Bissell ' s Engineer Regiment of the West Bissell ' s Engineer Regiment of the West was an engineer regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War . Service . Organized at St . Louis , Mo . Company " A " mustered in July 10 , 1861 . Company " B " organized at Paris , Edgar County , Ill . , and mustered in at St . Louis August 5 , 1861 . Company " C " organized at Prairie City , Ill . , and mustered in at St . Louis August 19 . Company " D " organized at St . Louis and mustered in October 31 , 1861 . Company " E " organized at Adrian , Mich . , and mustered in at St . Louis August 23 , 1861 . Company " F " organized at Dubuque , Iowa , and mustered in October 31 , 1861 . Company " G " organized at Cape Girardeau , Mo . , and mustered in September 17 , 1861 . Company " H " organized at Paris , Ill . , and mustered in October 31 , 1861 . Company " I " organized in Iowa and mustered in October 31 , 1861 , at St . Louis , Mo . Company " K " organized at Burlington , Iowa , and mustered in at St . Louis , Mo . , October 31 , 1861 . Attached to Department of Missouri to March , 1862 . Unattached , Army of the Mississippi , to June , 1862 . Engineer Brigade , District of West Tennessee , Dept . of the Tennessee , to July , 1862 . District of Columbus , Ky . , to December , 1862 . District of Columbus , Ky . , 13th Army Corps ( Old ) , Dept . of the Tennessee , to January , 1863 . Unattached , Engineers ' Dept . of the Tennessee , to February , 1864 . Detailed Service . Companies " A " and " B " ordered to East St . Louis , Mo . , August 6 , 1861 ; thence to Cape Girardeau , Mo . , August 6 – 7 , and fatigue duty there until March , 1862 , when rejoined Regiment at New Madrid , Mo . Built Forts " A , " " B , " " C " and " D , " Defenses of Cape Girardeau . Company " G " also at Cape Girardeau and Bird ' s Point , Mo . , until March , 1862 , rejoining Regiment March 8 . Regiment moved from St . Louis , Mo . , to Lamine Bridge , on Missouri Pacific Railroad , September 19 , 1861 , and duty there until October 26 . Moved to Sedalia , Mo . , and duty there until December 11 . Moved to Georgetown , thence to Otterville , Mo . , December 11 – 19 , and duty there until March , 1862 . ( Co . " I " at Sedalia until January , 1862 , rejoining Regiment January 29 . Co . " F " near Sedalia until February , 1862 , rejoining Regiment February 7 . ) Moved to St . Louis , Mo . , thence to Commerce , Mo . , March 1 – 5 . Siege operations against New Madrid March 8 – 15 . Engaged near Mr . Pleasant March 3 ( Cos . " A " and " B " ) . Operations against Island No . 10 March 15 - April 8 . ( Constructed New Madrid Canal , allowing passage of Gunboats through swamps of New Madrid to rear of Island No . 10 . ) Expedition to Fort Pillow , Tenn . , April 12 – 14 . Moved to Hamburg , Tenn . , April 14 – 22 . Cos . " A " and " I " detached at New Madrid until May 4 , rejoining before Corinth , Miss . , May 8 . Advance on and siege of Corinth , Miss . , April 26 - May 30 . Occupation of Corinth and pursuit to Tiptonville May 30 - June 6 . Tuscumbia Creek May 31 - June 1 . Repair Mobile & Ohio Railroad to Columbia . Headquarters at Jackson until October , 1862 . Wrecking Expedition on Mississippi River about Mr . Pleasant , Island No . 10 and New Madrid July 21 - October 20 ( Detached ) . Battle of Corinth , Miss . , October 3 – 4 ( Detachment of Co . " E " ) . Regiment moved to defense of Corinth October 3 . Pursuit to Ripley , Miss . , October 5 – 12 ( Detachment ) . Regiment return to Jackson and duty there until November 6 . Grant ' s Central Mississippi Campaign November , 1862 , to January , 1863 . Duty on Memphis & Charleston Railroad at Lagrange , Obion River and at Memphis , Tenn . , until February , 1863 . Moved to Young ' s Point , La . , February 11 – 14 , thence to Lake Providence , La . Operations against Vicksburg , Miss . , February to July . Engineer operations at Baxter ' s Bayou and Bayou Macon constructing Batteries at Young ' s Point , and various expeditions to explore and open Bayous until April , 1863 . 6 Companies ordered to Memphis , Tenn . , April 1 – 6 . Engaged in opening Memphis & Charleston Railroad to Corinth , Miss . , then at Pocahontas May 11 to October 3 . Repairing Memphis & Charleston Railroad east of Corinth , Miss . , October 3 – 28 . At Iuka and Corinth constructing works until December 26 . Moved to Memphis , thence to Nashville , Tenn . , December 26 , 1863 , to January 4 , 1864 . Cos . " A , " " D , " " F " and " I " at Duckport , La . Engaged in fatigue duty in that vicinity until April 30 . Building drain at Richmond , La . , until May 9 . Moved to Milliken ' s Bend May 9 ; duty there and at Young ' s Point and Chickasaw Bayou until May 25 . Moved to Haines ' Bluff and building fortifications until July 1 . Surrender of Vicksburg July 4 . Duty at Vicksburg until January 15 , 1864 . Ordered to Nashville , Tenn . , and rejoin Regiment February 2 , 1864 . Consolidated with 25th Missouri infantry to form the 1st Regiment Missouri Volunteer Engineers on February 17 , 1864 . Casualties . Regiment lost during service 16 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 146 Enlisted men by disease . Total 163 . ( This figure includes the casualties suffered by the " Engineers " after it was converted into the " 1st Missouri Engineers " . )