mustering out of Battalion Adjutants

[billmatt04]

Hello all!
As I was doing some research for a college term paper I came across a book called Army Life of an Illinois Soldier and it was a collection of letters and diary entries of Charles W. Wills, who at one point in his military career was the Battalion Adjutant of the Seventh Illinois Cavalry. But I came across something startling to me in the books introduction. On page six it states that "When by order of the War Department in 1862 all Battalion Adjutants were mustered out of service, [Wills] returned home . . . ." Why did the War Department do this? I had never heard of this before so if anyone outh there could enlighten me on this I would be much obliged.

Sincerely,
Matthew Cassady
Pvt. 104th IL Vol. Inf.

[RJSamp]

mustering out of CAVALRY Battalion Adjutants

1. you are talking about Cavalry here, not an Infantry regiment.

2. I've got the quote somewhere besides my bugle call book on cavalry, but basically the makeup of a cavalry regiment changed several (3 or 4) times during the American Civil War.

3. Specifically what your quote is alluding to is the elimination of Battalion Staff (farrier, saddler, two trumpeters, adjustant, etc.). If memory serves this was part of the 1862 reorg.

Recall that a full strength Cavalry Regiment had
12 companies under the command of a Captain. 2 buglers, farrier, saddler, 1st Lt.
The companies were grouped into Squadrons of two companies each (equivalent to an Infantry division (and not a Division)).
And two squadrons were grouped to form a Battalion under the command of a Major.

Three battalions of 4 companies, 2 squadrons each, commanded by a Major.

There was still an Adjutant at the Regimental level, 1 per regiment, just like the Infantry.

email me at rjsamp@ameritech.net and I'll look up the reorgs for you, it's a 2 page Word document..... for a confusing read on this Kautz' "Customs of Service" goes over the reorgs in a rather slaphazard fashion....

RJ Samp (your 1st Illinois Bugler and always at the 104th's service!)