Daily AncestorHome Guard
Home Guard units were local militia raised for defense close to home; in Civil War Missouri they were companies of Union loyalists.
In 1861 Union supporters in Missouri, many of them German Americans in St. Louis, formed Home Guard companies and regiments to oppose secessionists. Some St. Louis regiments were mustered into federal service as the United States Reserve Corps, and rural Home Guards fought the Missouri State Guard that summer.
Most served about three months and were replaced by state militia regiments in late 1861 and 1862. Local units that were never federalized are documented by state archives rather than NARA, so look there for Home Guard service.
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Daily Ancestor. "Home Guard." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/home-guard. Last checked 2026-10-03.