THE ARMY OF THE FRONTIER.
At the Far West the fires of liberty and union burned no less brightly
upon the altar of the negro's devotion than at the North, East and
South. The blacks of Iowa responded with alacrity to the call of the
governor to strengthen the Army of the Ohio. Though the negro population
was sparse--numbering in 1860, only 1069--and thinly scattered over the
territory, and were enjoying all the rights and privileges of American
citizenship, nevertheless they gave up the luxuries of happy homes,
threw down their implements of peaceful industry, broke from the loving
embrace of wives and children, and with the generous patriotism which
has always characterized the conduct of the race, they rushed to the aid
of their yet oppressed countrymen, and the defense of the Union.
The Gibralters of the Mississippi, Vicksburg and Port Hudson, had fallen
by the might of the Union armies; the Mississippi was open to the Gulf.
The shattered ranks of the victorious troops, and the depleted ranks of
the Phalanx, rent and torn by the enemy during the long siege of Port
Hudson, lent an inspiring zeal to the negroes of the country, which
manifested itself in the rapidity of the enlistment of volunteers to
fill up the gaps.
[Illustration: A PHALANX REGIMENT RECEIVING A GIFT OF COLORS.]
In August, 1863, the authorities of the State of Iowa began the
enlistment of negroes as a part of her quota. Keokuk was selected as the
place of rendezvous. On the 11th of the following October nine full
companies under the command of Colonel John G. Hudson, took the oath of
allegiance to the United States, and became a part of the active
military force of the National Government. The regiment was designated
the 1st A. D. (African Descent) Regiment Iowa Volunteers, and was
mustered for three years, or during the war. Leaving Keokuk Barracks,
the regiment proceeded to St. Louis, Mo., and was quartered in Benton
Barracks, as a part of the forces under command of Major-General J. M.
Schofield. Here company G. joined the regiment, making ten full
companies. A memorable and patriotic incident occurred here: Mrs. I. N.
Triplet, in behalf of the ladies of the State of Iowa, and of the city
of Muscatine, presented the regiment with a beautiful silk national
flag, which was carried through the storms of battle, and returned at
the close of the war to the State.
On the first day of January, 1864, the regiment was ordered to report to
General Beaufort at Helena, Ark., becoming a part of the garrison of
that place until the following March.
One Sergeant Phillips, with some others, agitated the propriety of
refusing to accept the seven dollars per month offered them by the
Government, and of refusing to do duty on account of it. Sergeant
Barton, however, held it was better to serve without pay than to refuse
duty, as the enforcement of the President's Emancipation Proclamation
was essential to the freedom of the negro race. To this latter the
regiment agreed, and passed concurrent resolutions, which quelled a
discussion which otherwise might have led to mutiny.
While the regiment was at Helena it took part in several skirmishes and
captured a number of prisoners. In July, Colonel W. S. Brooks, in
command of the 56th, 60th, and a detachment of the 3rd Artillery Phalanx
Regiment, with two field guns, sallied out of Helena and proceeded down
the Mississippi River, to the mouth of White River, on a transport. Here
the troops disembarked. The next morning, after marching all night,
Brooks halted his command for breakfast; arms were stacked and the men
became scattered over the fields. Suddenly, General Dobbins, at the head
of a superior confederate force, made an attack upon them; the
confederates at first formed no regular line of battle, but rushed
pell-mell on the scattered federals, intending, doubtless, to annihilate
them at once. The Union men soon recovered their arms, but before they
got into line, their commander, Colonel Brooks, had been killed, and
Captain Ransey of Co. C, 60th Regiment, assumed command. The men of the
Phalanx, though they had had but a short time to rest from a long march,
rallied with the ardor of veterans, and fought with that desperation
that men display when they realize that the struggle is either victory
or death. It was not a question of numbers with them; it was one of
existence, and the Phalanx resolved itself into a seeming column of iron
to meet the foe as it rushed over the bodies of their dead and wounded
with the rage of madmen.
The two field guns, skillfully handled by black artillery-men, did good
work, plowing huge furrows through the assailants and throwing them into
confusion at every charge. Still the confederates, having finally
organized into line of battle, continued to charge after each repulse,
pouring a terrific fire upon the United States force at each advance. It
seemed as if the Phalanx must surrender; they were outnumbered two to
one, and every line officer was dead or wounded. Sergeant Triplet was
directing the fire of Company C; the artillery sergeant was in command
of the field guns, and worked them well for two long hours. The enemy's
sharpshooters stationed in the trees no longer selected their victims,
for one man of the Phalanx was as conspicuous as another.
