History of the 5th
Tracing the combat history of the Fifth Missouri, Tucker chronicles the regiment’s actions from its inception in the summer of 1862 to its virtual demise during the Vicksburg Campaign a year later. Though the regiment’s existence as an effective, intact unit was short-lived, the men of the Fifth Missouri amassed a stellar battlefield record that was earned through fighting in some of the toughest battles of the western theater of the Civil War. According to Tucker, one of the reasons that the Fifth Missouri excelled in battle was because several of the men of the regiment had gained experience during pitched battles against Kansas Jayhawkers in the 1850s. Tucker also argues that the diversity in the backgrounds of the men of the regiment added to their toughness and morale. The fact that the Fifth Missouri was composed of St. Louis “Irishmen and pro-South Missourians of mostly Upper South ancestry” made them “a unit possessing a unique blend of an unshakable esprit de corps, resiliency, high performance level, and iron discipline”. |
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A drawing of the regiment's captain | | | | Beginning with the Battle of Iuka, Kentucky, the Fifth Missouri quickly earned the reputation of an elite Confederate unit. Later, during the Battle of Corinth, the men of the Fifth Missouri overran enemy positions at Battery Powell and Fort Richardson, capturing over forty pieces of field artillery. During Ulysses S. Grant’s Mississippi campaign, the unit continuously faced overwhelming odds and difficult circumstances, performing impressively despite being poorly equipped and supplied at times. Perhaps one of the best examples of the Fifth Missouri’s tenacity in battle occurred during the Battle of Port Gibson. As the situation at Port Gibson turned against the Confederates and a retreat became necessary, the men of Company I of the Fifth Missouri engaged in a rear-guard action, and one point in the battle, seven members of the unit held off an entire Union division while the rest of the regiment retreated. Another amazing battlefield feat of the Fifth Missouri took place at the Battle of Champion’s Hill, where the Fifth Missouri earned its reputation as one of the best units on either side of the Civil War. There the regiment charged headlong into Grant’s advancing army, almost splitting the Union center in two and nearly winning the battle for the Confederacy. Time and time again, from the Battle of Iuka to the Siege of Vicksburg, the Fifth Missouri proved to be among the best fighting units of the entire Confederate army.
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Ranks and Roster
Grand Inquisitor/Drill Sgt.
b3421sean | | | | | | | | | | | | | Colonel
Nick Lazanis (Patrick Cleburne)
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Captain
George Baker | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sergeant
Benskull 90 | | | | | | | | | | | | | Corporal
Matwooify |
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Private
Add here | | | | | | | | | | | | | Cadet
Add here
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Add here
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Interested in joining?
If you would like to join the 5th Missouri, make sure to fill the application below and answer the question with the best of your ability, or add Nick Lazanis on steam.
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Country of Residence:[/b]
[b]Steam ID:[/b]
[b]Why would you like to join the 5th?:[/b]
[b]Past Experience:[/b]
Part of the Armistead Brigade
Credits and a huge thank you to Doctor Warband for this thread.