Casey’s Homework #2
“Wing Commander: the hobby’s biggest reenactorism” Sometime over the years, we have created the erroneous position of “wing commander.” This is not inherent to the USV, but to the entire hobby. There are disputed origins of this position. One reason why may lie in the creation of fiefdoms within reenactor regiments‐ for political reasons. Another origin may be the projection of modern army organization onto the Civil War. The most plausible reason that I see is that reenactors are often ignorant of the positions of Major and Lieutenant Colonel and the duties inherent to those ranks. That is not entirely the fault of those who currently hold these positions or those who have held positions in the past. The research, while available, was not as widely distributed for consumption. The truth be told, there were no such things as regimental “wing commanders” in the American Civil War. To date, I have found no formal documentation of this idea. Though there were exceptions to the rule‐ they were not utilized as formal institutions as we do today.
In reenacting organizations, we post the Lieutenant Colonel in the center of the right wing of the regiment, and the Major in the center of the left wing of the regiment. This is their post when the regiment is at a halt in line of battle, and in that position remain during the firings. (see Casey’s Infantry Tactics, Volume 1, Title 1, Article 1, Number 35). This is not their command.
The regiment is separated into wings for firing purposed only. The only use of the nomenclature of “wings” in ANY Civil War manual, is in the formation of the regiment/battalion (Casey’s, Title 1, Article 1, Number 14), and in the firing by wing. In the execution of “firing by wing” the colonel gives all the commands! A Civil War regiment was seldom divided into battalions when it served together‐ otherwise great confusion would occur on the battlefield. While in formation with a brigade and under its evolutions, the various regiments were labeled from right to left, 1st battalion, 2nd battalion…etc. Battalions however could be divided from a regiment when serving on detached service. For the lack of another name, these are known as battalions for command purposes, as the regulations for maneuvering them are the same for two companies as well as ten. In theory one could subdivide a regiment into as few as two or as many as five battalions. Some heavy artillery regiments and regular infantry were organized with separate designated battalions. But this was utilized when regiments were separated by posts and garrisons, and for fortifications. The standard federal infantry regiment was one battalion‐ always. The Major and Lieutenant Colonel had other duties and no command unless the Colonel was absent. The only exception to this rule can be found in Casey’s, where the “junior major” was designated to command the two skirmish companies. However, the idea for the separate skirmish companies was deleted from the manual and never came into use. At the end of the war, August Kautz wrote his Customs of Service manuals that differentiated the various duties and responsibilities of officers and enlisted men. His writings were not new practices to be learned, but rather reflected current practice and doctrine. He very specifically outlined the duties of the Major and Lieutenant Colonel while serving with regiments. “506. The Tactics assigns to the Major an unimportant position in the line of battle, where he assists in directing alignments and movements, but does not exercise command, except in the absence of the other Field Officers, senior to him. The following are duties that are by law required of the Major, viz.: 1. Administrator of the effects of deceased officers. 2. Field Officer of the Day. 3. Field Officer’s Court‐Martial.” Kautz does not differentiate the role of the Lieutenant Colonel as being much different from that of the Major. When sending a body of soldiers on detached service, two or more companies may be commanded by a Major and four or more companies may be commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. This was NOT, however, their given command that they received when they were commissioned. In the reenacting world there are even fewer duties for the Major and Lieutenant Colonel to perform. Officers do not really die, we are seldom organized into truly functional brigades, and we do not have Court‐Martials for other reenactors. The notion that Majors and Lieutenant Colonels command the “wings” of a regiment is pure fiction, and most likely created for those positions to say they have something to do to justify the rank. There are several examples where an original regiment was separated in battle by its wings, or another subdivision. However, the Colonel was always in charge and giving the commands. The most prominent was in the 20th Maine’s actions on Little Round Top. Ellis Spear bent the two companies back, wheeled forward, and the rest of the regiment followed. Ellis Spear was NOT a wing commander. Chamberlain gave ALL the orders. Major Rufus Dawes divided his Wisconsin boys in two wings and advanced them, leap‐
frogging over one another at South Mountain. One fired and lay down to load as the other advanced through the ranks of the first, and was repeated. Dawes again gave all the commands! The 63rd PA was divided into wings in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. One was posted along the Emmitsburg Road. The right wing hunkered down along a fence line behind the Sherfry Barn. Yet these were never separate commands. The regimental commander had his hands on both and directed their fire throughout the fight. The argument that they seldom did everything in the Civil War “by the book” does not wash. They WANTED to do things by the book if they had a book/s available to them. Our hobby’s insistence on adhering to an erroneous organizational/command structure is as bad as those white, five buckle gaiters. The actual positions and duties of the Major and Lieutenant Colonel during the maneuvers and evolutions will be discussed in later installments. However, it must be clear that we should not follow the hobby’s traditional assertion and use of such “wing commanders” or any other reenactors’ fantasy creations as substitutes for known historical practice.