|
When
the Civil War came to United States, Missouri was a state
divided by blood and loyalty, and supplied thousands of men
to both sides. Through most of 1861, the Confederate
government was reluctant to support the Missouri State Guard
troops because the state had not officially aligned itself
with the Confederacy. However on November 25, 1861, Missouri
was officially admitted as the 12th Confederate
State.
Pindall’s Sharpshooters was formed at Fort Smith, Arkansas
after November 10th of (1862). It was then
officially designated 9th Battalion Missouri
Sharpshooters and its commanding officer was Major Lebbeus
A. Pindall.
Initially
three companies were formed from pre-existing Missouri
units. Members of Reaves Partisan Rangers and Captain
Foster’s Missouri Battery formed Company A of Pindall’s
Sharpshooters . Companies B and C were formed from members
of the 10th, 11th, and 16th
Missouri Regiments. In June of 1863 a 4th company
was added, Company B of Franklin’s Regiment Missouri
Infantry became Company D 9th Missouri
Sharpshooters. (It's not known when Company E was added, but
this company was with Pindall at Pleasant Hill on April 9,
1864 and Jenkins' Ferry on April 30, 1864. Company F was
formed shortly after November 30, 1864.
The 9th Bn Mo SS was later assigned to Burns’
Brigade, Parsons’ Division and lastly to the 1st
Missouri Brigade, 1st Missouri Division, 2nd
Corps, Trans-Mississippi Department.
The
Sharpshooters were in their first battle less than a month
after the formation of the battalion. On December 7, 1862,
they distinguished themselves at the Battle of Prairie
Grove, Arkansas. The 9th Bn Mo SS also
participated in battles at Helena, Arkansas; Pleasant Hill,
Louisiana; Camden, Arkansas; and Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas.
On June 2, 1865, nearly two months after Lee surrendered in
Virginia, General E. Kirby Smith surrendered the
Trans-Mississippi Department. The 9th Bn Mo SS
was included in the surrender and its men were paroled on
June 7, 1965.
The 9th Missouri flag, made by the ladies of New
Orleans and presented to the unit by General Price, was
never lost in battle. It is kept at Little Rock’s Old
Capital Museum.
Sources: The 9th Missouri Sharpshooters Civil War
Reenactment Company website
http://www.geocitites.com/ltmoss_us/9thMOSS.html
, the Missouri Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
website
http://www.missouridivision-scv.org/
, the First Missouri Confederate Brigade website
http://members.aol.com/ozrkreb/hist4.htm
and Frank Wifley (fwifley@mexicomo.com),
author of “Wifley-Pindall and Related Families”.
Unit Roster: http://www.missouridivision-scv.org/mounits/9mo-ss.htm |
