5th Missouri Volunteer Infantry ( 3 months , 1861 ) The 5th Missouri Volunteers evolved from a network of several unofficial pro - Unionist militia groups formed semi - secretly in St . Louis in the early months of 1861 by Congressman Francis Preston Blair , Jr . and other Unionist activists . The Fifth Missouri was largely composed of ethnic Germans , who were generally opposed to slavery and strongly supportive of the Unionist cause . Although initially without any official standing , beginning on April 22 , 1861 the militia regiments Blair helped organize were sworn into Federal service at the St . Louis Arsenal by Captain John Schofield acting on the authority of President Lincoln . Upon entry into Federal service the members of the Fifth Missouri elected C . E . Solomon colonel of the regiment . Military Service . After the breakdown of negotiations between Missouri Governor Claiborne Fox Jackson and General Nathaniel Lyon on June 12 , 1861 the Third Missouri was part of a complex movement against the Missouri State Guard . One force , under Brigadier General Lyon moved up the Missouri River by steamer , to capture the State capital at Jefferson City . A second brigade , composed of the 3rd and 5th Missouri and two batteries of artillery moved into southwest Missouri under the overall command of Colonel Sigel , to cut off any Missouri State Guard troops which might move south before Lyon ' s advance . Colonel Sigel took his force to Rolla , thence to Springfield , Missouri arriving on June 25 . They marched to Neosho ( June 26 – 30 ) and were forced to retreat to Mt . Vernon in the face of a large force of State Guardsmen . On July 5 , Sigel ' s force of 1 , 100 met 4 , 000 State Guardsmen ( and 2 , 000 unarmed Guard recruits ) at the Battle of Carthage . Confronted with the large force of Guardsmen Sigel retreated in good order into Carthage and successfully disengaged and retreated back to Sarcoxie that night . The Fifth Missouri joined with General Lyon ' s force at Springfield , and participated in the August 10 Battle of Wilson ' s Creek . The Fifth was again part of a brigade ( with the Third Missouri ) under Colonel Sigel . Sigel ' s 2nd Brigade initially had significant success , attacking Confederate cavalry on the southeast corner of the southern camps ( at the Sharp Farm ) . After driving off these southern troops , Sigel halted his brigade across the Wire Road , above Skeeg ' s Branch ( Creek ) . However , Sigel positioned his artillery badly ( behind the military crest of the ridge ) and cautioned his men against accidentally firing on Federal troops he expected to be advancing south down the Wire Road ( the 1st Iowa Infantry was uniformed in grey ) . At this point , Confederate Brigadier Ben McCulloch lead an attack south down the Wire Road , with the respected Third Louisiana Infantry in the fore . Skirmishers , officers , and Sigel himself mistook the Louisiana troops for the Iowa infantry allowing them to advance to point blank range before they delivering a devastating volley into the confused Federal troops . Sigel shouted " they make a mistake " as his brigade was overrun . The majority of the shattered Fifth Missouri escaped , and eventually rejoined the Federal force retreating to Springfield , and then back to Rolla . From there the regiment was ordered back to St . Louis to be demobilized . The all companies of the regiment were mustered out by August 27 , 1861 . The regiment does not share lineage with the 5th Missouri Volunteer Infantry ( 3 Years Service ) , which was subsequently organized in March 1862 . Casualties . Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and 24 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 1 Officer and 32 . Enlisted men by disease . Total 58 .