R. Hugh Simmons
12th Louisiana Ordnance Sergeant
Thu Apr 19 09:52:51 2001


I am writing a regimental history of the 12th Louisiana Infantry and have done considerable research on the more than 1,750 men who served in this regiment at some time during the war. One of my primary sources has been the Compiled Military Service Records available on microfilm from the National Archives.

The 12th Louisiana Infantry was initially formed at Camp Moore, Louisiana on August 13, 1861 from independent volunteer companies which had enrolled in state service in their home parishes [counties] in July and early August of that year and reported to Camp Moore. The regiment was promptly sent by rail to Union City, Tennessee. Armed at Camp Moore, they were one of three regiments marched into Columbus, Kentucky on September 3, 1861 to occupy that strategic position overlooking the Mississippi River.

A resident of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana before the war, Joseph W. BORING enrolled as a private on October 23, 1861 at Columbus, Kentucky to serve with the Claiborne Rangers [eventually Company L] in the 12th Louisiana Infantry. He was appointed Regimental Quartermaster Clerk on November 25, 1862.

Boring was appointed Regimental Ordnance Sergeant on May 25, 1863 to replace George B. Graham who was trapped inside the siege lines at Vicksburg. Captured and paroled at Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, Graham went home to Louisiana to await exchange. Unable to report into parole camp for exchange at the end of August 1864, he died of disease at home on January 20, 1865.

Boring was detailed to serve as Brigade Ordnance Officer by Colonel Thomas M. Scott on March 1, 1864. Private John Thomas Neely from the Claiborne Rangers [now Company L] was promoted to "Acting Ordnance Sergeant" of the 12th Louisiana Infantry to replace Boring. There are receipts in Neely's file signed by him and by Boring in these new capacities dated March 31, 1864.

Scott successfully exercised temporary brigade command on several occasions in 1862 and 1863. He was given formal command of his own brigade at the end of February 1864. His promotion to brigadier general was effective May 10, 1864.

Boring's and Neely's promotions appear to have never been officially made permanent. Boring was carried on several corps and division level staff officer reports throughout 1864 including one dated December 8, 1864 "near Nashville" as "Acting Ordnance Officer" of Scott's Brigade dating from March 3, 1864. The company muster roll for the final surrender at Greensboro, North Carolina at the end of April 1865 shows him present at the rank of private.

John Thomas Neely was also carried on these final surrender rolls for the company as present at the rank of private. This indicates to me that neither Boring or Neely was ever officially transferred to Field & Staff for the regiment or brigade. My research into this regiment's records indicates that when other promotions were officially recognized, the names were dropped from the company muster rolls and transferred to separate Field & Staff muster rolls.

However, in the Official Records [Series I, Volume XLVII, Part III, p. 865], Lowry's Brigade Ordnance Officer, Lieutenant J. "M." BORING [1st or 2nd lieutenant not stated], turned in 576 small arms and 450 sets of accouterments at Greensboro, North Carolina on April 30, 1865. The 12th Louisiana Infantry had survived the war intact as a unit and was assigned to Lowry's Brigade in the April 9, 1865 reorganization at Smithfield, North Carolina. Knowing that a cursive "W" can be often confused for a cursive or script "M", it is a straight line conclusion for me that Joe Boring was transferred from Acting Ordnance Officer of Scott's Brigade to the same position in Lowry's re-organized brigade at Smithfield.