Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 24

Thread: Unit Re-designations

  1. #1

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381

    Unit Re-designations

    Some units, mine included, have been re-designated.
    I assume, since I have not heard back from Fancy yet, this is to fall in line with Historical Unit Re-designations but ...

    I can only speak about Cobb's Legion (GA) Infantry and Cavalry, as I have not researched the others, so here is what happened Historically ...
    The Higher Command could not grasp the new and innovative Combined Arms concept so the Legion was disbanded AS A SINGLE UNIT before it saw it's first combat.
    However, the individual units retained their Original Legion designation until 1864.
    Even after they were re-designated 9th GA Cavalry the Officers and Troopers refused to be referred to as anything other than Cobb's Legion Cavalry.
    The Infantry retained their original designation for the length of the war.

    Per the National Park Service ...
    "Cobb's Legion was organized by Howell Cobb during the spring of 1861 and soon moved to Virginia. The legion was composed of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, but did not serve as one command. The artillery company was an independent unit known as the Troup Light Artillery and its history is given under that name.
    The cavalry battalion included men from Richmond, Fulton, and Dougherty counties and contained six companies. Later five more were added and the unit served with eleven until July, 1864.
    At that time one company transferred to Phillips' Georgia Legion. Its strength now totaled 526 officers and men. Also its designation was changed to the 9th Georgia Cavalry, but was rarely used."

    The Book Titled ...
    Cobb's Legion Cavalry: A History and Roster of the Ninth Georgia Volunteers in the Civil War by Harriet Bey Mesic
    contains a History, Final Disposition of it's Troopers and Biographies of the officers and the nearly 1500 men of the regiment.
    There are numerous instances of the rancor and derision this re-designation caused and instances of Refusal to use the new Designation.
    None of which occurred before 1864.

    I hope this info helps.
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  2. #2

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    Perhaps this time line snapshot will be of assistance ...

    Lieutenant Colonel William Gaston Delony was named major on May 23, 1862. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on November 2, 1862. On September 13, 1862, he assumed command of the cavalry battalion after Lieutenant Colonel Young was wounded. He remained second in command of the Legion until mortally wounded and captured at the Battle of Jack's Shop, Virginia, on September 22, 1863, dying on October 2, 1863, in the Stanton Hospital in Washington City as a POW.
    This shows it was still Cobb's Legion Cavalry and not 9th GA Cavalry until AT LEAST September 22nd 1863.

    If further proof is helpful I can list excerpts from ...
    Cobb's Legion Cavalry: A History and Roster of the Ninth Georgia Volunteers in the Civil War
    by Harriet Bey Mesic
    and
    The Legion's Fighting Bulldog: The Civil War Correspondence of William Gaston Delony, Lieutenant Colonel of Cobb's Georgia Legion Cavalry, and Rosa Delony, 1853-1863
    by Vincent Joseph Dooley and Samuel Norman Thomas Jr.

    Both, of which, I own.
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  3. #3

    CSA Major

    John Jones's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    122
    In support of my Regimental Commander (forgive me if I am somewhat biased), I offer the following results of a basic trawl through historical American newspapers for the years 1861 to 1865.

    Chronicling America - Library of Congress online newspapers [Online]. Available at https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

    Search term used - 'Cobb Cavalry'

    Summary of most relevant references references:

    The New York herald., August 08, 1862,
    Records the presence of a Regiment of Cobbs cavalry as one of two at Malvern Hill

    Memphis daily appeal., August 11, 1863
    Reference to Col Pierce Young of the Cobb Cavalry Legion being wounded in the side at Brandy Station

    The daily dispatch., November 24, 1862
    Reference to Cavalry Company A, Cobbs Legion in connection to a runaway slave who had served as a bodyservant.

    The daily confederate., May 13, 1864
    Reference to Cobbs Cavalry arm in connection with casualty lists

    Conversely a search using the terms 'Ninth Georgia Cavalry', '9th Georgia cavalry' and '9th GA cavalry' produced no results.

    The key point to note is the retention of the Cobbs cavalry name in newspaper reports into at least May 1864, and possibly as late as November 1864 (although there may be some confusion with other Cobbs units so I left that one out). There are no newspaper references to the 9th Georgia Cavalry either before or after the apparent change of designation, and, as has been stated by General Cooley, it is almost certain that the cavalry units retained the Cobbs name.

