2nd Missouri Volunteer Cavalry

Second Missouri Volunteer Cavalry - "Merrill's Horse"
Active	December 1861 to September, 1865
Country	United States
Allegiance	Union
Branch	Cavalry
Engagements	Battle of Blackwater Battle of Roan's Tan Yard Battle of Memphis, MO Battle of Moore's Mill Battle of Kirksville Battle of Chariton River Battle of Compton's Ferry Battle of Yellow Creek (1862) Battle of Bayou Fourche Occupation of Little Rock Battle of Prairie D'Ane Camden Expedition Battle of Jenkins' Ferry Battle of Little Blue River Battle of the Big Blue Battle of Westport Battle of Marais des Cygnes Battle of Mine Creek Battle of Marmiton River Grierson's Expedition

U.S. Cavalry Regiments
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The Second Missouri Volunteer Cavalry, also known officially as Merrill's Horse, was an cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of only a handful of Missouri regiments to be officially "named" as well as numbered.

The regiment was raised under the authority of Major General John C. Frémont, commander of the Western Department of the U.S. Army, headquartered at St. Louis, Missouri. The regiment was organized by Captain Lewis Merrill, a regular Army officer and a veteran of the prewar U.S. 2nd Dragoons. Serving as a Colonel of Volunteers, Merrill organized companies of volunteers from Missouri and other western states at St. Louis's Benton Barracks. Merrill enforced a level of discipline unusual for volunteer regiments, demanding a level of professionalism comparable to U.S. Regulars.

To distinguish the troops of his regiment, Merrill mandated a unique uniform. The front of the tunic featured a "horse-head" panel trimmed in cavalry yellow. The mandated cap was similarly unique: a sky-blue forage cap, with an orange welt (the branch color of pre-war Dragoon regiments) in honor of Merrill's service in the 2nd Dragoons. As with other areas of military discipline, Merrill allowed no deviation from his orders to his troopers in concerning their military appearance: "all additions to or alterations of this uniform as prescribed are positively prohibited and will not be tolerated under any circumstances."

Through most of 1862, Merrill's Horse was assigned the difficult mission of fighting guerrillas and irregular Confederate cavalry in north Missouri. Often operating with Federal Missouri State Militia cavalry, the regiment established a reputation of extreme aggressiveness and effectiveness in the counter-guerrilla mission. Later in the war Merrill's Horse would provide distinguished service in more conventional cavalry missions against regular Confederate units. However, in Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama the regiment was repeatedly be called on to return to the difficult specialist counterinsurgency mission of guerrilla fighting.

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