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Military Impressions
Military impressions must appear as a typical soldier of the American Civil War’s Western Theater late 1862, preferably in the Kentucky Campaign. These impressions must be maintained during the entire event. Battalion Staff will be responsible for enforcing these standards.
The following guidelines will serve for all branches of service and must be followed by all military participants. Uniforms for all branches must be made of period styles and be made from materials closely resembling period fabrics and using tailoring techniques appropriate to Union and Confederate armies in 1862. Participants should not portray officers above the rank of captain without specific appointment from the military commanders.
Unit Impressions
7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment (The Bloody Seventh)
The 7th Arkansas Volunteer Infantry was raised by Colonel Robert Glenn “Fighting Bob” Shaver in the spring and summer of 1861. Men enlisted from White, Jackson, Randolph, Izard, Fulton, Lawrence, Marion, and Independence counties in north western Arkansas. They were mustered into service at camp Shaver near Bettis Bluff, Arkansas. At muster, the regiment contained over 1,200 officers and men. During the first few month of the war, the regiment was called “The Ragged Seventh” because of their ragged civilian clothing and rough appearance. The regiment saw service at Columbus and Bowling Green in Kentucky, and on the evacuation of the latter place by General Albert Sidney Johnston in February of 1862, the 7th acted as the rear guard. At Shiloh, Shaver was the brigade commander. The 7th attacked with Lieutenant Colonel Deane in command and the field music (Fifes and Drums) playing “Granny, will Your Dog Bite?” Colonel Shaver had four horses shot from under him and was badly wounded by a shell on the second day of the fight. They also went into Shiloh armed with flintlocks and shotguns. They were re-armed with M1863 Enfields that were captured. After Shiloh, the regiment became forever known as “The Bloody Seventh”. They were down to 300 men by the time of the battle of Perryville 6 months later.
52nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Dan McCook’s Regiment)
The 52nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, in August, 1862 under Colonel Dan McCook. They were mustered into service on August 22nd, 1862. It immediately went to the field, leaving their camp on August 25th by train to Cincinnati. Here, it was presented with a silk National flag inscribed “McCook’s Avengers” in reference to the murder of Robert McCook, Dan’s brother. That afternoon, the regiment crossed the Ohio River into Covington, KY. They had 981 men, 14 field and staff officers, and 28 line officers for a total of 1,019 men. They then went to Lexington, Kentucky by rail. They arrived there on the morning of the 26th. The regiment retreated from Lexington after the Battle of Richmond, KY to Louisville (Arriving there on September 6th) where the regiment was attached to the 36th Brigade, 11th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October, 1862. The regiment was engaged at the Battle of Perryville in the fighting on Peter’s Hill.
6th Kentucky Cavalry CS
This regiment was recruited during the summer of 1862. It consisted of local men from Mercer, Lincoln and Boyle Counties. At Perryville the regiment saw action with Wheeler’s Cavalry Brigade in the vicinity of the Lebanon Turnpike. They later served with John Hunt Morgan’s cavalry. The majority of the regiment was captured at Buffington Island. This will be the impression of all the Confederate cavalry.
2nd Michigan Cavalry
This regiment was organized at Detroit, Michigan and mustered into service on October 2, 1861. The Regiment served in siege operations against New Madrid, Missouri, March 3-14, 1862. It was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky in September 1862 and was engaged in the pursuit of Bragg’s Army of Mississippi. The regiment was involved in skirmishing with Confederate rear guard on October 6-7 and was involved in a skirmish near “Pottsville” against Joseph Wheeler’s Cavalry, a few miles west of Peter’s Hill. At the Battle of Perryville on October 8, it had 4 men killed, 13 wounded for a total of 17. They were armed with Colt Revolving Rifles and Allen and Wheelock Revolvers. This will be the impression of all Union Cavalry.
Swett’s Mississippi Battery
The Warren Light Artillery was organized at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in May, 1861, with men from Warren County. They were armed with four (4) 6pdr field guns. They fought heavily at Shiloh, claiming to have fired both the first and last shots of the battle. They listed 73 men in the company on April 26, 1862. On July 24th 1862, the battery and other artillery of Hardee’s command started for Chattanooga, (the infantry going by rail) which was reached on August 19th. On the 26th, the battery was assigned to Liddell’s Brigade. Captain Charles Swett was not present at the battle, probably sick. At Perryville the battery was commanded by his brother-in-law, 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Havern.
Battery "I," 2nd Regiment Illinois Light Artillery
This battery was organized from units raised by Charles W. Keith, of Joliet and Henry B. Plant, of Peoria. Battery I was mustered into service at Camp Butler, some four miles east of Springfield. It was named for William Butler, then State Treasurer of Illinois. The battery participated in Major General Henry W. Halleck's advance toward Corinth, Mississippi. After the evacuation of Corinth, the Battery went into camp at Rienzi, Mississippi for the summer under General Asboth's command. On September 6, the battery moved, by rail, with General Gordon Granger's command to Cincinnati, arriving there on September 12, 1862. The battery then proceeded, also by rail, to Louisville where it was assigned to General Philip Sheridan's division. The battery was armed with 2, 12 pound Napoleons, 2, 6pdr M1841 guns, 3.8", retro-fitted with the "James" Rifling System, and two 10pdr Parrott Rifles that they received in Louisville, just before the campaign. At Perryville the Center Section of Napoleons was sent to the rear to guard the ammunition train and was not engaged. The Left Section had the Parrotts and the Right Section had the “James” rifles. The battery changed position four times during the battle.
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