Yet another assault was made; firm stood the little band of iron men,
not flinching, not moving, though the dead lay thick before them. The
cannon belched out their grape shot, the musketry rattled, and once more
the enemy fled back to the woods with ranks disordered. Thus from six
o'clock till noonday did the weary soldiers hold their foes back. The
situation became critical with the Phalanx. Their ammunition was nearly
exhausted; a few more rounds and their bayonets would be their only
protection against a massacre; this fact however, did not cool their
determination.
In front and on their flanks the enemy began massing for a final onset.
For five hours the Phalanx had fought like tigers, against a ruthless
foe, and though no black flag warned them, they were not unmindful of
the fate of their comrades at Fort Pillow. General Dobbins was evidently
preparing to sweep the field. Several times already had he sent his men
to annihilate the blacks, and as many times had they been repulsed.
There was no time for the Phalanx soldiers to manoeuvre; they were in
the closing jaws of death, and though they felt the day was lost, their
courage did not forsake them; it was indeed a dreadful moment. The enemy
was about to move upon them, when suddenly a shout,--not the yell of a
foe, was heard in the enemy's rear, and the next moment a detachment of
the 15th Illinois Cavalry, under command of Major Carminchael, broke
through the confederate ranks and rushed to the support of the Phalanx,
aligning themselves with the black soldiers, amid the cheers of the
latter. Gathering up their dead and wounded, the federal force now began
a retreat, stubbornly yielding, inch by inch, each foot of ground, until
night threw her mantle of darkness over the scene and the confederates
ceased their firing. The Phalanx loss was 50, while that of the enemy
was 150. At the beginning couriers were dispatched to Helena for
re-enforcements, and Colonel Hudson, with the remainder of the Phalanx
troops, reached them at night too late to be of any assistance, as the
confederates did not follow the retreating column.
Two days later, Colonel Hudson, with all the available men of the two
Phalanx regiments,--60th, 56th and a detachment of the 3rd Phalanx
artillery, with two cannons,--went down the Mississippi and up the White
river, disembarked and made a three days march across the country, where
the enemy was found entrenched. The Phalanx, after a spirited contest,
drove them out of their works, burned their store, captured a few Texas
rangers and returned to Helena. In March, 1865, the 60th Regiment was
ordered to join Brig.-Gen. Reynolds' command at Little Rock, where the
regiment was brigaded with the 57th, 59th and 83rd Phalanx regiments.
The brigade was ordered to Texas overland, but the surrender of General
Lee to Grant obviated this march. The gallant 60th was mustered out at
Davenport, Iowa, on the 2nd of November, 1865, "where," says Sergeant
Burton, the regimental historian, "they were greeted by the authorities
and the loyal thousands of Iowa."
Kansas has undoubtedly the honor of being the first State in the Union
to _begin_ the organization of negroes as soldiers for the Federal army.
The State was admitted into the Union January 29, 1861, after a long
reign of hostilities within her borders, carried on by the same
character of men and strictly for the same purpose which brought on the
war of the Great Rebellion. In fact, it was but a transfer of
hostilities from Missouri and Kansas to South Carolina and Virginia.
Missouri and the South had been whipped out of Kansas and the territory
admitted into the Union as a free State. This single fact was accepted
by the South as a precursor of the policy of the incoming Republican
administration, and three Southern senators resigned or left the United
States Senate before the vote was taken for the admission of Kansas. The
act of admitting Kansas as a free State, was the torch that inflamed the
South, and led to the firing upon Fort Sumter the following April. The
men of Kansas had long been inured to field service, and used to
practice with Sharps' rifles. The men of Kansas, more than in any other
State of the Union, had a right to rush to the defence of the Federal
government, and they themselves felt so.
On the 9th of February, eleven days after the admission of the State
into the Union, Governor Robinson took the oath of office, and on the
15th of April President Lincoln called for seventy-five thousand
volunteers. The first regiment responded to the call by the close of
May; others speedily followed, until Kansas had in the field 20,000
soldiers. Of the regiments and companies which represented this State in
the Federal army, several were composed of negroes, with a slight
mixture of Indians.
It has been no easy task to learn about these regiments, but, after a
long search, the writer has been enabled, through the patriotic efforts
of Governor Crawford, of Kansas, who is also ex-Colonel of the 2nd
Kansas Regiment, to find Mr. J. B. McAfee, late chaplain of the same
regiment and Adjutant-General of Kansas, now engaged in business in
Topeka. With the finding of Mr. McAfee came another difficulty; the
report of the Adjutant-General, containing an account of the regiments
in the war, had been accidentally burned before leaving the printing
office. This difficulty was overcome, however, by the consideration ever
shown the negro by Mr. McAfee, who kindly loaned his only volume of the
"Military History of Kansas."
