core of the Regulars remaining unchanged. But 

 early in 1847 it was found necessary to add nine 

 regiments of infantry and one regiment of dragoons.^' 

 Of the infantry units, eight were of the conventional 

 type; the ninth was formed as the Regiment of 

 Voltigeurs and Foot Riflemen. Theoretically, only 

 half of this latter regiment was to be mounted. 

 Each horseman was to be paired with a foot soldier 

 who was to get up behind and ride double when 

 speed was needed. In practice, however, none of 

 the Voltigeurs were mounted; the entire unit fought 

 as foot riflemen.^" 



All of these new units proved merely creatures of 

 the war, and the coming of peace saw a reduction to 

 the old establishment of eight regiments of infantry, 

 four of artillery, two of dragoons, and one regiment of 

 mounted riflemen.'' This organization remained 

 substantially unchanged until 1855.^^ 



Organization of the Militia 



The "common" Militia was first established by the 

 various colonies of all able-bodied men between 

 roughly the ages of 16 and 60 for protection against 

 Indian attack. These militiamen were required by 

 law to be enrolled in the unit of their township 

 or county, furnish their own arms and equipment, 

 and appear periodically for training. They were 

 civilian soldiers who had little or no taste for things 

 military, as their performance in both peace and war 

 almost invariably demonstrated. They were not 

 uniformed and contributed little or nothing to the 

 field of military dress. 



The "volunteer" or "independent" Militia com- 

 panies, on the other hand, were something else again. 

 These units, composed of men who enjoyed military 

 life, or rather certain aspects of it, appeared rather 

 early in the Nation's history. The first of these, 

 formed in 1638, was The Military Company of the 

 Massachusetts, later and better known as the Ancient 



28 Act of February 11, 1847 [Military Laws, pp. 379-382). 

 '" Mahon, "History of the Organization of the United 

 States Infantry," p. 16. 

 3' Official Army Register, 1848. 

 " Upton, p. 223. 



and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. 

 By 1750 there were a number of independent com- 

 panies in existence — many of them chartered — and 

 membership in them had become a recognized part of 

 the social life of the larger urban centers. 



The concept of volunteer Militia units was con- 

 firmed in the Uniform Militia Act of 1792, which 

 prescribed flank companies of grenadiers, light 

 infantry, or riflemen for the "common" Militia bat- 

 talions and a company of artillery and a troop of 

 horse for each division, to be formed of volunteers 

 from the Militia at large and to be uniformed and 

 equipped at the individual volunteer's expense. Thus, 

 from within the national Militia structure emerged 

 an elite corps of amateur — as opposed to civilian — 

 soldiers who enjoyed military exercise, and the pomp 

 and circumstance accompanying it, and who were 

 willing to sacrifice both the time and the money 

 necessary to enjoy it. Since the members were 

 volunteers, they were ready to submit to discipline 

 up to a point; they trained rather frequently; many 

 of the officers made an effort to educate themselves 

 militarily; they chose their own officers; and their 

 relative permanency gave rise to an excellent esprit 

 de corps. In actuality, these organizations became 

 private military clubs, and diiTered from other male 

 social and fraternal groups only in externals. 



The great urban growth of the Nation during the 

 period 1825-1860 was the golden age of the volunteer 

 companies, and by 1845 these units had all but sup- 

 planted the common Militia. It would be difficult 

 to even estimate the number of volunteer companies 

 during this period. They sprang up almost every- 

 where, more in answer to a demand by the younger 

 men of the Nation for a recreation that would meet 

 a social and physical need and by emigrant minorities 

 for a group expression than for reasons military. 

 It was a "gay and gaudy" Militia, with each unit 

 in its own distinctive and generally resplendent uni- 

 form. If the "Raleigh Cossacks," the "Hibernia 

 Greens." the "Velvet Light Infantry Company," or 

 the "Teutonic Rifles" were more "invincible in peace" 

 than visible in war, they were a spectacular, colorful, 

 and exciting integral of the social and military life 

 of the first half of the 19th century. 



