The Fifteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was recruited after the Lawrence Massacre, in 1863. It was raised for the express purpose of protecting the eastern border of Kansas. It was mustered in at Leavenworth in the fall of 1863, with the following field and staff:

Company C was sent to Independence, Missouri. The remainder of the regiment was stationed in camp near Fort Leavenworth until November. Two companies were then assigned to duty in the City of Leavenworth. One company was sent to Paola and another to Fort Scott. Later the other companies were distributed along the posts of the border.

In 1864 Colonel Jennison was ordered to Mound City and placed in command of the First Sub-district of Southern Kansas. Upon the appearance of General Price in Missouri, in 1864, the various companies of the regiment were reassembled, and the Fifteenth was made a part of the First Brigade under command of Colonel Jennison.

Its principal service was in the Price raid, which has already been treated in this work.

The regiment was mustered out at Leavenworth, Kansas, October 19, 1865.

The Sixteenth Volunteer Cavalry was organized in the year 1863 with the following field and staff:

Being organized at so late a period, the Sixteenth did not see much active service. It was in the battle of the Big Blue, and was a part of the force which pursued General Price.

A detachment of this regiment was sent to the Plains under Colonel Samuel Walker, where it performed post and escort duty.

The Sixteenth contained many veterans and was composed of as good material as any Kansas regiment. It was unfortunate in not having an opportunity to show its fighting qualities.

The Seventeenth Kansas Volunteer Infantry was organized under the President's call of April 23, 1864. It was mustered into service on the 28th of July, at Fort Leavenworth, under the following field and staff:

The first duty of the, 17th was as a garrison at Fort Leavenworth. The regiment was soon divided into detachments and sent to Fort Riley, Lawrence, and Cottonwood Falls. It was ordered to Paola in September, 1864, and did good service in the Price raid.

It was mustered out November 16th, 1864.

This Battalion was commanded by Major Horace L. Moore of Lawrence, who had been Lieutenant-Colonel of the Fourth Arkansas Cavalry. The Battalion numbered three hundred and fifty-eight. It was recruited to protect the frontier from Indian attacks, and was organized in July, 1867.

On the 21st of August, 1867, a force of Indians, reported eight hundred strong, attacked the Tenth Cavalry on the Republican River. The troops were forced to fall back to the vicinity of Fort Harker. On the 30th of August, Major Moore met a portion of this Indian band and defeated it. The Eighteenth was actively engaged in the Indian service until the 15th of November, when it was mustered out of the service.

The Indian troubles on the border continued through the year 1868. The Nineteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was mustered into service October 20, 1868, under the following field and staff:

Colonel, Samuel J. Crawford; Lieutenant-Colonel, Horace L. Moore; Major, William C. Jones; Adjutant, James M. Steele; Surgeon, Mahlon Bailey; Quartermaster, Luther A. Thrasher, all of Topeka.

It has already been stated in this work that Colonel Crawford resigned as Governor of Kansas to organize the Nineteenth for the defense of the frontier. The regiment contained 1,200 men. It left Topeka November 5, 1868, for the Indian country. On the 14th it crossed the Arkansas River, and on the 28th joined General Sheridan on the North Canadian.

The day before this junction had been formed, the Indians had been attacked on the Washita by General George A. Custer. The Indians were commanded by Black Kettle and other chiefs. They were defeated by General Custer. General Sheridan's force pursued the Indians, compelling them to surrender on the 24th of December. They gave up many captives.

After the campaign, the Nineteenth Kansas returned to Fort Hays, in March, 1869, and were mustered out at that place on the 18th of April.

This was one of the first colored regiments organized in the Civil War. In August, 1862, General James H. Lane, appointed Captain James H. Williams of the Fifth Kansas Cavalry, Recruiting Commissioner for that part of the State lying north of the Kansas River, and Captain H. C. Seaman, for that part of Kansas lying south of the river. They raised a colored regiment. Within sixty days, five hundred men had been secured, but there was some opposition to their being mustered into the United States service. They were, however, mustered on the 13th of January, 1863. Before they were mustered, they had been attacked by the rebels under Colonel Cochran, but gave a good account of themselves.

During the winter of 1863, four companies were added and the regiment was organized on the 2nd of May, 1863, with the following field and staff:

Colonel, James M. Williams; Lieutenant-Colonel, John Bowles; Major, Richard G. Ward; Adjutant, Richard J. Hinton; Quartermaster, Elijah Hughes; Surgeon, Samuel C. Harrington; Chaplain, George W. Hutchingson.