The service rendered by the Phalanx soldiery of Kansas stands second to
none upon the records of that State. Their patriotism was nothing less
than a fitting return for the love of liberty shown by the Free State
men in rescuing Kansas from the clutches of the slave power. The
discussions at the national capitol pointed Kansas out to the negro as a
place where he might enjoy freedom in common with all other American
citizens. He regarded it then as he does now,[24] the _acme_ of
Republican States. Those negroes who enjoyed and appreciated the
sentiment that made her so, were determined as far as they were able, to
stand by the men who had thus enlarged the area of freedom.
Without comment upon the bravery of these troops, the report is
submitted of their conduct in camp, field, on the march and in battle,
as made by those who commanded them on various occasions.
"On the 4th day of August, 1862, Captain James M. Williams, Co. F, 5th
Kansas Cavalry, was appointed by Hon. James H. Lane, Recruiting
Commissioner for that portion of Kansas lying north of the Kansas River,
for the purpose of recruiting and organizing a regiment of infantry for
the United States service, to be composed of men of African descent. He
immediately commenced the work of recruiting by securing the muster-in
of recruiting officers with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, and by procuring
supplies from the Ordnance Quartermaster and Commissary departments,
and by establishing in the vicinity of Leavenworth a camp of rendezvous
and instruction.
"Capt. H. C. Seaman was about the same time commissioned with like
authority for that portion of Kansas lying south of the Kansas river.
The work of recruiting went forward with rapidity, the intelligent
portion of the colored people entering into the work heartily, and
evincing by their actions a willing readiness to link their future and
share the perils with their white brethren in the war of the rebellion,
which then waged with such violence as to seriously threaten the
nationality and life of the Republic.
"Within sixty days five hundred men were recruited and placed in camp,
and a request made that a battallion be mustered into the United States
service. This request was not complied with, and the reasons assigned
were wholly unsatisfactory, yet accompanied with assurances of such a
nature as to warrant the belief that but a short time would elapse ere
the request would be complied with.
"In the meantime complications with the civil authorities in the
Northern District had arisen, which at one time threatened serious
results. These complications originated from the following causes, each
affecting different classes:
"1st.--An active sympathy with the rebellion.
"2nd.--An intolerant prejudice against the colored race, which would
deny them the honorable position in society which every soldier is
entitled to, even though he gained that position at the risk of his life
in the cause of the nation, which could ill afford to refuse genuine
sympathy and support from any quarter.
"3rd.--On the part of a few genuine loyalists who believed that this
attempt to enlist colored men would not be approved by the War
Department, and that the true interests of the colored man demanded that
their time should not be vainly spent in the effort.
"4th.--A large class who believed that the negro did not possess the
necessary qualifications to make efficient soldiers, and that
consequently the experiment would result in defeat, disaster and
disgrace.
"Col. Williams, acting under the orders of his military superiors felt
that it was no part of his duty to take council of any or all of these
classes. He saw no course for him to pursue but to follow his
instructions to the letter. Consequently, when the civil authorities
placed themselves in direct opposition to those of the military, by
arresting and confining the men of the command on the most frivolous
charges, and indicting their commanders for crime, such as unlawfully
restraining persons of their liberty, &c., by enforcing proper military
discipline, he ignored the right of the civil authorities to interfere
with his military actions in a military capacity and under proper
authority.
"On the 28th of October, 1862, a command consisting of detachments from
Captain Seaman's and Captain William's recruits, were moved and camped
near Butler. This command--about two hundred and twenty-five men, under
Captain Seaman,--was attacked by a confederate force of about five
hundred, commanded by Colonel Cockrell but after a severe engagement the
enemy was defeated with considerable loss. The negro loss was ten killed
and twelve wounded, including Captain A. J. Crew; a gallant young
officer, being among the first mentioned. The next morning the command
was re-enforced by a few recruits under command of Captain J. M.
Williams, when the enemy was pursued a considerable distance but without
further fighting. This is supposed to have been the first engagement in
the war in which colored troops were actually engaged. The work of
recruiting, drilling and disciplining the regiment was continued under
the adverse circumstances until the 13th of January, 1863, when a
battallion of six companies, formed by the consolidation of Colonel
Williams' recruits with those of Captain Seaman, was mustered into the
U. S. service by Lieutenant Sabin, of the regular army. Between January
13th and May 2nd, 1863, the other four companies were organized, when
the regimental organization was completed, appears by the roster of the
regiment.
