Hmmm more definite. Well if you look at State and Confederate record from 1861 through 1862, and analyse the relevant information that is provided in that data, you will see that Confederate Louisiana had a complex )and at times confusing) system on how they mobilised and formed units. While much of this will be the subject of an upcoming book, Confederate Louisiana had essentially six types of State forces in 1861-1863. These were: Regular Militia, Volunteer Militia (or State Volunteers when active), Local Defense Troops (i.e., Foreign Militia), State Partisan Rangers, State Guards, and Regulars. Contrary to popular belief, there were no Home Guards as these formations were private militias that were banned by Gov. Moore in Sept 61. All the aforementioned types of forces varied in one one or another from each other. As an example, Local Defense Troops in Louisiana were volunteers that were foreign nationals subject to the authority of foreign consulates in New Orleans. Regular militia was mandatory (unless you were in a Volunteer Militia unit) and officers were appointed. The volunteer militia were Louisiana citizens and they voted for their officers. While rare, units could transfer from type of formation to another. Examples include the Spanish Legion which started out as Volunteer Militia formation, only to become a Local Defense unit, the Hawkin Guards which was a Volunteer Militia unit and appears to converted to a Regular Militia. More importantly, many of Louisiana State forces were transferred from State authority to Confederate control -- usually to the Provisional Army of Confederate States (PACS). Many of the units sent to the PACS in 1861 and early 1862 started as volunteer militia formations (either whole regiments like the Lovell, and Sumter Regiments) or by joining individual volunteer militia companies together to form a regiment. That regiment would then be activated for State service then transfer (within a couple days) to the PASC. La Vols Regiment 1-13 and 16-22 in the PACS were at least formed this way.

As for the two Spanish formations that were organized in Louisiana in 1861, both were initially considered 'volunteer militia' and both were named Cazadores d'Espanola. Confused? Anyway, by Fall 61 one unit changed its name to the Spanish Legion and would eventually become the Spanish Regiment of the European Brigade. It consisted of Spanish speaking nationals and therefore was considered "Local Defense Troops" or foreign militia. The other Cazadore d'Espanola remained a volunteer militia formation and while a regiment for most of 1861, it would contract to a battalion in Feb 62.

Finally, whenever a volunteer formation would transfer from one type of forces to another (ie, State to PACS), or was activated, or vote to change the duration of their service, or to elect new leaders -- it was considered a 'reorgnization.' Thus while the Sumter Regiment was reorganized at Camp Moore to enter PACS as the 30th Regiment, one should not envision a massive restructuring of the unit (ie, deactivating and then rebuilding). The reorganization was little more than the companies voting to continue the fight under a different authority (PACS). It was and remained the Sumter Regiment. Was this more definite?

Dan (ps not Danny)