56th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia (Union)

Brief History
The 56th Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia was enrolled between 29 July 1862 and 27 September 1862. They were ordered into service between 8 August 1862 and 7 October 1862. They were discharged between 1 December 1862 and 16 May 1863. They were reordered into service between 27 September 1864 and 12 October 1864 and discharged between 7 and 9 December 1864. The Colonel in charge was William H. McLean.

Companies in this Regiment with the Counties of Origin
Men often enlisted in a company recruited in the counties where they lived though not always. After many battles, companies might be combined because so many men were killed or wounded. However if you are unsure which company your ancestor was in, try the company recruited in his county first.

Company A - Captains William H. McLane, Phillip Schreiner, Elisha Shepherd - Many men from Appleton, Cape Girardeau County

Company B - Captain William Reganhardt - Many men from Cape Girardeau County

Company C - Captain Leeman Haile - Many men from Appleton, Cape Girardeau County

Company D - Captain William N. Wilson - Many men from Appleton, Cape Girardeau County

Company F - Captain Samuel Whybark - Many men from Cape Girardeau County

Company G - Captains George H. Miller, Jacob Needhaus - Many men from Perry County

Company H - Captains Elisha Shepherd (Sheppard), William H. McLane - Many men from Cape Girardeau County

Company I - Captains Charles Mirly, Adolph Tacke - Many men from Cape Girardeau County

The above information about the companies with partial rosters is found in Kenneth E. Weant's book, Civil War Records: Missouri Enrolled Militia Infantry Regiments, volume 7

Other Sources

 * Beginning United States Civil War Research gives steps for finding information about a Civil War soldier or sailor. It covers the major records that should be used. Additional records are described in 'Missouri in the Civil War' and 'United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865' (see below).


 * National Park Service, The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, is searchable by soldier's name and state. It contains basic facts about soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, a list of regiments, descriptions of significant battles, sources of the information, and suggestions for where to find additional information.


 * Missouri in the Civil War describes many Confederate and Union sources, specifically for Missouri, and how to find them.. These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.


 * United States Civil War, 1861 to 1865 describes and explains United States and Confederate States records, rather than state records, and how to find them. These include veterans’ censuses, compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc.