the request of parties interested the above is submitted to the President.

Very respectfully,

[503 W, A. G. O., 1861.]

N. LYON,

Brigadier-General of Volunteers, Commanding.

A similar letter was addressed to the President on the same day by Colonel Blair. These letters were indorsed by the President as follows:

I think the Zouave regiment ought to be received, for moral effect as well as for military purposes. It will be a counterpoise to the prejudice against the Germans. I refer the case to you [Attorney-General] and Mr. Blair, as the special committee on Missouri.

June 6, 1861.

[Ibid.]

A letter on the subject of the existing "prejudice against the Germans," referred to in the President's indorsement, had been previously addressed to the Secretary of War by Brig. Gen. William S. Harney, General Lyon's predecessor in the command of the Department of .the West. This letter, dated May 15, 1861, in which General Harney recommended the organization of a regiment to consist "exclusively of Irishmen," was indorsed by Colonel Blair, who concurred in General Harney's recommendation. Following is a copy of the letter and indorsement:

Hon. SIMON CAMERON, Secretary of War:

EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL., May 15, 1861.

I think it of the utmost importance that an additional regiment, consisting exclusively of Irishmen, should be raised in St. Louis. It will at once settle matters in St. Louis and do away with the prejudice against the Government troops, which consist almost exclusively of Germans.

WM. S. HARNEY, Brigadier-General, Commanding.

I concur in the importance and policy of General Harney's recommendations, and believe that it will end our troubles here and enable our troops to do service elsewhere.

FRANK P. BLAIR, Jr., Colonel First Regiment Missouri Volunteers.

[Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. III, pp. 373-374.]

No record has been found of a reply to General Harney's letter of May 15, 1861, or to Colonel Blair's letter of May 24, 1861, but on June 7, 1861, the Secretary of War addressed General Lyon as follows:

Brig. Gen. N. LYON,

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 7, 1861.

Commanding Missouri Volunteers, St. Louis.

GENERAL: You are directed to muster in for the war the regiment known as the "American Zouaves," Morgan L. Smith, colonel.

In explanation of orders heretofore given, it is proper to say that it was intended to allow all the men already in service in Missouri to be mustered in for the war, or others to be received in lieu of them for that term.

[503 W., A. G. O., 1861.]

SIMON CAMERON.

It will be seen that, although the original "orders" or instructions have not been discovered, the military authorities at St. Louis were authorized to receive into the service of the United States for the three years' term all of the militia and United States Reserve Corps troops then in service, or their equivalent, numbering upward of 10,000 men. This authority was evidently given under the President's call of May 3, 1861, for 42,034 volunteers. The question as to the appointment of officers, raised in Colonel Blair's letter of May 24, 1861, appears to have been ignored.

The organization of volunteer regiments for the long term was at once begun, the First Missouri Militia being reorganized during the month of June, 1861, and accepted into service for the period of three years under authority of General Lyon, by whom authority was also given for the organization of a number of new regiments. The work thus begun by General Lyon was continued by his successor, Maj. Gen. John C. Frémont, who, on July 25, 1861, assumed command of the newly created Western Department.

Under date of August 5, 1861, the governor of the State, under the new State government, was authorized by the War Department to raise 15 regiments-10 of infantry, 3 of cavalry, and 2 of artillery. This authority, which was evidently given under the acts of July 22 and 25, 1861, was conveyed in a letter of which the following is a

copy:

His Excellency H. R. GAMBLE.

WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, August 5, 1861.

SIR: Hon. F. P. Blair, jr., has tendered to this department 15 additional regiments, to be organized in Missouri, for the several arms of the service, as hereinafter stated. You are therefore authorized and empowered to raise and organize the 15 regiments referred to-10 regiments of infantry, 3 regiments of cavalry, and 2 regiments of artillery-for the service of the United States, to serve for three years or during the

war.

This department will exercise the right to revoke the commissions of all officers who may be found incompetent for the proper discharge of their duties. You will promptly advise Adjutant-General Thomas, at Washington, the date at which your men will be ready for mustering, and he will detail an officer for that purpose, who will be instructed to muster by companies.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

THOMAS A. SCOTT.

[Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series III, Vol. I, p. 388.] It does not appear that any action was taken by the State officials under this authority, the organization of Missouri troops, undertaken by Generals Lyon and Frémont, being continued by the latter after the reorganization of the State government and up to the time he was relieved from command, the officers being designated or appointed by him, notwithstanding the existence of a loyal State government, it appearing that, for some reason, the governor had declined to commission the officers.

Besides creating numerous Home Guard and United States Reserve Corps organizations, treated in this paper under separate heads, General Frémont, immediately upon his assumption of the command of the Western Department, proceeded to authorize the organization of a large force of volunteer troops, aggregating, with those previously authorized by General Lyon, about thirty regiments, besides independent companies and battalions. The irregularities of his administration in the organization of corps not authorized by law, the accept