[Illustration: PHALANX SOLDIERS REPELLING AN ATTACK.]
"Immediately after its organization, the regiment was ordered to Baxter
Springs, where it arrived in May, 1863, and the work of drilling the
regiment was vigorously prosecuted.
"Parts of two companies of the regiment, and a detachment of cavalry,
and one piece of artillery, made a diversion on Shawnee, Mo. attacked
and dispersed a small opposing force and captured five prisoners.
"While encamped here, on the 18th of May, a foraging party, consisting
of twenty-five men from the Phalanx regiment and twenty men of the 2nd
Kansas Battery, Major R. G. Ward commanding, was sent into Jasper
County, Mo. This party was surprised and attacked by a force of three
hundred confederates commanded by Major Livingston, and defeated, with a
loss of sixteen killed and five prisoners, three of which belonged to
the 2nd Kansas Battery and two of the black regiment. The men of the 2nd
Kansas Battery were afterwards exchanged under a flag of truce for a
like number of prisoners captured by the negro regiment. Livingston
refused to exchange the black prisoners in his possession, and gave as
his excuse that he should hold them subject to the orders of the
confederate War Department. Shortly after this Col. Williams received
information that one of the prisoners held by Livingston had been
murdered by the enemy. He immediately sent a flag of truce to Livingston
demanding the body of the person who committed the barbarous act.
Receiving an evasive and unsatisfactory reply, Col. Williams determined
to convince the Major that was a game at which two could play, and
directed that one of the prisoners in his possession be shot, and within
thirty minutes the order was executed. He immediately informed Major
Livingston of his action, sending the information by the same party that
brought the despatch to him. Suffice it to say that this ended the
barbarous practice of murdering prisoners of war, so far as Livingston's
command was concerned.
"Colonel Williams says:
'I visited the scene of this engagement the morning after
its occurrence, and for the first time beheld the horrible
evidences of the demoniac spirit of these rebel fiends in
their treatment of our dead and wounded. Men were found with
their brains beaten out with clubs, and the bloody weapons
left by their sides and their bodies most horribly
mutilated.'
"It was afterwards ascertained that the force who attacked this foraging
party consisted partially of citizens of the neighborhood, who, while
enjoying the protection of our armies, had collected together to assist
the rebel forces in this attack. Colonel Williams directed that the
region of country within a radius of five miles from the scene of
conflict should be devastated, and is of opinion that this effectually
prevented a like occurrence in the same neighborhood.
"Subsequently, while on this expedition, the command captured a prisoner
in arms who had upon his person the evidence of having been paroled by
the commanding officer at Fort Scott, Kansas, he was shot on the spot.
"The regiment remained in camp at Baxter Springs until the 27th of June,
1863, when it struck tents and marched for Fort Gibson in connection
with a large supply train from Fort Scott _en route_ to the former
place.
"Colonel Williams had received information that satisfied him that the
train would be attacked in the neighborhood of Cabin Creek, Cherokee
Nation. He communicated this information to Lieutenant-Colonel Dodd, of
the 2nd Colorado Infantry, who was in command of the escort, and
volunteered to move his regiment in such manner as would be serviceable
in case the expected attack should be made. The escort proper to the
train consisted of six companies of the 2nd Colorado Infantry, a
detachment of three companies of cavalry from the 6th and 9th Kansas,
and one section of the 2nd Kansas Battery. This force was joined, on the
28th of June, by three hundred men from the Indian Brigade, commanded by
Major Foreman, making altogether a force of about eight hundred
effective men.
"On arriving at Cabin Creek, July 1st, 1863, the rebels were met in
force--under command of Gen. Cooper. Some skirmishing occurred on that
day, when it was ascertained that the enemy occupied a strong position
on the south bank of the creek, and upon trial it was found that the
stream was not fordable for infantry, on account of a recent shower, but
it was supposed that the swollen current would have sufficiently
subsided by the next morning to allow the infantry to cross. The
regiment then took a strong position on the north side of the stream and
camped for the night. After a consultation of officers, it was agreed
that the train should be parked in the open prairie and guarded by three
companies of the 2nd Colorado and a detachment of one hundred men of the
1st Colorado, and that the balance of the troops, Col. Williams
commanding, should engage the enemy and drive him from his position.
