A comment relative to Sam Clemens' adventures with, and departure  from, 
the Missouri Militia "Marion Rangers".
 
One of his fellow boarders at Mrs. Murphy's in Nevada was a  former NYC 
Police Captain named Coulter, 40, late a company commander of an  activated 
militia unit from New York City. Activated in late May, they were in  
Washington, D.C., when the Confederates approached Manassas. The confrontation  that 
followed is first Bull Run to us Union folk; first Manassas to  Southerners.
 
Capt. Coulter was company commander of a crew of 100--four platoons, each  
divided into four squads. The regiment was one of many that took on Gen. 
Thomas  Jackson's men in the battle which earned Gen. Jackson the name 
"Stonewall." That  was in late July, a month after activation.
 
Among Capt. Coulter's roughly 100 men, two were killed in action at Bull  
Run; one was wounded and died in August of wounds, two captured and later  
paroled back to the company. It was a nasty fight. No record of non-fatal  
wounds was compiled. Coulter was wounded, and while on medical furlough  he 
came to Nevada Territory. In October he resigned his  commission.
 
But more to the Clemens' point. After their first exposure to shots fired  
at them for real, the company returned to duty guarding Washington D.C. In  
August, 15 men, or fifteen percent of the company, deserted. Six left  on 
Sunday, August 14, the rest mostly in single desertions. That is just one  
company in the regiment. Yes, deserters who were caught were shot as an 
example.  That doesn't seem to have been a huge deterrant. It might be interesting 
to see  what happened to the deserters, but that is far outside my current  
project's envelope.
 
Bob Stewart