Patterson's Independent Company of Engineers and Mechanics

The impact on Civil War campaigns of army support units and their activities has received increased attention of late. Engineers and engineering have been explored in a number of recent books, among them Thomas Army's Engineering Victory: How Technology Won the Civil War (2016), Justin Solonick's Engineering Victory: The Union Siege of Vicksburg (2015), Mark Hoffman's "My Brave Mechanics": The First Michigan Engineers and Their Civil War (2007), and Mark Smith's A Volunteer in the Regulars: The Civil War Journal and Memoir of Gilbert Thompson, US Engineer Battalion (2020). As suggested by the selection of titles referenced above, Union military engineers and their accomplishments have received the most interest from researchers and historians.

Another title to add to this growing collection is Patterson's Independent Company of Engineers and Mechanics, 1861-1865 by Charles H. Bogart. Published almost a year ago exactly, I missed its initial release, but long-time reader Curtis T. brought it to my attention last week. Curt and I both liked the author's earlier book, 2012's Railroad Defenses of the Blue Grass: The Defenses of the Kentucky Central Railroad, Lexington & Frankfort Railroad and Kentucky River during the Civil War (1861-1865), and the new book does sound like it might be right up my alley.

From the description: "Patterson's Independent Kentucky Company of Engineers & Mechanics was organized at Camp Haskin near Somerset KY and mustered into service on 25 Sep 1861 under the command of Captain William F. Patterson. The unit was also known as the "Pioneer Corps" or "KY Pioneer Infantry". The regiment served unattached, Army of the Ohio, to March 1862. Engineers, 7th Division, Army of the Ohio, to October 1862. Cumberland Division, District of West Virginia, Department of the Ohio, to November 1862. 9th Division, Right Wing, XIII Corps (Old), Department of the Tennessee, to December 1862. Unattached, Sherman's Yazoo Expedition, to January 1863. Unattached, 9th Division, XIII Corps, to July 1863. Unattached, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee and Department of the Gulf, to October 1863. Unattached, XIII Corps, Texas, to July 1864. Engineer Brigade, Department of the Gulf, to January 1865. Patterson's Company mustered out of service at Louisville KY on January 22, 1865."