342 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI The battalion thus organized saw no particu- lar service except in the town and county and they disbanded in the following September. Previous to this organization a battalion had been organized in Scott county in ]Iay, 1861, under Major Daniel Abbey, who was com- missioned for the purpose by General Lyon. The captains of the four companies in this battalion were : John Orth, Coustautine Gro- jean, James Daniels and Frank Klepman. When General Fremont came into command of the department of ^Missouri, he gave a com- mission of lieutenant colonel to Lindsay Murdock, of Bollinger county, and ordei-ed him to recruit a battalion to be used in the defense of the post of Cape Girardeau. Four companies were raised under this order known as Fremont's rangers; they came from Bol- linger, Scott and Cape Girardeau counties and their captains were : J. F. Burk, William P. Harris and Michael S. Eddlemon. These Fremont rangers served up to December 25th, 1861, and upon them fell the brunt of most of the work done in Southeast Missouri, es- pecially the work of scouting. During their term of service they were not paid nor were they provided with clothing. A company known as the Potosi Home Guards was organized in June, 1861, with George R. French as captain; Irwin K. Walker, first lieutenant; and Thomas H. Mac- lird as second lieutenant. The company con- sisted of 75 men and did guard duty in Wash- ington county until August, 1861, when the term of enlistment expired. In the course of its guard duty it fought a skirmish at Potosi. A company known as the DeSoto Home Guards was organized in June, 1861, and served until September of the same j-ear. Al- len Cook was captain ; Christian Ellrodt, first lieutenant; and William Hendrickson, second lieutenant. This company was' composed of 85 men and did guard service. A company was organized at Pilot Knob in June, 1861, with Ferdinand Schmitz as captain; John Schwartz, first lieutenant; and Charles Cordrie, second lieutenant. This company was composed of 99 men and the only service that it saw was guard duty about Pilot Knob. The Washington County Battalion was or- ganized in July, 1861, and its lieutenant col- onel was J. B. Elmer. Company A had the following officers: P. R. VanFrank, captain; Samuel E. Turner, first lieutenant; William Plumb, second lieutenant. The officers of Company B were Captain J. L. Page, and Lieutenants H. N. Cook and Isaac Penning. The officers of Company C were Captain H. M. Hulser, Lieutenants Charles MaClay and Gardner Henning. The officers of Company D were Captain Oscar Dover and Lieutenants Dugan and Williams. The officers of Com- pany E were Captain T. C. Casselman, Lieu- tenants Samuel Weast and Eli Vincent. Th.is battalion was organized at Potosi, September 19, 1861, and after doing scout duty aud taking part in a number of skirmishes, was mustered out at Hillsboro in January, 1SG2. The Missouri State Militia was not largely recruited in Southeast Missouri, but one regi- ment being organized here, the 12th cavalry. It was during the winter and spring of 1862 that the eight companies comprising this reg- iment were organized. Company A was re- cruited at Cape Girardeau and organized February 10. 1862. The captain was Lindsay Murdock; first lieutenant, George W. Hamil; second lieutenant, Erick Pape; Company B organized Januaiy 2-3, 1862, was from Wayne county; William T. Leeper, captain; Evan Francis, first lieutenant; C. W. Purcell, sec-