"Accordingly, the next morning, July 2nd, 1863, the command moved, which
consisted of the 1st Kansas Volunteer Colored Infantry, three companies
of the 2nd Colorado Infantry, commanded by the gallant Major Smith, of
that regiment, the detachments of cavalry and Indian troops before
mentioned and four pieces of artillery, making altogether a force of
about twelve hundred men. With this force, after an engagement of two
hours duration, the enemy was dislodged and driven from his position in
great disorder, with a loss of one hundred killed and wounded and eight
prisoners. The loss on our side was eight killed and twenty-five
wounded, including Major Foreman, who was shot from his horse while
attempting to lead his men across the creek under the fire of the enemy,
and Captain Ethan Earl, of the 1st Colored, who was wounded at the head
of his company. This was the first battle in which the whole regiment
had been engaged, and here they evinced a coolness and true soldiery
spirit which inspired the officers in command with that confidence which
subsequent battle scenes satisfactorily proved was not unfounded.
"The road being now open, the entire command proceeded to Fort Gibson,
where it arrived on the evening of the 5th of July, 1863. On the 16th of
July the entire force at Fort Gibson, under command of Gen. Blunt, moved
upon the enemy, about six thousand strong, commanded by Gen. Cooper, and
encamped at Honey Springs, twenty miles south of Fort Gibson. Our forces
came upon the enemy on the morning of the 17th of July, and after a
sharp and bloody engagement of two hours' duration, the enemy was
totally defeated, with a loss of four hundred killed and wounded, and
one hundred prisoners. At the height of the engagement, Gen. Blunt
ordered Colonel Williams to move his regiment against that portion of
the enemy's line held by the 29th and 30th Texas regiments and a rebel
battery, with directions to charge them if he thought he could carry and
hold the position. The regiment was moved at a shoulder arms, pieces
loaded and bayonets fixed, under a sharp fire, to within forty paces of
the rebel lines, without firing a shot. The regiment then halted and
poured into their ranks a well directed volley of 'buck and ball' from
the entire line, such as to throw them into perfect confusion, from
which they could not immediately recover. Col. Williams' intention was,
after the delivery of this volley, to charge their line and capture
their battery, which the effect of this volley had doubtless rendered it
possible for him to accomplish. But he was at that instant rendered
insensible from gunshot wounds, and the next officer in rank,
Lieutenant-Colonel Bowles, not being aware of his intentions, the
project was not fully carried out. Had the movement been made as
contemplated, the entire rebel line must have been captured. As it was,
most of the enemy escaped, receiving a lesson, however, which taught
them not to despise on the battle field the race they had long
tyrannized over as having 'no rights which a white man was bound to
respect.'
"Colonel Williams says:
'I had long been of the opinion that this race had a right
to kill rebels, and this day proved their capacity for the
work. Forty prisoners and one battle flag fell into the
hands of my regiment on this field.'
"The loss to the regiment in this engagement was five killed and
thirty-two wounded. After this, the regiment returned to Fort Gibson and
went into camp, where it remained until the month of September, when it
again moved with the Division against the confederate force under
General Cooper, who fled at our approach.
"After a pursuit of one hundred miles, and across the Canadian river to
Perryville, in the Choctaw Nation, all hopes of bringing them to an
engagement was abandoned, and the command returned to camp on the site
of the confederate Fort Davis, situated on the south side of the
Arkansas river, near its junction with Grand river.
"The regiment remained in this camp, doing but little duty, until
October, when orders were received to proceed to Fort Smith, where it
arrived during the same month. At this point it remained until December
1st, making a march to Waldron and returning via Roseville, Arkansas,
and in the same month went into winter quarters at the latter place,
situated fifty miles east of Fort Smith, on the Arkansas river. The
regiment remained at Roseville until March, 1864, when the command moved
to join the forces of Gen. Steele, then about starting on what was known
as the Camden Expedition. Joining Gen. Steele's command at the Little
Missouri river, distant twenty-two miles northeast of Washington,
Arkansas, the entire command moved upon the enemy, posted on the west
side of Prairie de Anne, and within fifteen miles of Washington. The
enemy fled, and our forces occupied their works without an engagement.
"The pursuit of the enemy in this direction was abandoned. The command
arrived at Camden on the 16th of April, 1864, and occupied the place
with its strong fortifications without opposition. On the day following,
Colonel Williams started with five hundred men of the 1st Colorado, two
hundred Cavalry, detailed from the 2nd, 6th and 14th, Kansas regiments,
and one section of the 2nd Indian Battery, with a train to load forage
and provisions at a point twenty miles west of Camden, on the Washington
road. On the 17th he reached the place and succeeded in loading about
two-thirds of the train, which consisted of two hundred wagons. At dawn
the command moved towards Camden, and loaded the balance of the wagons
from plantations by the wayside. At a point fourteen miles west of
Camden the advance encountered a small force of the enemy, who, after a
slight skirmishing, retreated down the road in such a manner as to lead
Col. Williams to suspect that this movement was a feint intended to
cover other movements or to draw the command into an ambuscade.