The regiment saw much service during the war. The Confederate government was much opposed to the enlistment of colored men by the Federal Government, and passed barbarous laws, prescribing punishment of those who should be captured. In reply to these laws, President Lincoln issued his order on the 30th of April, 1863, ordering "that for every soldier of the United States killed in violation of the rules of war, a rebel shall be executed; and for every one enslaved by the enemy or sold into slavery, a rebel soldier shall be placed at hard labor on public works, and continued at such labor until the other shall be released and receive the treatment due a prisoner of war.

On the 27th of June, 1863, the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry was made a part of the escort of a valuable train of supplies from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson. This train and escort were attacked at Cabin Creek, July 1, 1863, by General Cooper and some Indian forces. The Union troops saved the train and proceeded with them to Fort Gibson, where it arrived on the 5th of July.

On the 17th of July the regiment bore an honorable part in the battle of Honey Springs South of Fort Gibson.

The regiment had part in the movements of the Union troops about Fort Smith, operating much on the Arkansas River and about Camden, Arkansas. This regiment never failed to give a good account of itself in any battle they served in which it was engaged.

This regiment was organized in October, 1863, at Fort Smith, Arkansas, under the following field and staff:

Colonel, Samuel J. Crawford, Garnett; Lieutenant-Colonel, Horatio Knowles; Major, James H. Gillpatrick, Junction City; Adjutant, John R. Montgomery, Little Rock, Ark.; Quartermaster, Edwin Stokes, Clinton; Surgeon, George W. Walgamott, Lawrence; Chaplain, Josiah B. McAfee, Topeka.

This was a famous regiment. It performed long, arduous and brilliant service. Its stand at Jenkins Ferry, Arkansas, was not surpassed in bravery by any troops in the service of the United States. For a complete account of the service of this regiment, students are referred to Kansas in the Sixties, by Governor Samuel J. Crawford.

The First Kansas Volunteer Battery was mustered into service July 24, 1861, under the following field and staff. Captain, Thomas Bickerton; First Lieutenant, Norman Allen, both of Lawrence; Second Lieutenant, Hartson R. Brown; First Sergeant, John B. Cook, Auburn; Second Sergeant, Shelby Sprague, Prairie City; Corporal, John S. Gray, Mound City.

It at that time, numbered about 50 artillerymen. Many recruits were added in the early part of 1862. This battery was at the battle of Prairie Grove, and rendered good service there. It was at Rolla, Missouri, July 9, 1863, on which day it departed for St. Louis.

Lieutenant Norman Allen was promoted February 25, 1862, to the rank of Captain. He died of pneumonia at St. Louis, July 10, 1863. The battery was then commanded by Lieutenant Thomas Taylor, Lieutenant H. R. Brown having been mustered out February 15th. The following is the summary of this Battery made by the Adjutant General.

The battery was mustered out at Leavenworth, July 17, 1865.

The Second Kansas Volunteer Battery was organized under the direction of Major C. W. Blair, of the Second Kansas Cavalry. The organization was completed in September, 1862, and on the 19th of that month it was mustered at Fort Scott, with the following field and staff

Charles W. Blair, Fort Scott, commanding; First Lieutenant, Edward A. Smith; First Lieutenant , David C. Knowles; Second Lieutenant, Andrew G. Clark, all of Fort Scott; Second Lieutenant, Aristarchus Wilson, Mapleton; First Sergeant. William Requa, Mount Gilead; Quartermaster Sergeant, William H. Boyd, Mansfield.

Its entire force at that time numbered 123 officers and men. Its equipment was two twelve-pounder field howitzers and four six-pounder guns. It was assigned to the First Brigade, First Division, Army of the Frontier.

On the 13th of September, a section of this battery was taken by General Solomon into Missouri. It was in all the movements of the pursuit of General Hindman, and was at Pea Ridge on the 18th of October.

When General Blunt moved on Cane Hill the battery was left to guard supply trains at Lindsay's Prairie. From there it went to Rhea's Mills, from which point it was ordered to Fort Scott, reaching that point on the 3rd of December, and remaining until the 10th of May, 1863.

A portion of this battery was stationed at Baxter Springs in May, 1863. On the 24th of June it was ordered to Fort Smith.

It was in the battle of Honey Springs and was at Fort Gibson until the 22nd of August.

In November, 1863, the battery was ordered to Fort Smith. Here four ten-pounder Parrott were added to its equipment. The battery remained at Fort Smith until June, 1864.

This battery rendered fine service and saw much hardship. It was discharged on the 15th of August, 1865, at Leavenworth.

