Unfortunately, not much information exists on the Confederate Marine Corps since most of its records were destroyed by fire towards the end of the war.
(Editor's Note: Much of what remains is located in New Orleans at the Manuscript Library of Tulane University).
However, it is known that on March 16, 1861, the Confederate Marine Corps was established by an act of the Confederate Congress. On May 20th the Confederate Congress expanded the Corps and gave it the following organization: '1 colonel, 1 lieutenant colonel, 1 major, 1 quartermaster with rank of major, 1 sergeant-major, 1 quartermaster sergeant, 10 captains, 10 1st lieutenants, 20 2nd lieutenants,, 40 sergeants, 40 corporals, and 840 privates, 10 drummers, 10 fifers and 2 musicians.' (1)
A total of 1600 officers and men served in the Corps, no more than 600 at a time (2). Fourteen U.S. Marine Corps officers resigned to accept commissions in the Confederate Corps. These officers, with "More than a hundred men of their former command in the Federal service" (3) formed the nucleus of the southern Marines. "Col. Lloyd J. Beall, a former officer of the U.S. Army, was appointed commandant with the rank of colonel" (4).
The Corps remained relatively undisturbed in the Richmond area until the summer of 1862. "The largest Marine unit to see active service on a ship was the group of 55 officers and men who helped to serve the guns of the Virginia when she fought at Hampton Roads in March 1862. After she was blown up, they went to Drewry's Bluff on the James River to man the shore batteries there." (5).
Soon after this engagement the Corps was split up into detachments and parcelled out to various ships and forts. The Confederacy, like the Union, suffered a severe shortage of trained sailors. The experienced Marines proved to be invaluable to the ships they served and manned their assigned guns with great courage and efficiency. The following are some period accounts of the Marines in action:
Aboard the Confederate ship Virginia at the battle of Hampton Roads "The Marine Corps was well represented by Capt. Thom, whose tranquile mien gave evidence that the hottest fire was no novelty to him." (6).
While boarding and capturing the Union gunboat Underwriter, "Conspicuous among all was the conduct of the Marines. As the Confederates came up to the ship the Marines rose up and delivered their fire, taking accurate aim, reloading still under the heavy fire from the enemy. When on board they obeyed their orders promptly ... not even the explosion of the monster shell... among them could break their ranks or turn a man from his post." (B).
At Battery Buchanan, Fort Fisher, the Marines manned their guns their guns until "They were all killed or captured." (8).
At Drewry's Bluff "Another party of sharpshooters was the battalion of Marines commanded by Capt. John D. Simms, of the Confederate Marine Corps, who reported: '...It gives me much pleasure to call your attention to the coolness of the officers and men under the severe fire of the enemy...' (9).
The Marine Corps had many tasks, but not enough men to perform all of its duties. "The report of Col. Beall, dated October 30th, 1864. shows that the aggregate strength of the corps then was but 539 men, of which number two captains, three lieutenants, and sixty-two privates were prisoners in the hands of the enemy, and thirty-two recruits had recently been received at the Charleston naval station from the conscript camp near Raleigh, N. Carolina. The report continues: 'The marine corps is distributed at the following naval stations: Mobile, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, and at Drewry's Bluff; also on board of the three iron-clad steamers in the James River, and as guards at the Richmond navy-yards. Marine guards have been assigned to the armed steamers Tallahassee and Chickamauga, destined to operate against the enemy's commerce on the sea.
"Since my last report the marines have been under the enemy's fire at Drewry's Bluff and on the James River; also in the land and naval engagements near Mobile, on the 5th and 6th of August last. A marine guard under the command of Lieut. Crenshaw was attached to the Confederate steamship Tallahassee during the late cruise, when much damage was inflicted upon the enemy's shipping at sea..." (10).
The marine corps also fought with the naval brigade at Saylor's Creek and in other land and sea battles, but due to their limited numbers, have not been given their due place in history.
UNIFORMS
Officers: Grey coat with dark blue facings, dark blue trousers and blue or grey kepis. (11)
Enlisted: Grey coat or jacket, trimmed black. Grade was indicated by black chevrons, worn points up. Trousers were dark blue for winter, white for summer.
SMALL ARMS
Confederate Marines were supposed to be issued British Enfield-type rifled muskets; however, as with all Confederate units, they were armed with whatever they could get. Some carried converted flintlocks or the .54 calibre Austrian Lorenz rifled musket. Later in the war, they carried captured .58 calibre Springfields or Confederate made copies. (12)
Officers carried swords used by their Army or Navy counterparts, and presumably any type of pistol that was available through the military or private purchase (Katcher's book, mentioned in the bibliography, is a good source of information for both Union and Confederate sailors and marines).
The best summation of the corps was given by Col. Beall himself: "The corps was composed of enlisted men, many of whom were old soldiers and commissioned officers, a number of whom had seen service before in the U.S. marine corps and elsewhere. The corps was thoroughly trained and disciplined, and in all encounters with the enemy the officers and men were conspicuous for their courage and good conduct." (13).
Endnotes/Bibliography
(1) J. Thomas Sharf, "History of the Confederate States Navy: From It's Organization to the Surrender of its Last Vessel"; Crown Publishers, Inc., 1877, p. 769.
(2) Philip Katcher, "American Civil War Armies (3): Staff, Specialist and Maritime Services"; London: Osprey Publishing, Ltd., 1986, p. 38.
(3) Sharf, p. 770;
(4) Sharf, pp. 770-771.
(5) Philip Van Doren Stern, "The Confederate Navy"; New York: Bonanza Books, 1962, p. 181.
(6) Sharf, p.208;
(7) Sharf, p.399;
(8) Sharf, p.420;
(9) Sharf, pp. 716-717;
(10) Sharf, p.772;
(11) Katcher, pp. 38-40;
(12) Katcher, p.41;
(13) Sharf, pp. 770-771.
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