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Monument to the Enrolled Missouri Militia huh? Interesting. The EMM is an odd duck among Civil War Units, and membership/service in the EMM in no way guarentees that the enlistee was defending the Union or even cared about the war one way or the other.

The EMM was a complusary militia formed in July of 1862 by Gov. Gamble and Gen Schofield replacing the previous Home Guards and Six Month Militia and augment the existing Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiments. The EMM was a part time force established for duty in areas where they were recruited although they could be moved in states of emergency i.e. the Raid of 64.

Heres the rub: General Order Number 19 issued by Schofield stated that all loyal men must enroll in the EMM , required the registration of men previously in arms against the United States and confiscation of their weapons (i.e. State Guardsmen & CS troops on Parole or discharged) . Disloyal or men sympathetic to the Southern Cause were not required to enroll, however they would have to state their sympathies to the Provost Marshal thereby placing undue attention on themselves, especially if they had never been in arms and were only sympathetic to the Southern cause. This caused many Southern sympathizers to go ahead and enroll rather than risk a wagon ride in irons to Garroitt Street Prison or Alton Prison when the local Provost Marshal (they are a whole other thread in themselves) needed to impress St Louis.

This lead the EMM to be a very unpredictable and undependable formation as a whole throughout the state, filled as it was with men flying under false colors and sympathies and perhaps disinterested in the war.

There are accusations some pretty well documented that certain EMM Units actively provided intell and information to CS forces. Turned over issued weapons, were convienantly out of the area when partisans were around. It even went so far in the County I live in that two Companies of the same Regt were at odd's , True story as reported to the Missouri State Legislature:

A Company of the 67th EMM was stationed at Middletown Mo in 64 this Company was raised around Middletown and Wellsville area and commanded by a local man from Middletown. Wellsville Mo roughly 10 miles away was garrisoned by another Company of the 67th acting as a Provost Guard (Wellsville was HQ of the Provost Marshall in Montgomery County) this Company made up mainly of German Immigrants from Rhineland Missouri in Montgomery County and Hermann Missouri in Gasconade County.

The Provost Marshal in Wellsville received reports that the Company in Middletown was "led by disloyal men" (a pretty common accusation in Civil War Missouri). Word reached Middletown that the Provost was going to march the Wellsville Provost Guard to Middletown and replace the Midletown Company. At this point the Middletown Commander stated: " If those damned lopp earred abolitionist Dutch march on my town I will give them all my bullets!" This from two companies of the same Regiment supposedly defending the same cause.

Things were so bad in 1863 in fact that the EMM was briefly replaced by the Provisional Enrolled Militia (PEMM) when the loyalty of the EMM was in serious question. These Regt's were short lived mainly because they were made up of radical unionists (Radical Republicans) who were against Gambles approach to the war in Missouri and went out of their way to enforce Radical views on any citizens who crossed their path.

Even the Missouri State Militia Cavalry Regiments were never totally trustworthy the 9th MSM Cavalry was branded "As bad as Redlegs" by testimony of Union Officers in front of the State Legislature.


Just me but when it comes to Missouri Militia Formations and "defending the Union Cause" I balk, as I do on Missouri Confedrate Partisans becoming defenders of Southern Virtue. Both sides were in it for themselves. Not for flowery causes.