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Contributed by: Don Dixon My great, great, grandfather (William Dixon) served during the Civil War on the Union side for a few days. He was in the 45th regiment, Company E. Enrolled Missouri Militia. I did a quick search of the 45th regiment of the Missouri Militia during the war and the internet said it was a Confederate unit -- and I knew something was wrong. First of all, I was sure a poor farmer in Putnam County would have little sympathy for the Confederacy. Plus, I had a copy of his microfilmed discharge record that said he'd elisted on the side of the Union. So, I spent all day checking out old newspaper accounts, magazine articles, texts, etc. through the internet looking for histories of Missouri Civil War Militias. The actual STATE militia of Missouri became a Confederate unit when the war started -- and that unit did have a 45th regiment. But, what my great, great, grandfather enlisted for was called the "Enrolled Missouri Militia". I'm quoting this hit and miss from sources I found -- "In the summer of 1862, Confederate Colonel Joseph Porter began recruiting behind Federal lines in northeast Missouri. As the population began to become more and more alarmed by the Rebel force in it's mist and it became evident the Union army was streched too thin to be at all places at all times, the powers-that-be sought a solution. The solution was not to be had by funding a full-time force that would constantly be in service, instead the solution was to create a force of part-time citizen soldiers that would be called out in times of emergency -- and only have to be paid during those specific times of danger. So, the solution was the "Enrolled Missouri Militia". General Schofield directed every able bodied men to report to their nearest military outpost to enroll.". Of course -- some did, some didn't, and some chose to join the Confederate army. My great, great, grandfather (William Dixon) enlisted in Unionville in August 1862, & released in November. He was called again in 1864 and released later that same year. All in all, he was paid for 16 days of service. |