The Temporary Soldiers
Brenda Kellow
February 13, 2011
Men too old or too young served to protect the citizens of their town or immediate area since the 17th century. The Junior Reserves took boys 16-17 years old and the Senior Reserves included men 45-50 years old. These units were sometimes referred to as that of old men and boys. The militia fit into this group as well as the home guard, junior reserves and senior reserves. The reserves protected the railroads, bridges, outlaw attacks, Indian raids, pirate attacks, tracked down and arrested deserters and as prison guards while the regular military were away. They were seldom trained as well as the military. They did not go through the rigid training the military did. Their purpose or job was to be mobilized immediately as the need arose.
Some of the temporary soldiers became well trained. A few counties outfitted the volunteers in uniforms. They were known as elite soldiers and they were some of the first volunteers to be called into service at the beginning of the Civil War.
It is a myth that the dividing line between the states denotes clearly either Confederate or Union. This was even true in counties within the states. Some of those who changed sides slipped through the lines to enlist or just registered when recruiters came to their towns.
Many of the temporary soldiers wore their regular clothes and carried their own guns, but seldom were they called into military service. Few had uniforms. If there were uniforms then each company chose their own colors. They chose many different colors, but some chose navy blue uniforms and others grey. At the beginning of the Civil War, this became noticeable. In this war, the color of the uniform was important. As a result, many of them died during friendly fire because of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
In the home guard, ministers, governors, judges, legislators, registers of deeds, court clerks and county sheriffs were exempt.
Those skilled workers such as ironworkers and shipbuilders, sometimes called detail men, served in the Artisan Companies. The majority of these men were in Richmond.
Not all the temporary soldiers show up in Civil War rosters, although some may have a few of the Home Guard scattered throughout. This makes it necessary to be creative in researching these. Look in local sources, county and state histories, diaries, and manuscript collections. Another source are newspaper editorials, complaints about the various companies, announcements giving future drill days, and the time the surgeon examines the men applying for health deferments from service.
Also, check in state archives for records of Civil War governors’ papers, the state adjutant general’s department, letters, rolls and telegrams pertaining to the Home Guard and militia.
Most importantly, always check the pension records. Confederate records are held by each individual state. Sometimes, there are pensions for the Home Guard and militia within those records. As mentioned earlier, those called to guard the prisons should be within the prison records. The Union recruited Confederate prisoners who would take the oath of allegiance to the United States to join the Union forces. On both sides, it was valuable to enlist locals as guides and scouts, river pilots.
Researching the small numbers of temporary soldiers is a difficult task, but not impossible. By doing so, you might just fill in that missing puzzle pieces of your family history.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].
Some of the temporary soldiers became well trained. A few counties outfitted the volunteers in uniforms. They were known as elite soldiers and they were some of the first volunteers to be called into service at the beginning of the Civil War.
It is a myth that the dividing line between the states denotes clearly either Confederate or Union. This was even true in counties within the states. Some of those who changed sides slipped through the lines to enlist or just registered when recruiters came to their towns.
Many of the temporary soldiers wore their regular clothes and carried their own guns, but seldom were they called into military service. Few had uniforms. If there were uniforms then each company chose their own colors. They chose many different colors, but some chose navy blue uniforms and others grey. At the beginning of the Civil War, this became noticeable. In this war, the color of the uniform was important. As a result, many of them died during friendly fire because of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
In the home guard, ministers, governors, judges, legislators, registers of deeds, court clerks and county sheriffs were exempt.
Those skilled workers such as ironworkers and shipbuilders, sometimes called detail men, served in the Artisan Companies. The majority of these men were in Richmond.
Not all the temporary soldiers show up in Civil War rosters, although some may have a few of the Home Guard scattered throughout. This makes it necessary to be creative in researching these. Look in local sources, county and state histories, diaries, and manuscript collections. Another source are newspaper editorials, complaints about the various companies, announcements giving future drill days, and the time the surgeon examines the men applying for health deferments from service.
Also, check in state archives for records of Civil War governors’ papers, the state adjutant general’s department, letters, rolls and telegrams pertaining to the Home Guard and militia.
Most importantly, always check the pension records. Confederate records are held by each individual state. Sometimes, there are pensions for the Home Guard and militia within those records. As mentioned earlier, those called to guard the prisons should be within the prison records. The Union recruited Confederate prisoners who would take the oath of allegiance to the United States to join the Union forces. On both sides, it was valuable to enlist locals as guides and scouts, river pilots.
Researching the small numbers of temporary soldiers is a difficult task, but not impossible. By doing so, you might just fill in that missing puzzle pieces of your family history.
Brenda Kellow has a bachelor's degree in history, teaches, and lectures on genealogy. Before retiring to publish her family’s histories in 2007, Brenda held certification as a Certified Genealogist and as a Certified Genealogical Instructor. Send reunion announcements, books to review, and genealogy queries to: [email protected].