The Third Kansas Volunteer Battery was first made up as a cavalry company by Henry Hopkins and John F. Aduddell. It was known as Company B, Second Kansas Cavalry, and its officers were Henry Hopkins, Captain; John F. Aduddell, First Lieutenant; Oscar F. Dunlap, Second Lieutenant. It was first designed to send this battery to New Mexico, but that expedition was abandoned.

The battery marched to Fort Larned, from which point it marched to rejoin its regiment at Dry Wood, where it arrived September 23, 1862.

A rebel battery was captured at Old Fort Wayne, October 20, 1862. Company B was detached from the Second Kansas Cavalry to man this captured battery, which was afterward known as Hopkins' Kansas Battery. At the time of capture it consisted of four guns. Three of these were six-pounders, and one a twelve-pounder howitzer. The battery was in the battle of Cane Hill. It was also at the battle of Prairie Grove. It was in the pursuit of Hindman to Van Buren. It was then transferred to the Third Brigade, under Colonel Cloud. Later it was transferred to the Indian Brigade under Col. William A. Phillips.

The battery was in the engagements at Cabin Creek and Honey Springs. It went into camp at Van Buren, Arkansas, September 2, 1863.

October 1, 1863, it was organized into a permanent battery of light artillery, and known as the Third Kansas Battery.

A detachment of the battery was sent to Little Rock. The commissioned officers and the men whose terms of enlistment had expired were mustered out on the 19th of January, 1865, at Leavenworth. The remainder of the battery was detained at Little Rock until the 21st of July, 1865, and mustered out on the 11th of August, at Leavenworth.

Orders were received at Fort Leavenworth, May 22, 1862, to detail 150 non-commissioned officers and privates from the Second Kansas Cavalry, to man a battery of six-pounder Parrott guns. The officers assigned were as follows: Henry Hopkins, Captain, from Company B; R. H. Hunt, First Lieutenant, from Company I; J. B. Rankin, Second Lieutenant, from Company H; Joseph Cracklin, Second Lieutenant. He had been the Second Battery Adjutant. The name of the battery was then changed from Hollister's to Hopkins.

On the 28th of May it went aboard a steamboat and proceeded to Columbus, Kentucky, where it arrived June 6th. In July it was assigned to Rosecrans' Army.

In August, Captain Hopkins, First Lieutenant Hunt, and Second Lieutenant Cracklin, were ordered to rejoin their regiments in Kansas. The men were then mounted and attached to General Sheridan's brigade. On the 17th of August they were transferred to General Mitchell's command, at Iuka. These troops moved to join General Buell on the, 18th of August. They passed through Florence (Alabama), Columbia, Franklin, and Triune, to Murfreesboro, Tenn. From there they moved to Nashville.

They were in the battle of Perryville, on September 28th.

The detachment was in the pursuit of Morgan.

In 1862 all detachments were ordered to report to their respective regiments and commanders. Pursuant to this order this detachment arrived at Fort Leavenworth, October 26, 1862.

Many of the Five Civilized Tribes remained loyal to the Union during the Civil war. Hundreds of these loyal Indians were compelled to leave their tribes because of the hostilities of their brethren at the instigation of the Southern Confederacy. General Albert Pike made treaties with these tribes by which they attempted to take their territory into the Southern Confederacy. Many of the Indians, in pursuance of this treaty, enlisted in the Southern armies. These made war on those who wished to remain loyal to the Union. They became refugees in Southern Kansas, assembling mostly in the country of the Osages, the majority of whom remained loyal. The Government authorized the organization of Indian regiments of these refugees and any other loyal Indians desiring to enlist in the Union army. The Indian regiments were officered by Kansas soldiers. There were Indians from all of the Five Civilized Tribes in these regiments. It is possible that the Cherokees furnished more recruits than any other tribe.

Soon after the Cherokees settled in the country now embraced in Oklahoma, a Baptist mission was established among them by a Rev. Mr. Jones. The mission was near the Arkansas line, and not far from the town of Cincinnati, Arkansas. Jones taught the Indians, principally full-blood Cherokees, anti-slavery sentiments. When one was converted to the belief against slavery, he was given a pin or badge to wear. These came to be known as "Pin Indians," from the fact that they wore these distinctive pins. In the Civil War, a "Pin Indian" was a loyal Indian. In the annals of the Civil War will be found many references to Pin Indians, and it was believed necessary to state here the origin of the name.

The field and staff of each of the three Indian regiments is set out:

THIRD INDIAN REGIMENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 1 & 2
BIOGRAPHIES — VOLUMES 3, 4, & 5
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

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