"Just previous to this he had been re-enforced by a detachment of three
hundred men of the 18th Iowa Infantry, and one hundred additional
cavalry, commanded by Capt. Duncan, of the 18th Iowa.
"In order to prevent any surprise, all detached foraging parties were
called in, and the original command placed in the advance, leaving the
rear in charge of Captain Duncan's command, with orders to keep flankers
well out and to guard cautiously against a surprise. Colonel Williams at
the front, with skirmishers and flankers well out, advanced cautiously
to a point about one and a half miles distant, sometimes called Cross
Roads, but more generally known as Poison Springs, where he came upon a
skirmish line of the enemy, which tended to confirm his previous
suspicion of the character and purpose of the enemy. He therefore closed
up the train as well as possible in this thickly timbered region, and
made the necessary preparations for fighting. He directed the cavalry,
under Lieutenant Henderson, of the 6th, and Mitchell, of the 2nd, to
charge and penetrate the rebel line of skirmishers, in order to develop
their strength and intentions. The movement succeeded most admirably in
its purposes, and the development was such that it convinced Colonel
Williams that he had before him a struggle of no ordinary magnitude.
"The cavalry, after penetrating the skirmish line, came upon a strong
force of the enemy, who repulsed and forced them back to their original
line, not, however, without hard fighting and severe loss on our part in
killed and wounded, including in the latter the gallant Lieutenant
Henderson, who afterwards fell into the hands of the enemy.
"The enemy now opened on our lines with ten pieces of artillery--six in
front and four on the right flank. From a prisoner Colonel Williams
learned that the force of the enemy was from eight to ten thousand,
commanded by Generals Price and Maxey. These developments and this
information convinced him that he could not hope to defeat the enemy;
but as there was no way to escape with the train except through their
lines, and as the train and its contents were indispensable to the very
existence of our forces at Camden, who were then out of provisions, he
deemed it to be his duty to defend the train to the last extremity,
hoping that our forces at Camden, on learning of the engagement, would
attack the enemy in his rear, thus relieving his command and saving the
train.
"With this determination, he fought the enemy's entire force from 10 A.
M. until 2 P. M., repulsing three successive assaults and inflicting
upon the enemy severe loss.
"In his report Colonel Williams says:
'The conflict during these four hours was the most terrific
and deadly in its character of any that has ever fallen
under my observation.'
"At 2 P. M. nearly one-half of our force engaged had been placed _hors
de combat_, and the remainder were out of ammunition. No supplies
arriving, the Colonel was reluctantly compelled to abandon the train to
the enemy and save as much of the command as possible by taking to the
swamps and canebrakes and making for Camden by a circuitous route,
thereby preventing pursuit by cavalry. In this manner most of the
command that was not disabled in the field reached Camden during the
night of the 18th. For a more specific and statistical report of this
action, in which the loss to the 1st Colored alone was 187 men and
officers, the official report of Colonel J. M. Williams is herewith
submitted:
'CAMDEN, ARKANSAS. April 24, 1867.
'CAPTAIN:--I have the honor to submit the following report
of a foraging expedition under my command:
'In obedience to verbal orders received from
Brigadier-General Thayer, I left Camden, Arkansas on the
11th instant with 695 men and two guns, with a forage train
of 198 wagons.
'I proceeded westerly on the Washington road a distance of
eighteen miles, where I halted the train and dispatched part
of it in different directions to load; one hundred wagons
with a large part of the command, under Major Ward, being
sent six miles beyond the camp. These wagons returned to
camp at midnight, nearly all loaded with corn.
'At sunrise on the 18th, the command started on the return,
loading the balance of the train as it proceeded, there
being but a few wagon loads of corn to be found at any one
place. I was obliged to detail portions of the command in
different directions to load the wagons, until nearly all of
my available force was so employed.
'At a point known as Cross Roads, four miles west of my
camping ground, I was met by a re-enforcement of three
hundred and seventy-five men of the 18th Iowa Infantry,
commanded by Capt. Duncan, twenty-five men of the 6th
Kansas, Lieut. Phillips commanding, forty-five men of the
2nd Kansas Cavalry, Lieut. Ross commanding, twenty men of
the 14th Kansas Cavalry, Lieut. Smith commanding, and two
mountain howitzers from the 6th Kansas Cavalry, Lieut.
