UNIT HISTORY

2nd Missouri Cavalry, USA, Merrill's Horse

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The Second Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, also known officially as Merrill's Horse, was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of only a handful of Missouri regiments to be officially "named" as well as numbered.

The regiment was raised under the authority of Major General John C. Freemont, commander of the Western Department headquartered at St. Louis, Missouri. The regiment was organized by Captain Lewis Merril, a regular Army officer and a veteran of the prewar U.S. 2nd Dragoons. Serving as a Colonel of Volunteers, Merrill organized companies of volunteers from Missouri and other western states at St. Louis's Benton Barracks. Merrill enforced a level of discipline unusual for volunteer regiments, demanding a level of professionalism comparable to U.S. Regulars.

To distinguish the troops of his regiment, Merrill mandated a unique uniform. The front of the tunic featured a "horse-head" panel trimmed in cavalry yellow. The mandated cap was similarly unique: a sky-blue forage cap, with an orange welt (the branch color of pre-war Dragoon regiments) in honor of Merrill's service in the 2nd Dragoons. As with other areas of military discipline, Merrill allowed no deviation from his orders to his troopers in concerning their military appearance: "all additions to or alterations of this uniform as prescribed are positively prohibited and will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Through most of 1862, Merrill's Horse was assigned the difficult mission of fighting guerrillas and irregular Confederate cavalry in north Missouri. Often operating with Federal Missouri State Militia cavalry, the regiment established a reputation of extreme aggressiveness and effectiveness in the counter-guerrilla mission. Later in the war Merrill's Horse would provide distinguished service in more conventional cavalry missions against regular Confederate units. However, in Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama the regiment was repeatedly be called on to return to the difficult specialist counterinsurgency mission of guerrilla fighting.

The regiment is unusual in that it has two official designation. It was officially raised as "Merrill's Horse", and is usually referred to by that designation in period U.S. Army Records. However, after General Fremont was replaced as commander of the Western Department by Major General Henry Halleck received a second official designation at the 2nd Missouri Volunteer Cavalry. However, in almost all contemporary reports and records the regiment continued to be referred to as Merrill's Horse.

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2nd Missouri Cavalry, CSA, The Butternut Boys

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After the Camp Jackson Affair in 1861 and the massacre of St. Louis civilians, by Federal Forces commanded by Captain Nathaniel Lyons US Army, the Missouri State Legislature passed a military bill which authorized the formation of the Missouri State Guard to protect the Constitutional liberties of Missouri citizens.

Among the first group to enlist in the newly formed Missouri State Guard was a cavalry company from Cooper county, Missouri, commanded by Captain Robert (Black Bob) McCulloch Jr, which later formed the nucleus for the 2nd Missouri Cavalry Regiment CSA.

In the winter of 1861-1862 the State Guard soldiers were being recruited into Confederate service and McCulloch's unit became the 4th Missouri Cavalry Battalion CSA, also refered to as McCulloch's Cavalry, until they recruited up to regimental strength in 1862 after crossing the Mississippi river. They then became the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, also known in their field of service as the "Butternut Cavalry" or the "Butternut Boys", commanded by Colonel Robert (Black Bob) McCulloch Jr. An address given in 1879, General J.R. Chalmers said, speaking about Forrest and his cavalry corps, "Forrest (at the Okalona battle in Mississippi) and 300 men only escaped capture by taking shelter in a ravine until rescued by gallant old Bob McCulloch, Colonel of the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, who never failed to come when needed, but never received the promotion (to Brigadier General) he amply deserved."  (Note: I was recently informed by a real historian that Colonel McCulloch's paperwork for promotion to Brigadier General had made it through all the red tape and was sitting on President Davis's desk awaiting his signature when the Yankees came to town and was never signed.)

In the same battle (Okalona), General Forrest ordered Colonels McCulloch's and Jeffery Forrest's (the Generals youngest brother) brigades to make an assault on the Union line. Colonel McCulloch was wounded in the hand and Colonel Forrest was killed with a bullet to his neck. Saddened and angered by his brother's death, Forrest and his escort charged the Yankee line. And Colonel McCulloch, seeing the danger coming upon his General, rallied the troopers near him as he waved his bloody hand in the air calling to his men, "My God, men, will you see them kill your General?" McCulloch and his men broke up the melee, but not before Forrest had personally killed three Federal troopers with his slashing sword. It is also known that the 2nd Missouri Cavalry served as General Forrest personal bodyguard. Upon being promoted to brigade commander, the regiment was then led by his cousin Lieutenant Colonel Robert A. McCulloch for the remainder of the war. Colonel McCulloch also served as the Division Commander in Forrest's Cavalry Corps whenever Brigadier General Chalmers was unable to command.

  The 2nd, Upon being transferred to the east side of the Mississippi river in April of 1862, along with two other Missouri Cavalry regiments, the 1st and 3rd. All three of the Missouri cavalry regiments were forced to dismount and learn to fight as infantry. The 2nd Missouri Cavalry was the only Missouri cavalry regiment east of the Mississippi river that was remounted during the war. Major General Sterling Price remounted the 2nd Missouri Cavalry shortly after their arrival in Mississippi.

   The 2nd participated in numerous operations throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida in their illustrious career. Their last operation was in defense of Selma, Alabama. Many were captured and few surrendered with the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana. All of Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest cavalry corps, was surrendered by General Richard Taylor (son of President Zachary Taylor) on May 4, 1865 at Citronelle, Alabama.

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