- Home Guard (Union)
In the
American Civil War the Home Guard or Home Guards were local militia raised from Union loyalists.Missouri
In
Missouri after the start of the Civil War there were several competing organizations attempting to either take the state out of the Union or keep the state within it. Home Guard companies and regiments were raised by Union supporters, particularly German-Americans to oppose the secessionist leaning Missouri State Militia (later theMissouri State Guard and secessionist paramilitary Minutemen. Many of the Home Guard regiments were raised from pre-existingWide Awakes , a paramilitary militia that was very active inSt. Louis .Once actual hostilities began in the state in June 1861, Union loyalists in areas outside of St. Louis were organized and mobilized by
Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon to oppose GovernorClaiborne Jackson 's Missouri State Guard which was forming at the same time. One of these regiments, the Benton County Home Guards, was defeated by a battalion of Missouri State Guards at the Battle of Cole Camp. [Cole Camp Communitiy, "Here We Speak Low German", 1989, pages 181-189]In late 1861 and early 1862 the Home Guard were replaced by Unionist militia regiments including the new
Missouri State Militia (Union) as well as the compulsoryEnrolled Missouri Militia in July 1862 and theProvisional Enrolled Missouri Militia formed later.Iowa
Iowa Home Guard companies provided border defense along the Missouri border during the Civil War. During the Battle of Athens, Missouri, Iowa Home Guard companies on the other side of the
Des Moines River protected the supply depots.Kentucky
Kentucky Home Guard participated in the
Battle of Barbourville , Kentucky in September 1861 as well as theBattle of Camp Wildcat and many other skirmishes.Indian Territory
Union volunteer infantry regiments known as the Indian Home Guard were recruited from the
Five Civilized Tribes in theIndian Territory . Although the tribal leadership had supported the Confederacy, many of the tribal members did not.
=References=External links
* http://www.civilwarstlouis.com/History/HomeGuard.htm
* http://members.aol.com/hrftx/BCHG.htm
* http://home.usmo.com/~momollus/MOREG/HG.htm
* http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~cappscreek/mohghistory.html
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