Lamon's Brigade
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Lamon's Brigade was the unofficial designation for a military brigade organized for the Federal government during the American Civil War by Ward H. Lamon, the U.S. Marshall for the District of Columbia and a friend of President Lincoln. It was begun at Williamsport, Maryland, in June 1861, and continued through the end of that year. It was originally intended to be composed of Unionist Virginians, but mostly contained men from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
Ward Hill Lamon had been born in Frederick County, Virginia, and at the start of the war he believed that there were enough Unionist Virginians in the counties along the Maryland border that he could raise a regiment of volunteers. He wrote to Lincoln about his project on May 27, 1861, and Lincoln gave his approval. Lamon began his regiment in Williamsport, Maryland, opposite the Virginia border. While there were some refugee Virginians already in Maryland, recruitment proved difficult.[1]
On June 12 the New York Times reported
"A proclamation is largely circulated signed by W.H. Lamon, Marshall of the District of Columbia, calling upon all loyal Virginians to rally and form regiments under the command of Phillip Pendleton. Sixty Virginians, who left the Confederate troops and came over to avoid the Virginia military requisition, have gone into camp at Williamsport, under Col. Lamon's proclamation, elected a captain, and form the nucleus of a regiment.[2]
The Baltimore Daily Exchange, an anti-administration newspaper, reported On July 22-
"The much-talked-of regiment of Col. Lamon, pretended to be recruited from the Union men of Berkeley county and the vicinity, has proved a perfect failure. He has not yet recruited one hundred men."
Berkeley County is recorded as having contributed one company to Lamon's regiment of Virginia Volunteers, Co. B. Berkeley County raised six other companies during the war, five for the Confederacy and one other for the Union.[3]
Under the terms of military service companies of less than 85 men could not be officially mustered and equipped by the government and Lamon was faced with the prospect of equipping the men from his own funds, but a personal exception was made for him and Lincoln cautioned Lamon on June 25
"I spoke to the Secretary of War yesterday, and he consents, & so do I, that as fast as you get companies, you may procure a U.S. officer, and have them mustered in. Have this done quietly; because we can not do the labor of adopting it as a general practice."[4]
Recruitment did not meet Lamon's expectations and he began to look further west to meet his goal to reach a brigade-size force.