    This was just a quick dip into the archive, and as with all research, things may change as more information comes to light. However, it seems fairly compelling to me that there is little justification for re-designating Cobbs Cavalry as 9th Georgia in September 1862.

    John Jones,
    Sergeant
    Cobbs Legion Company C

  4. #4

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    Great finds Gentlemen ... I thank you for your efforts and knowledge.

    Let me also point out an example from the life of Wade Hampton ...
    On July 28th 1862 he was transferred, as a Brigadier General, to the ANV.
    He assumed command of Cobb's Legion Cavalry, Hampton's Legion Cavalry, The Jeff Davis Legion, 1st North Carolina and 10th Virginia Cavalry.
    Thus, in this example, the War Department was still referring to them as Cobb's Legion Cavalry less than 2 months before the Battle of Antietam.
    Last edited by John Cooley; 06-21-2018 at 06:28 PM.
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  5. #5

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    They were not re-designated 9th GA Volunteer Cavalry, as noted above in S. O. 161, until 11 JUL 1864.

    Seems rather cut and dried to me but ...
    If The WoR Devs wish to re-designate our unit we need to change the recruitment thread title
    FROM
    Cobb's Legion (GA) - Company C - Georgia Troopers - The Grey Ghosts (NA/EU)
    TO
    Cobb's Legion Troop C / 9th GA Cavalry Company C (NA/EU)

    This is because we will follow our unit's historical actions by continuing to call ourselves Troopers of Cobb's Legion Cavalry despite the wishes of Higher Command.
    Thank you
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  6. #6

    USA General of the Army

    Bravescot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Perthshire, Scotland
    Posts
    2,626
    Hey, my company tool is now 13th Penn Reserves. I'm not budging from the 42nd, but am happy to accept the company tool's slightly different name.

  7. #7

    CSA Captain

    Dutchconfederate's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Den Haag / The Hague
    Posts
    376
    Richmond Howitzers Company 1 is not the correct name correct name should be Richmond Howitzers 1st Company part of the battalion 1st 2nd & 3rd company not company 1 2 3 but... yeah thats a small detail I guess compared to Stone and John and their renamed companies..

  8. #8

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    OK then, here come some excerpts from the aforementioned books ...

    In the book titled: Cobb's Legion Cavalry: A History and Roster of the Ninth Georgia Volunteers in the Civil War
    by Harriet Bey Mesic
    March 9th, 1863 General "Lee issued the Order to separate Cobb's Cavalry from Cobb's Infantry into distinct organizations with the objective of raising each to Regimental strength."

    In the book titled: The Legion's Fighting Bulldog: The Civil War Correspondence of William Gaston Delony, Lieutenant Colonel of Cobb's Georgia Legion Cavalry, and Rosa Delony, 1853-1863
    the time line given cites March 30th, 1863 "Confederate Order 104 Officially designates the Legion cavalry as the 9th Georgia Cavalry Regiment".
    It also notes ...
    "The Legion cavalry's members refused to be so designated and continued to refer to themselves as Cobb's Georgia Legion Cavalry and they never adopted or used the official designation."
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  9. #9

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    Not enough?
    Ok then .. let's hear from the Union who fought against Cobb's Cavalry, shall we?

    William N. Pickerill of Co F 3rd Indiana Cavalry wrote the following in his Journal ...
    "The Confederate cavalry, which proved to be the Cobb Legion, dashed through the bars our men had laid down for them and slashed into our rear with their sabers, while a portion of their force fired into us from inside the fence."

    This incident occurred at Quebec Schoolhouse, in Burkittsville Maryland, a mere 3 days before the Battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam).
    Even the Union knew they were called Cobb's (sometimes Cobb) Cavalry, at this point of the war.
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

  10. #10

    USA General of the Army

    John Cooley's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    381
    Further, I realize this is in the Historical Discussion Section but, since there has been no reply from a Dev, perhaps we ought to have it moved to somewhere they might frequent more often?
    Maybe the Suggestions and Ideas Section is more appropriate and visible?
    Thanks
    My Great Great Grandfather, Isaac MacDonal Cooley, served as a Pathfinder Cavalry Scout
    in the 1st Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (Dobbin's) Company K
    My Avatar flies his Unit Guidon to Honor his Service.
    My Credo is a simple one ... Unit before Self with Honor above ALL else.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •