149th Infantry Regiment (United States)

149th Infantry Regiment
149th Infantry Regiment
	149th Infantry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia
Active	22 May 1846
Country	United States
Allegiance	United States(1846-present); Confederate States (1861-1865)
Branch	United States Army
Type	National Guard Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Louisville, Kentucky (headquarters)
Motto(s)	"Never Defeated"
Colors	Red and Gold
Engagements	Mexican–American War ; -Battle of Monterrey ; American Civil War ; -Battle of Shiloh ; -First Battle of Murfreesboro ; -Battle of Chickamauga ; -Battle of Atlanta ; -Siege of Corinth ; -Battle of Franklin ; Spanish–American War ; -Puerto Rico Campaign ; World War I ; World War II ; -Battle of Leyte ; -Battle of Luzon Contents Service career ; American Civil War ; World War I ; Interwar period ; World War II ; Status today ; References ; ; US Afghanistan War

Last updated August 03, 2024

The 149th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army, provided by the Kentucky Army National Guard. It was originally constituted 22 May 1846 in the Kentucky Militia as the 1st Kentucky Cavalry and the 2d Kentucky Volunteer Infantry. After a year of Federal service (June 1846 to June 1847), it was reorganized on 15 June 1860 in the Kentucky State Guard as the Lexington Battalion (which included the Lexington Rifles). It was then expanded in November 1860 to comprise the Lexington Battalion and the Kentucky River Battalion.^[1] The Lexington and Kentucky River Battalions, antecedents to the 149th Infantry, are especially notable in military history in that they were some of the few military units to ever be split between two different countries for the duration of a war.

Service career

American Civil War

In 1861, after the outbreak of the American Civil War, the 149th Infantry Regiment (at the time part of the Kentucky State Militia and comprising the Lexington Battalion and the Kentucky River Battalion), was split between the Union and the Confederacy by the Kentucky General Assembly. The reason for this was the Kentucky State Government had declared neutrality in the war. They were officially recognized as part of both countries, and, although Kentucky never officially seceded from the United States, many soldiers within the state militia held Confederate sympathies. This was made more complicated when President Abraham Lincoln began drafting soldiers to fight the Confederacy, as they needed military units to join. To prevent the collapse of the Kentucky State Militia, the General Assembly voted to split the entire militia in half. This included the antecedents of the 149th Infantry Regiment. Between April–June 1861, soldiers with Union sympathies were reorganized as the 1st and 2nd Volunteer Kentucky Infantry regiments, while soldiers with Southern sympathies were reorganized into the 1st Kentucky Brigade (The Orphan Brigade).^[2]^[1]

The two halves of the Kentucky Militia only fought each other once, at the Battle of Shiloh.^[3]

World War I

The history of the unit designated the 149th Infantry goes back to April 28, 1917.^[2] But the History of the 149th Infantry correctly states that, as the 2nd Kentucky, the regiment had many years of service before 1917.

The 38th Division deployed to Europe in October 1918, where it landed in France at the height of the German "Peace Offensives". Because the division was not combat ready, it was largely stripped of officers and men, who served as replacements for units already in combat. The 149th Infantry Regiment was broken up in this way to provide replacements.

Interwar period

The 149th Infantry arrived at the port of New York on 16 January 1919 on the troopship SS Belgic and was demobilized in January 1919 at Camp Zachary Taylor, Kentucky. Per the National Defense Act of 1920, the 149th Infantry was reconstituted in the National Guard in 1921, assigned to the 38th Division, and allotted to the state of Kentucky. It was partially organized 1 July 1921 by redesignation of active elements of the 1st Infantry, Kentucky National Guard (organized 1919–21). The regimental headquarters was organized 1 July 1922 and federally recognized at Frankfort, Kentucky. The headquarters was relocated 13 December 1927 to Louisville, Kentucky. The regiment, or elements thereof, called up to perform the following state duties: strike duty at coal fields near Newport, Kentucky, and at the Anderson Steel and Newport Rolling Mills, 25 December 1921–31 March 1922; Central City, Kentucky, 8 July–30 August 1922; Corbin, Kentucky, 30 September 1922–15 February 1923; and again at Newport, 2 February–24 April 1923; preserve law and order at Sand Cave, Kentucky, 2 February–18 March 1925, during the rescue attempt to save the celebrated cave explorer, Floyd Collins; 2nd Battalion and elements of 1st Battalion for preservation of order at a civil trial at Lexington, Kentucky, 1–2 February 1926, and at a trial in Louisville, 22–28 April 1926; flood relief duty at Hickman, Kentucky, 16 April–27 May 1927; 3rd Battalion for preservation of order at a rape trial of two Negro men at Madisonville, Kentucky, 23–26 November 1927; entire regiment for strike duty at coal miners’ strike in Harlan County, Kentucky, 6 May–30 June 1931; flood relief along the Ohio River, January–March 1937. Conducted annual summer training most years at Camp Knox, Kentucky, 1921–39.^[4]

World War II

The 149th Infantry was inducted into active federal service on 17 January 1941 and moved to Camp Shelby, Mississippi, where it arrived on 26 January 1941. The 149th Infantry Regiment was in federal service until 9 November 1945.^[1]

Status today

The military unit has been active in the Louisville, Kentucky area since the 149th Infantry Regiment Combat Team was activated after World War II. The U.S. Army Center for Military History attributes lineage and honors to the Louisville unit further back than that.

