Officers Commission

[Henry4440]

I have a question about the officers commission.
In a commission i can read:
..........do appoint him Second Lieutenant in the Sixteenth Regiment of Infantry.......

My questions:
1. Is this a commission for an 'regular officer'?
2. What stand in the commission for an 'volunteer officer', e.g. 2nd Lieutenant of the 12th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment?
3.When an officer was promoted e.g. from 1st.Lieutenant to Captain, he get a new commisson.What becomes with his 'old commission'?

[US Scout]

My questions:
1. Is this a commission for an 'regular officer'? [..........do appoint him Second Lieutenant in the Sixteenth Regiment of Infantry.......]

Yes.  It was the practice at this time to commission officers in a particular regiment, not the corps (or branch as we know it today).  This practice continued until the late 19th or early 20th century, at which time officers were commissioned in the corps (branch) as they are today.


2. What stand in the commission for an 'volunteer officer', e.g. 2nd Lieutenant of the 12th Kentucky Cavalry Regiment?

He would have been commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant of Volunteers, or more specifically a 2nd Lieutenant of the 12th Kentucky Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.  During the Civil War era state units were understood to be volunteer - but some included "volunteer" in their name and some didn't.  During the war, many regular officers accepted commissions in the volunteers and rose to high rank - yet still maintained their substantive rank in the regulars.  After the war, many colonels and generals found themselves back in the regulars as a lieutenant or captain.  Many volunteer officers appointed from civilian life applied for commissions in the regular army and most of them also took a significant reduction in rank, though again there were exceptions. 


3.When an officer was promoted e.g. from 1st.Lieutenant to Captain, he get a new commisson.What becomes with his 'old commission'?

Yes.  He would be commissioned a captain in the ... Regiment.  Vacancies (in US regiments) were held at the regimental level for captains and below, and at the corps (branch) level for majors through colonels.  Consequently, the normal path would be for said officer to be a 2nd Lt, 1st Lt and Captain of the .... Regiment.   However, when he was promoted to major he would be appointed to the next vacancy in his corps, in this case the Infantry.  In theory, and sometimes in practice, he would be a major in one regiment, a Lt Col in another, and Colonel (if he lived long enough) in a third - and perhaps never serve again in the regiment in which he was a junior officer. 

There were a few exceptions to this rule - usually when a new regiment was formed.  In this instance, officers could be appointed from other corps or even civilian life.  In 1855 when the 1st and 2nd Cavalry were created, Robert E Lee went from being a captain of engineers to the Lt Col of the 2nd Cavalry.  George Thomas went from captain of artillery to the junior major of the 2nd Cavalry.  In 1866, with the creation of a a number of new infantry regiments, Ranald MacKenzie went from captain of engineers (and Bvt Maj Gen of Volunteers) to Colonel of a black infantry regiment (I believe the 24th), and then later became colonel of the 4th Cavalry.  In 1869, with the consolidation of several infantry regiments (just created in 1866), a number of infantry officers found themselves in excess of infantry requirements and some ended up in non-infantry units.  I know of at least one infantry officer who found himself in a cavalry regiment.

His old commission was "vacated" on his promotion and filled by the next eligible officer in seniority.  For example, if he were a 1st Lt and promoted to a vacant captaincy in his regiment, the senior 2nd Lt would be promoted to 1st Lt, and the vacant 2nd Lt commission given to a deserving enlisted man or civilian applicant - or during peace time more likely it would be given to a West Point graduate awaiting a vacancy. 

Enlisted men had a similar system, their rank being within their regiment.  If they transferred to another regiment they might lose their stripes.  Typically the company commander could promote up to sergeant, and the regimental commander to all senior NCO ranks.  They could also reduce them as punishment.  There was no time in grade or service requirements and an intelligent and trustworthy soldier who could read and write could find himself a corporal or sergeant in rapid order.

[Henry4440]

Thanks Scout.


Just read about Col.R.H.G.Minty, who was a Lieutenant Colonel of the 3rd Michigan Cavalry , who resigned in July 1862, to accept the colonelcy of the 4th Michigan Cavalry.