Determining the composition of the Union force that attacked Philippi on June 3, 1861, is, thankfully, easier than for their opponents. The orders outlining which units were to take part, and the number of companies assigned, have long been published. Even so, estimates of the total strength vary, and the sources do not always explain which companies were actually selected for the operation.

There are no readily available estimates for the strength of each regiment. Eyewitness reports allow us to confirm that certain companies, identified by letter, were present. The only complete list I have found is for the 6th Indiana, in Fritz Haselberger’s Yanks from the South!.

We can also make fairly accurate estimates of troop strength from the surviving muster rolls for these regiments. Unlike the secessionist volunteer units, Union regiments were organized to a fixed strength and generally filled out in full. The Indiana three-month regiments, for example, had seventy-seven officers and men per company, along with eleven staff officers and noncommissioned officers. The 6th Indiana mustered 781 men, the 7th Indiana 782, and the 9th Indiana 787.

The Ohio three-month regiments were slightly larger, with roughly eleven to thirteen regimental staff and about one hundred officers and men per company. The 16th Ohio also maintained a twelve-man regimental band. Given the secrecy of the operation, however, it is doubtful the band accompanied the expedition.

The 1st Virginia Regiment (U.S.) was another atypical unit. A complete roster for its three-month incarnation appears in C. J. Rawling’s History of the First Regiment Virginia Infantry. Its companies averaged 76 to 77 officers and men each, supported by a very small regimental staff. In all, the regiment totaled 773. I was able to come up with a specific list of the six companies present by examining casualties and firsthand accounts.

Haselberger estimated Dumont’s column at 1,450 men and Kelley’s at 1,600. The muster rolls suggest those figures are low. Even without counting the artillerists, Dumont likely had about 1,923 infantry in his column, while Kelley had roughly 1,788. That brings the combined total to 3,711.

The following order of battle for Union forces at Philippi is drawn from a range of primary and secondary sources and represents the most accurate reconstruction currently possible.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Armstrong Morris

Federal Expedition to Philippi

Col. Benjamin F. Kelley, Commanding

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Dumont’s Column

Col. Ebenezer Dumont, Commanding

Unit	Companies	Commander(s)	Strength
6th IN Inf. Regiment	B, C, E, F, G, & I	Col. Thomas T. Crittenden	473
7th IN Inf. Regiment	“Eight”	Col. Ebenezer Dumont	628
14th OH Inf. Regiment	“Five”	Col. James B. Steedman	513
15th OH Inf. Regiment	“Three”	Col. George W. Andrews	309
1st OH Light Artillery	Sections D & F	Col. Frederick W. Lander Lt. Col. Stephen B. Sturges	2 guns, 50 men
			1,973

Kelley’s Column

Col. Benjamin F. Kelley, Commanding

Unit	Companies	Commander	Strength
1st VA Infantry (U.S.)	B, C, D, G, H & K	Col. Benjamin F. Kelley	467
9th IN Inf. Regiment	A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I & K *	Col. Robert H. Milroy	710
16th OH Inf. Regiment	“Six”	Col. James Irvine	611
			1,788

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Sources

Haselberger, Fritz. Yanks from the South! The First Land Campaign of the Civil War. Baltimore: Past Glories, 1987.

Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866, Vol. 1. Akron: The Werner Company, 1893.

Rawling, C. J. History of the First Regiment Virginia Infantry. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1887.

Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Vol. II Indianapolis: W.R. Holloway, State Printer, 1865.

Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Indiana, Vol. IV Indianapolis: Samuel M. Douglass, State Printer, 1866.

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Series I, Vol. II. With additions and corrections. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1902.