Walker commanding,--in all, 465 men and two mountain
howitzers. These, added to my former command, made my entire
force consist of eight hundred and seventy-five, two hundred
and eighty-five cavalry, and four guns. But the excessive
fatigue of the preceeding day, coming as it did at the close
of a toilsome march of twenty-four hours without halting,
had so affected the infantry that fully one hundred of the
1st Kansas Colored were rendered unfit for duty. Many of the
cavalry had, in violation of orders, straggled from their
command, so that at this time my effective force did not
exceed one thousand men.
'At a point one mile east of this, my advance came upon a
picket of the enemy, which was driven back one mile, when a
line of the enemy's skirmishers presented itself. Here I
halted the train, formed a line of the small force I then
had in advance, and ordered that portion of the 1st Kansas
Colored which had previously been guarding the rear of the
train to the front, and gave orders for the train to be
packed as closely as the nature of the ground would permit.
I also opened a fire upon the enemy's line from the section
of the 2nd Indiana Battery, for the double purpose of
ascertaining if possible if the enemy had artillery in
position in front, and also to draw in some foraging parties
which had previously been dispatched upon either flank of
the train. No response was elicited save a brisk fire from
the enemy's skirmishers.
'Meanwhile, the remainder of the first Kansas Colored had
come to the front, as also three detachments, which formed
part of the original escort, which I formed in line facing
to the front, with a detachment of the 14th Kansas Cavalry,
on my right, and detachments of the 2nd and 6th Kansas
Cavalry on the left flank. I also sent orders to Capt.
Duncan, commanding the 18th Iowa Infantry, to so dispose of
his regiment and the cavalry and howitzers which came out
with him as to protect the rear of the train, and to keep a
sharp lookout for a movement upon his rear and right flank.
'Meanwhile a movement of the enemy's infantry toward my
right flank had been observed through the thick brush which
covered the face of the country in that direction. Seeing
this, I ordered forward the cavalry on my right, under
Lieuts. Mitchell and Henderson, with orders to press the
enemy's line, force it if possible, and at all events to
ascertain his position and strength, fearing as I did that
the silence of the enemy in front was but for the purpose of
drawing me on to the open ground which lay in my front. At
this juncture, a rebel rode into my lines and inquired for
Col. DeMorse. From him I learned that General Price was in
command of the rebel force and that Col. DeMorse was in
command of the force on my right.
'The cavalry had advanced but four hundred yards, when a
brisk fire of musketry was opened upon them from the brush,
which they returned with true gallantry, but were forced to
fall back. In this skirmish many of the cavalry were
unhorsed, and Lieut. Henderson, of the 6th Kansas Cavalry,
fell, wounded in the abdomen, while bravely and gallantly
urging his command forward.
'In the meantime I formed five companies of the 1st Kansas
Colored, with one piece of artillery, on my right flank, and
ordered up to their assistance four companies of the 18th
Iowa Infantry. Soon my orderly returned from the rear with a
message from Captain Duncan, stating that he was so closely
pressed in the rear by the enemy's infantry and artillery
that the men could not be spared.
'At this moment the enemy opened on me with two
batteries,--one of six pieces, in front, and one, of three
pieces, on my right flank,--pouring in an incessant and well
directed cross-fire of shot and shell. At the same time he
advanced his infantry both in front and on my right flank.
'From the force of the enemy--now the first time made
visible--I saw that I could not hope to defeat him, but
still resolved to defend the train to the last, hoping that
re-enforcements would come up from Camden.
'I suffered them to approach within one hundred yards of my
line, when I opened upon them with musketry charged with
buck and ball, and after a contest of fifteen minutes
duration compelled them to fall back. Two fresh regiments
coming up, they again rallied and advanced upon my line,
this time with colors flying and continuous cheering, so
loud as to drown even the roar of the musketry. Again I
suffered them to approach even nearer than before, and
opened upon them with buck and ball, their artillery still
pouring in a cross-fire of shot and shell over the heads of
their infantry, and mine replying with vigor and effect. And
thus, for another quarter of an hour, the battle was waged
with desperate fury. The noise and din of this almost hand
to hand conflict was the loudest and most terrific it has
ever been my lot to listen to. Again were they forced to
fall back, and twice during this conflict were their colors
brought to the ground, but as often raised.
[Illustration: PHALANX CAVALRY BRINGING IN CONFEDERATE PRISONERS.]
