Louisville Home Guard
Encyclopedia
The Louisville Home Guard was a pro-Union
military unit organized early in the American Civil War
in Louisville, Kentucky
. The auxiliary militia
served to help secure supplies of arms and weapons, as well as to patrol the streets and discourage Confederate
sympathizers.
The original Home Guard militia was commanded by John M. Delph
, the mayor of Louisville. When the Confederate states seceded, he demanded the keys to the state magazine to secure the supply of weapons and ammunition from seizure. In the autumn of 1861, various city militia companies were organized into a single battalion under Lovell Rousseau
, but they were not formally mustered into the Union army
and remained under local control. Rousseau resigned on July 10, 1861, to enter Federal service and raise two formal regiment
s at Camp Joe Holt
, including the Louisville Legion
. James Speed
, who would later serve as Attorney General
under President
Abraham Lincoln
, became the new commander of the Louisville Home Guard. Poorly armed and scarcely trained, the guards were mostly for show, but they did man the earthworks and entrenchments around Louisville and help keep the peace.
On September 18, 1861, the Louisville Home Guard (nearly 1000-men strong under the command of Hamilton Pope) and Rousseau's two regiments left the city via train. They "went off excited and exasperated, yet collected, cool, and firm, and without noise or bluster." They subsequently marched south under the command of William T. Sherman toward Bowling Green
to intercept the advancing Confederate forces of Simon Bolivar Buckner
. Buckner halted in the city, and Sherman was content to monitor the larger and better organized enemy for the next three months while the Home Guards returned to Louisville.
The Home Guard patrolled several roads leading southward from Louisville, as well as railroad and road bridges, which were a particular target for Confederate raiders such as John Hunt Morgan
.
From September 14–16, 1862, the Louisville Home Guard participated in the siege and surrender of Confederate-held Munfordsville and Woodsonville. They were part of a 4,000-man force of Indiana
, Kentucky, and Ohio
troops, as well as part of the 18th U.S. Infantry.
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
military unit organized early in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. The auxiliary militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
served to help secure supplies of arms and weapons, as well as to patrol the streets and discourage Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
sympathizers.
The original Home Guard militia was commanded by John M. Delph
John M. Delph
John Millbank Delph was the eighth and fourteenth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. His terms of office extended from May 13, 1850 to April 26, 1852 and April 6, 1861 to April 4, 1863....
, the mayor of Louisville. When the Confederate states seceded, he demanded the keys to the state magazine to secure the supply of weapons and ammunition from seizure. In the autumn of 1861, various city militia companies were organized into a single battalion under Lovell Rousseau
Lovell Rousseau
Lovell Harrison Rousseau was a general in the United States and Union Armies during the American Civil War and a lawyer and politician in both Kentucky and Indiana.-Early life and career:...
, but they were not formally mustered into the Union army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and remained under local control. Rousseau resigned on July 10, 1861, to enter Federal service and raise two formal regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s at Camp Joe Holt
Camp Joe Holt
Camp Joe Holt was a Union base during the American Civil War in Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky on land that is now part of Clarksville, Indiana, near the Big Eddy. It was a major staging area for troops in the Western Theatre of the War, in preparation for...
, including the Louisville Legion
Louisville Legion
The 5th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment, unofficially known as the Louisville Legion was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:...
. James Speed
James Speed
James Speed was an American lawyer, politician and professor. In 1864, he was appointed by Abraham Lincoln to be the United States' Attorney General. He previously served in the Kentucky Legislature, and in local political office.Speed was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to Judge John Speed...
, who would later serve as Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, became the new commander of the Louisville Home Guard. Poorly armed and scarcely trained, the guards were mostly for show, but they did man the earthworks and entrenchments around Louisville and help keep the peace.
On September 18, 1861, the Louisville Home Guard (nearly 1000-men strong under the command of Hamilton Pope) and Rousseau's two regiments left the city via train. They "went off excited and exasperated, yet collected, cool, and firm, and without noise or bluster." They subsequently marched south under the command of William T. Sherman toward Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
to intercept the advancing Confederate forces of Simon Bolivar Buckner
Simon Bolivar Buckner, Sr.
Simon Bolivar Buckner fought in the United States Army in the Mexican–American War and in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He later served as the 30th Governor of Kentucky....
. Buckner halted in the city, and Sherman was content to monitor the larger and better organized enemy for the next three months while the Home Guards returned to Louisville.
The Home Guard patrolled several roads leading southward from Louisville, as well as railroad and road bridges, which were a particular target for Confederate raiders such as John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
.
From September 14–16, 1862, the Louisville Home Guard participated in the siege and surrender of Confederate-held Munfordsville and Woodsonville. They were part of a 4,000-man force of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Kentucky, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
troops, as well as part of the 18th U.S. Infantry.