It has the Special Designation 'Second Kentucky', commemorating its previous state designation. The numerical designation, but not the lineage or honors, is now carried on in the 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

Related Research Articles

The 35th Infantry Division, formerly known as the 35th Division, is an infantry formation of the United States Army National Guard headquartered at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

The 100th Training Division (Leader Development) (formerly the 100th Infantry Division) is a division of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky. It currently serves as a major training command of the United States Army Reserve. It has been known as the "Century Division" owing to its "100th" designation.

The 38th Infantry Division is an infantry division of the United States Army and part of the Indiana National Guard. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and contains Army National Guard units from across the Midwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas Army National Guard</span> Component of the U.S. Army and military of the state of Kansas

The Kansas Army National Guard is a component of the Army National Guard and the Kansas National Guard. Kansas Army National Guard units are trained and equipped as part of the United States Army. The same ranks and insignia are used and National Guardsmen are eligible to receive all United States military awards. The Kansas Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in or to the state of Kansas. It is, along with the Kansas Air National Guard, an element of the Kansas National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Army National Guard</span> Component of the US Army and military of the U.S. state of Texas

The Texas Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army, the United States National Guard and the Texas Military Forces.

The 39th Infantry Division was an infantry formation of the Army National Guard, originally formed as the 18th Division in 1917. The division consisted of troops from Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. After training at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, the division was deployed to France but did not see combat before the end of World War I. In July 1923 the division was re-designated as the 31st Infantry Division. The 39th Infantry Division was reactivated after World War II with troops from Louisiana and Arkansas and its headquarters in Louisiana. In 1967, the 39th Infantry Division was reorganized to become the 39th Infantry Brigade (Separate). Its headquarters was in Little Rock and the unit consisted entirely of troops from Arkansas.

The 185th Infantry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army made up of soldiers from the California Army National Guard, represented by the 1st Battalion, part of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

The 156th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the United States Army and the Louisiana National Guard. It began as a Confederate Army unit in 1861, and surrendered to the Union at the Battle of Appomattox Court House in 1865. It was reformed in 1878 as a militia unit, and reorganized into the Louisiana National Guard in 1899. It saw support service in World War I. In world War II it served as a guard battalion in Europe, for which it added a lion to its coat of arms to symbolize its service in northern France. It deployed twice during the Iraq war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky Army National Guard</span> Component of the US Army and military of the state of Kentucky

The Kentucky Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization. National coordination of various state National Guard units are maintained through the National Guard Bureau.

The 151st Infantry Regiment is an infantry unit in the Indiana National Guard, part of the 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Separate).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Mexico Army National Guard</span> Component of the US Army and military of the U.S. state of New Mexico

The New Mexico Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the New Mexico National Guard. The NM ARNG traces its history back to units formed when New Mexico was still a territory.

The 130th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the Army National Guard. It is one of several Army National Guard units with campaign credit for the War of 1812.

The 133rd Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment in the Iowa Army National Guard. It is represented by the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division.

The 134th Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment in the Nebraska Army National Guard. By extension, it is a member of the United States Army National Guard, and as a currently federally-recognized unit, also a member of the National Guard of the United States.

The 138th Infantry Regiment is an light infantry regiment of the United States Army and the Missouri National Guard headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

The 167th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the Alabama National Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">116th Field Artillery Regiment</span> Florida army national guard unit

The 116th Field Artillery is a regiment of the Florida Army National Guard. Currently there are two battalions; 2-116th FA is fires battalion for the 53rd Brigade Combat Team, and 3-116th (HIMARS) is part of the 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, both of the Florida Army National Guard.

The 56th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a brigade combat team unit of the Texas Army National Guard, part of the 36th Infantry Division.

The 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is a maneuver enhancement brigade of the Kentucky Army National Guard, headquartered at Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">623rd Field Artillery Regiment</span> Unit of the Kentucky Army National Guard (US)

The 623rd Field Artillery Regiment (Morgan's Men) is a single-battalion unit of the Kentucky Army National Guard. The unit draws its lineage from cavalry and infantry units of the Kentucky Militia formed in 1846 for service in the Mexican–American War. Its antecedents include units that served on both sides of the American Civil War as well as those that fought for the United States in the Spanish–American War, World War One and World War Two. The unit was first designated as the 623rd Field Artillery Battalion in 1947, serving under that name in the Korean War. It was part of the 138th Artillery Regiment in the 1960s before becoming the 623rd Artillery Regiment in 1969 and the 623rd Field Artillery Regiment in 1972. The unit served in the Gulf War as a self-propelled artillery unit; it is now equipped with the M142 HIMARS system.

References

1 2 3 "Lineage and Honors, 149th Infantry Regiment". United States Army. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
1 2 "History of the 149th Infantry" (PDF). November 1943. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
↑ "Major Engagements". Kentucky State Government. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
↑ Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations, 1919-41. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 429. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Hist-1] 1 2 3 "Lineage and Honors, 149th Infantry Regiment". United States Army. 23 July 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2017.

[H2-2] 1 2 "History of the 149th Infantry" (PDF). November 1943. Retrieved 30 August 2017.

[3] "Major Engagements". Kentucky State Government. Retrieved 30 August 2017.

[4] Clay, Steven E. (2010). U.S. Army Order of Battle, 1919-1941, Volume 1. The Arms: Major Commands and Infantry Organizations, 1919-41. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press. p. 429. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]