Alan J. Pitts
University Cadets
Tue Feb 27 07:00:39 2001


In contrast to the state militia and most home guards, the cadets must be treated as a combat formation. There are several reasons, including their deployment to various points in the state during 1864, their actions in defense of the Uinversity in 1865 as well as their earlier use as individual drillmasters.

In contrast, the state militia occasionally provided officers who mustered troops into state service. Prior to passage of the Conscript Act, Gov. Shorter evidently used the militia as measure of how many men he could reasonably expect to fall into Confederate service. As you know, when Henry and Donelson fell in February 1862, Shorter called for twelve thousand volunteers to go to Johnston's aid. I've seen documents somewhere to the effect that if a certain number of men didn't volunteer, he would place drafts of certain beats to make up the deficiency. But there was still no thought of calling up militia units themselves and sending them to Tennessee.

I still remember a letter written on April 7, 1862 by a militia officer in Barbour County. He was complaining about having to appear for drill when crops needed attention. Of course while he wrote, his fellow citizens were drenching the ground with their blood at Shiloh.

It would be useful for researchers to know where state militia units were based and who the officers were. The ADAH has those files; I just haven't worked with them very much [yet].






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