5th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry - Confederate

Brief History
The 5th Regiment mustered in late spring 1862. It was also known as the Lafayette County Cavalry. The regiment mustered out mid-May 1865. The field officers were Colonel B. Frank Gordon, Colonel Joseph O. Shelby, Lieutenant Colonel Y.H. Blackwell, and Majors George P. Gordon, and George R. Kirtley.

Another source says members of the 5th Regiment of the Missouri Confederate Cavalry was mustered between 26 July and 31 December 1862. They were discharged between 26 April and 26 May 1865. They were led by Brigadier General Joseph Orville Shelby and Colonel Benjamin Franklin Gordon.

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 Charles G. Jones and S. M. Frost - Lafayette, Missouri

Company B - Captains John A. Boerman and Benjamin May Neale - Newton, Missouri

Company C - Captains George P. Gordon and L. Shindler -Lafayette, Missouri

Company D - Captains John C. Clark, John C. Brock, G. W. Evans, and D. R. Stallard - Saline, Missouri

Company E - Captains James M. Garrett, Joseph W. Elliott, and Robert C. Nunnelly- Saline, Missouri

Company F - Captain George S. Rathburn - Johnson, Missouri

Company G - Captains Walter Scott Bullard and Thomas J. Wilkerson - Lewisburg, Johnson, Arkansas

Company H - Captains H. S. Titsworth, William R. Edwards, William M. Moorman, and Edward Stafford - Lewisburg, Johnson, Arkansas

Company I - Captains Silas R. Crispin, Benjamin Elliott, G. L. Long, W. N. Thorp, and C. M. Turpin- Carroll, Missouri

Company K - Captains L. J. Crocker and J. D. A. Warson - Newton, Missouri

The above information about the companies with partial rosters is found in Kenneth E. Weant's book, Civil War Records Missouri Confederate Cavalry, Volume 1

The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database lists 914 men on its roster for this unit. Roster.

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.