More Tidbits on the Scot-Irish in America McMichaels in the Civil War Union and Confederacy Note:  Approximately 132 McMichaels served in the Union Army and 127 in the Confederacy, mainly because pre-1776 immigration from Scotland and Ireland started primarily in Pennsylvania and led south in the seeking of land for a living. While the first tidbit of history with start with the court martial of Captain John McMichael, Commissary of Assistance by an Assistant Adjuntant General of the Army of the Cumberland, William McMichael, the emphasis in the series is on privates and sergeants, both since they are more representative of most Americans and bore the brunt of the war, even as in any war "it is for the rich and fought by the poor". Historical Tidbit #1: The Court Martial of John McMichael by William McMichael of the Army of the Cumberland. This is a historical tidbit on two McMichaels that collided in a court martial. I. Introduction to Captain John McMichael and Major William McMichael.   {Note: you can sort of tell the branch of the McMichaels as well as other clans and sephs by the naming pattern, like the fathers are Williams and the first son Johns, etc.} a.  “0244 McMichael, John Captain, Commissary of Subsistence, 11th Army Corps, 1863–1864.”    Observations: 1. There were only 16,000 men in the Union army at the beginning of the civil war, so the question is begged of whether Captain John was a West Point graduate and regular army; however that brings up another point, that the war had been going on since 1961, and where was he for 2 years. 2.  The interesting fact is that some confederate prisoners were offered service in the Union army when they were paroled from prison camp.   While most McMichaels were privates and sergeants like the general population, it would be hard to believe that Sgt John McMichael of the 10th Texas Infantry, a prisoner at Fort Douglass in Illinois, would be jumped to the rank of Captain even for Commissary work, when the prisoner exchange and release was made in 1963. 3. “Commissary of Subsistence” demands explanation, but most in the military know of the Commissary. 4. 11th Army Corp:   b.  “0263 McMichael, William Major, Assistant Adjutant General, U.S. Volunteers, Department of the Cumberland, 1861–1865.”      Observations: 1. William McMichael was only a Major but served as “Assistant Adjutant General” to General Thomas {to be shown later in the court martial document}. 2. Since Major William served in the “US Volunteers” of the Department of the Cumberland, he was not a regular officer before the war, what today would be considered the reserves.  However since the Department of the Cumberland, later at the court martial to be called the Cumberland Army, orgainized later in the war from an Ohio Regiment, and William's service started in 1861, the issue of what he did before and after is raised. II. The Source of this Information is Papers of Union Staff Officers, 1861– 1865   Part 2: “H” through “P”.   {The photo below is of  Staff of Officers at Headquarters of 6th Army Corps, Winter of 1864.} “No event in American history directly affected a greater proportion of the nation’s population than the Civil War. Three million Americans fought in the war. More than 600,000 sacrificed their lives. The Civil War was not fought by professional soldiers––there were only 16,000 officers and enlisted men in 1861––but by men recruited from their hometowns into regiments or smaller local units. The activities and experiences of volunteer officers provide an important perspective on both the prosecution of the war and the elitism of the Union officer corps. Papers of Union Staff Officers, 1861–1865, Part 2: “H” through “P” consists of reports and correspondence by and concerning officers serving on the staffs of various departments, corps, divisions, and brigades. The papers reveal a staff officer’s daily routine and organization. Most of the documents are required reports that state where an officer was stationed and in what activities they were involved. Letters, telegrams, and military orders mainly cover duty assignments and leave of absence requests. Most folders contain brief military documents relating to entrance into service; mustering out of service, including resignations and honorable and dishonorable discharges; charges and specifications for courts-martial and courts of inquiry; and changes in rank and duty stations.” {http://cisupa. proquest.com/ksc_assets/catalog/100541.pdf} III. About Staff Officers as contrasted to Field Officers. “The Union army had almost fifteen hundred general officers during the Civil War. Each general officer was assisted by a number of staff officers in a variety of departments. Staff departments included: • Adjutant General • Chaplain Service. • Corps of Engineers • Corps of Topographical Engineers • Advocate General • Inspector General • Medical Department • Ordnance Department • Pay Department • Provost Marshal • Quartermaster Department • Signal Corps • Subsistence Department.”  {http://cisupa. proquest.com/ksc_assets/catalog/100541.pdf} Subsistence Department––supplied the army’s food. IV. The Court Martial.