IAGenWeb Project - Clayton co.


Engineer Regiment of the West
aka Bissell's Engineer Regiment of the West


In July, 1861, the following "Proposition to Enroll an Engineer Regiment" was made by J.W. Bissell, Colonel of the then called Tenth Missouri Volunteers:

I propose, within the next thirty or forty days, to enroll within the States of Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, a full regiment of men who shall be, all of them, either mechanics, artisans, or persons accustomed to work as laborers under mechanics.

Having been given the authority, Bissell issued a circular, calling for volunteer companies for the same, which was to be known as the "Engineer Regiment of the West."


Major-General Fremont has authorized the raising of this Regiment in the Northwestern States, and the undersigned is duly authorized to raise a company for it in (name of place the circular was displayed). Its duties will be more of a mechanical than a military character, although the Company will be armed for its own protection, and drill the same as infantry, when not otherwise employed. Its duty will chiefly consist in building bridges, the mechanical work on fortifications, etc., for which the non-commissioned officers and privates will receive, in a dddition to the regular pay of $13 per month, 40 cents per day, if mechanics, and 25 cents per day if laborers, thus making the pay of mechanics $24 per month and laborers about $20. All rations, clothing, bounties, and in fact every perquisite that belongs to any other branch of the service, belongs equally to this.

A BOUNTY OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS has been authorized to be paid each recruit at the close of the war. The Government will furnish all tools required. Carpenters, wheelwrights, machinists, blacksmiths, and a few laborers accustomed to work with mechanics, or of marked intelligence, will be received. It is intended that this Company shall be a first-rate one in every respect, and non wil be received less than five feet six inches high, or of a shiftless character.

September, 1861


Under this call many who had, in consideration of the small pay of soldiers, halted between the convictions of duty to country and family, resolved to avail themselves of the superior advantages of the offer. Companies were raised and organized in the following order:
Company A, recruited at St. Louis and East St. Louis
Company B, recruited in Paris, Edgar co., Illinois
Company C, recruited at Prairie City, Illinois
Company D, recruited partly in St. Louis, with recruits from places in Illinois
Company E, recruited at Adrian, Michigan
Company F, recruited in Dubuque, Iowa and vicinity
Company G, raised at Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Company H, raised in Paris, Illinois
Company K, recruited at Burlington, Iowa and other points in Iowa

Company I was raised in Iowa, and was recruited in several counties under the supervision of T.J. Dean, a private of the First Iowa Cavalry, who obtained his authority from Colonel Bissell. He was therefore by common consent acknowledged as Captain, and collected his men at Burlington. Twenty-one men were brought from Denmark, Lee county, but G.B. Brackett; twenty-one from Louisa county, enlisted by Frank Bras; eight from McGregor, enlisted by one __ Brant; ten from McGregor enlisted by Solomon Goodrich, and fifteen from McGregor, enlisted by A.R. Prescott.

In the choice of Lieutenants there was a conflict of interests, as might well be supposed from so many representatives of squads. In this condition of affairs, Captain Dean settled the controversy by selecting Brant as First Lieutenant, and G.B. Brackett as Second Lieutenant, on the 3d of October, 1861. Lieutenant Brant took about thirty of the men to St. Louis, followed in a few days by about the same number under Captain Dean, whose squad was immediately mustered into the service by Lieutenant Sandford.

The first muster of Company I as a full company was on the 31st of October, 1861, by Colonel Bissel, with ninety-six men; afterward increased by recruits to the full maximum. Before mustering a formal organization was made and T.J. Dean was confirmed as Captain; G.B. Brackett as First Lieutenant and William Hill as Second Lieutenant, bya direct vote of the men of the Company.

The organization of the companies completed and assembled in St. Louis, Missouri, with the exception of Companies A and G, the regimental roll numbered nine hundred and seven enlisted men.

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Baker, Sylvester, Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/26/1861 at McGregor; dischg, 10/31/1864.
Bank, James E., Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/16/1861 at McGregor.
Cole, Eli, Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/12/1861 at McGregor; address (1889) San Antonio, Tex. ~Biography~
Collins, Daniel, Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/08/1861 at McGregor
Conroy, Peter, Private, Cos. I, H & D., Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/17/1861 at McGregor; deserted Apr, 1863 at Memphis, Tenn.
Cook, Homer C., Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/24/1861 at McGregor; died at Detroit, Minn. in 1887
Dakin, Chas. H., Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/13/1861 at McGregor.
Dickson, Wm. P., Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/26/1861 at Hardin, Iowa; address (1889) Salem, Ore.
Fay, George, Private, Co. I & Co. C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/16/1861 at McGregor. ~Biography~
Flaherty, John, Private, Co. F & Co. B, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/17/1861 at Elkport; vet. 12/30/1863.
Gilbert, George L., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/16/1861 at McGregor.
Goodrich, Solomon, Lieutenant, Co. I, K & D, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/15//1861 at McGregor; he has been a traveling salesman since the close of the war; address (1889) Urbanna, Ill.
Harris, William J., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/06/1861 at Hardin, Iowa.
Johnson, William R., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/06/1861 at Hardin, Iowa.
Kennedy, Robert B., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/16/1861 at McGregor.
Klingman, Martin, Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/27/1861 at McGregor; address (1889) Highland twp. Clayton co. ~Biography~
McNally, Richard, Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/12//1861 at McGregor; address (1889) Wagner twp. Clayton co.
Newman, Peter, Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/22/1861 at McGregor.
Newton, Calvin, Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/22/1861 at McGregor.
Odle, Henry, Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/16/1861 at McGregor.
Prescott, Alvah R., Lieutenant, Cos. F & I, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/23/1861 at McGregor, Ill (sic); discharged 11/02/1864. He assisted in raising the men for Co. F, in 1861; served for a time as a Sergt, and as Commissary Sergt. Since the war he has been a prominent and respected citizen and for many years Postmaster at Postville, Iowa (Allamakee county) ~Biography~
Stewart, Thomas C., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/24/1861 at McGregor; address (1889) Petersburg, Ind.; pensioner.
West, Stephen H., Sergeant, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/27/1861 at McGregor; address (1889) Lewiston, Me.
Wheeler, George W., Private, Cos. I & C, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 10/06/1861 at Hardin, Iowa.
Wilson, George W., Private, Cos. F, C & B, Engineer Regiment; enlisted 09/12/1861 at Elkport, Iowa.

~source: "An Illustrated History of the Missouri Engineer and the 25th Infantry Regiments: Together with a Roster of Both Regiments and the Last Known Address of All that Could be Obtained ..."; by William A. Neal; Donohue and Henneberry, printers, 1889

~selected text transcribed from pgs 9-15 and the names of soldiers associated with Clayton co. were extracted from the Roster in Section IV of the book by Sharyl Ferrall for Clayton co. IAGenWeb, June 2015

~Note: the full text of this book is searchable on Google books - there may be other soldiers who were from Clayton co. whose enlistment place wasn't given, or who enlisted at Dubuque or one of the other recruitment places. For those researchers who have ancestors serving this Regiment, the book is a must-read! If you know of another soldier who should be included on this page, please contact the Clayton co. coordinator at the email address shown on the home page of this website.

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