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Just as the Moccasin Rangers was the South's attempt to provide a home guard unit, the Union's initial effort to provide a home guard in Clay County was the formation of the 126th Militia. Roger Vaughan writing in "The History of Clay County, WV Volume II" states that "Early response on the part of Unionists in Clay County was the formation of the 126th Militia. Enlisted dates shown in the Official Record for most members of this unit were 1861 and 1862. I am inclined to believe that this organization, in large part, existed only on pager. I know it contains the names of people, many Confederate sympathizers, whose descendants have no knowledge of their participation in such unit. It almost seems to be a list of able-bodied men who were not serving in either regular army at the time".
Mr. Vaughan states later that the 126th Militia was later reorganized into the Clay County Scouts and for information on that organization, please see that page.
Herschel Shamblin's note: Several of the men listed below, including my great great grandfather, and 3rd great uncle, signed a petition asking that the 126th Militia be disbanded or removed from the neighberhood, because of Cap. William King's dishonesty. These men later joined the WV Calvary. Please follow the link to view the actual petition. http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/militia/clay/clay2.html To return to this site hit your browers back button.
Listed below is the roster of the Clay County 126th Militia as contained in the aforementioned Clay County History. If you have additions to this list please send them in to us. Herschel Shamblinor Brenda Vaughn
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CLAY COUNTY 126th MILITIA OFFICERS
King, William - Captain - Oath of office Oct. 22, 1861
Moore, Rice W. - Filled vacancy created by W. King's failure to qualify
Grose, Samuel J. - Adjutant (Mustering officer)
King, David - 1st Lt. - Promoted from sergeant, but failed to qualify
Moore, Jonathan L. - 1st Lt. - Filled vacancy created by removal of Perry O'brien
Simmons, Lemuel - 1st Lt. - Replaced Barnabas Cook during illness from wounds
Williams, Bazil L. - 1st Lt - Later volunteered 8th U.S. Infantry
Arbogast, Michael - 2nd Lt. - Volunteered U.S. Service
King, Charles W. - 2nd Lt.
126TH ENLISTED MEN
Arbogast, George - Ashley, George - Ashley, John - Ashley, John R. - Ashley, Rice M. -
Baker, George - Bloundon, - Blounder, James - Bloundin, (Later volunteer Co. G, 3rd W.Va.) - Boggs, Benjamin - Boggs, David P. - Boggs, William - Bragg, Jacob - Bragg, Thomas - Brown, Andrew (Volunteer U.S. service) - Brown, George W. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Burdit, John C. - Burdit, Lewis A. - Burkhammer, George - Butler, Andrew - Butler, A.J. - Butler, Jeremiah - Butler, William F.
Carpenter, Jesse (Murdered by Rebel guerillas, date and place unknown) -Chapman, Jacob - Chapman, William - Cobb, John A. (Volunteer U.S. services) - Cobb, John M. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Cochran, Preston - Corley, Isaac - Cook, Timothy - Cooper, John - Cotreal, John (2nd Sgt.) - Cottrell, Smith - Cottrell, John - Cottrell, Marshal R. - Cunninghan, William P.
Dawson, John - Drake, Charles - Drake, Michael - Drake, Samuel (From Roane Co.)
Ellis, Lewis - Ellis, Samuel (Murdered by Rebels Aug. 5, 1863) - Ellis, T.J. - Ellison, James (From Roane Co.) - Ellison, Lewis - Ellison Samuel (Killed in action date & place unknown) - Elswick, Andrew
Figens, Edward - Figens, Thomas R. - Fox, L.D. - Fugat, William -
Garvis, Josiah - Gibson, Morgan - Given, William - Goldsmith, Robert - Gray, John D. - Griffith, Henry A. - Griffith, John P. - Griffith, Perry - Griffith, William P. (2nd Sgt.) - Griffith, William (from Kanawha)
Hanshaw, Henry - Hanshaw, William (Deserted to Confederates) -Hicks, Stephen - Hicks, Washington - Holcomb, Ethan A. - Holcomb, Ezekiel - Holcomb James - Holcomb, John - Howell, John F. - Hughes, George - Hughes George W. (Enlisted U.S. service)
Igo, Henry -
Jackson, A.P. - James, David - James, Silas - James, William - Jarrett, James W (Enlisted U.S.service) Jeffrey, Ezekiel - Johnson, John - Jones, John - Jones John T.
Keen, James - Keenan, John B. - Keenan, Willian - Keener, John - Keener, Samuel - King, David - King, David B. (From Roane Co.) - King, George S. - King, William H.
Lamb, Stephen A. - Lamb, Thomas - Lawrence, Philip A. - Lewis, Charles - Lewis, Hiram
McCoy, George (From Calhoun Co.) - McCoy, Jacob (From Calhoun Co.) - McCune, Hiram - McLaughlin, James - Martin, Samuel V. - Matheny, Daniel - May, Robert S. - May, William J. - Miller, Zacariah - Mollohan, Anson - Moore, Benjamin - Moore, Charles C. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Moore, Isaac (Volunteer U.S. service) - Moore, Joshua K. - Moore, Melchesadec (Volunteer U.S. service ) - Morton, Paschel (Volunteer U.S. service) - Mullins, George - Mullins, Henry (3rd Sgt.) - Mullins, Lewis G. - Murphy, Cornelius - Murphy, Peter - Murphy, Timothy (Cpl.)
Naylor, John Y. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Nelson, Solomon - Nicholas, Charles - Nicholas, George - Nicholas, John T. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Nicholas, William - Noe, Hiram (From Roane Co.) - Noe, William (From Roane Co.) - Norman, James N. - Nottingham, Jacob J. - Notthingham James B.
O'brien, John - Ogden, Robert
Paintruff, James - Parsons, George W. - Parson, Joseph - Paxton, Lyle G. - Paxton, William - Payne, James M. - Pierson, David (From Roane Co.) - Pierson, Harrison - Pierson, Joseph M. - Pierson, Joseph - Priam, Joseph
Ramsey, Lewis (Volunteer U.S. service 0 - Reed, George W. - Raleigh, John. - Rogers, Alfred - Rogers, James A. (Murdered by Rebel Guerillas Oct. 15, 1862) - Rollins, George - Rose, Isaac - Rose, Charles - Rosel, Chancy
Saliers - Sayers, Solomon (4th Sgt.) - Samples Andrew M. (Cpl.) - Samples, Andrew A. - Samples, Hiram J. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Samples Jesse A. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Samples, John H. - Samples, Philander (Cpl. Volunteer U.S. service ) - Samples, Salathiel (Volunteer U.S. service) - Samples, Thomas P. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Sands, John - Schoonover, Daniel - Schoonover, Elliott - Schoonover, Joseph - Schoonover, Marion (Cpl.) - Schoonover, William H. - Schoonover, Willian - Sabert, William - Shamblin, George ( Father of Isaiah and Lawson)- Shamblin, Isaiah (Volunteered U.S. service, 3rd WV Calvary, Co. G) - Shamblin, Lawson (Volunteered U.S. service, 3rd WV Calvary, Co. G) - Simmons, Lemuel - Simms, Newton G. - Sirk, Jacob - Sirk, John A. - Sizemore, Edward - Sizemore, George W. (Volunteer U.S. service) - Smith, James - Smith, Martin - Smith, Newton (From Roane Co.) - Smith, William R. - Smith, William Y. - Sowers, William H. - Stone, William (Volunteer U.S. service ) - Stalnaker, John C. - Summers, Harrison - Summers, John M.
Tawney, William H. (From Roane Co.) - Tawney, Alexander (From Roane Co.) - Tawney, Christopher (From Roane Co.) - Tawney, John H. (1st Cpl.) - Truman, Barnabus - Truman, Shadrack - Turner, Aaron A.
Upton, Alpheus H. - Upton, Alvin (Enlisted U.S. service) -Upton, Ulysses (Volunteered U.S. service)
Vaughan, Andrew M.
Walker, William P. - Wayne, Robert - Waught, Robert (Volunteered U.S. service) - Waybright, Cyrus - Weeks, Stephen - Weeks, Stephen T. - Wheeler, Edward P. - White, James W. - Woods, Isaac - Woods, James
Young, Robert J.
Please Note: Additional information on the Clay County men who served with the Union during the Civil War can be found at the following address: http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/mil.aspx. When you get to this address type in the name you are researching or select Clay in the County Box to search all names associated with Clay County. Then click on "Submit Query". Last update 03/30/08