'During these engagements fully one-half of my infantry
engaged were either killed or wounded. Three companies were
left without any officers, and seeing the enemy again
re-enforced with fresh troops, it became evident that I
could hold my line but little longer. I now directed Maj.
Ward to hold the line until I could ride back and form the
18th Iowa in proper shape to support the retreat of the
advanced line.
'Meanwhile, so many of the gunners had been shot from around
their pieces that there were not enough to serve the guns,
so I ordered them to retire to the rear of the train, and
report to the cavalry officer there. Just as I was starting
for the line of the 18th Iowa, my horse was shot, which
delayed me until another could be procured, when I rode to
the rear and formed a line of battle facing in the direction
the enemy was advancing.
'Again did the enemy hurl his columns against the remnant of
men that formed my front and right flank, and again were
they met as gallantly as before. But my decimated ranks were
unable to resist the overpowering force hurled against them,
and after their advance had been checked, seeing that our
lines were completely flanked on both sides, Major Ward gave
the order to retire, which was done in good order, forming
and charging the enemy twice before reaching the rear of the
train.
'With the assistance of Major Ward and other officers, I
succeeded in forming a portion of the 1st Kansas Colored in
the rear of the 18th Iowa, and when the enemy approached
this line, they gallantly advanced to the line of the 18th,
and with them poured in their fire. The 18th maintained
their line manfully, and stoutly contested the ground until
nearly surrounded, when they retired, and forming again,
checked the advancing foe, and still held their ground until
again nearly surrounded, when they again retired across a
ravine which was impassable for artillery, and I gave orders
for the piece to be spiked and abandoned.
'After crossing the ravine I succeeded in forming a portion
of the cavalry, which I kept in order to give the infantry
time to cross the swamp which lay in our front, which they
succeeded in doing. By this means nearly all, except the
badly wounded, were enabled to reach the camp. Many wounded
men belonging to the 1st Kansas Colored fell into the hands
of the enemy, and I have the most positive assurance from
eyewitnesses that they were murdered on the spot. I was
forced to abandon everything to the enemy, and they thereby
became possessed of the large train.
'With two six pounder guns and two twelve pounder mountain
howitzers, together with what force could be collected, I
made my way to this post, where I arrived at 11 P. M. of the
same day.
'At no time during the engagement, such was the nature of
the ground and size of the train, was I obliged to employ
more than five hundred men and two guns to repel the
assaults of the enemy, whose force, from the statement of
prisoners, I estimate at ten thousand men and twelve guns.
The columns of assault which were again thrown against my
front and right flank consisted of five regiments of
infantry and one of cavalry, supported by a strong force
which operated against my left flank and rear. My loss, in
killed, wounded and missing during this engagement was as
follows: Killed--ninety-two, wounded--ninety-seven,
missing--one hundred and six.
'Many of those reported missing are supposed to have been
killed, others are supposed to have been wounded and taken
prisoners. The loss of the enemy is not known, but in my
opinion it will exceed our own. The conduct of all the
troops under my command, officers and men, were
characterized by true soldiery bearing, and in no case was a
line broken, except when assaulted by an overwhelming force,
and then falling back only when so ordered. The officers and
men all evinced the most heroic spirit, and those that fell
died the death of the true soldier. The action commenced at
10 A. M., and terminated at 2 P. M. I have named this
engagement the action of Poison Springs, from a spring of
that name in the vicinity.
'Very respectfully yours,
'J. M. WILLIAMS,
'_Colonel 1st Kansas Colored Vol. Infantry, Commanding Expedition._
'Capt. WM. S. WHITTEN, _Assistant Adjutant General._'
"On the 26th day of April following, Gen. Steele's command evacuated
Camden and marched for Little Rock. At Saline Crossing, on the 30th of
April, the rear of Gen. Steele's command was attacked by the entire
force of the enemy, commanded by Gen. Kirby Smith. The engagement which
followed resulted in the complete defeat of the enemy, with great loss
on his part. In this engagement the 1st Kansas Colored was not an active
participant, being at the moment of the attack in the advance, distant
five miles from the rear and scene of the engagement. The regiment was
ordered back to participate in the battle, but did not arrive on the
line until after the repulse of the enemy and his retirement from the
field.
"On the day following, May 1st, 1864, Colonel Williams was ordered to
take command of the 2nd Brigade, composed of the following Phalanx
regiments: 1st Regiment, commanded by Major Ward; 2nd Regiment,
commanded by Colonel S. J. Crawford; 11th Regiment, commanded by
Lieut.-Col. James M. Steele; 54th Regiment, Lieut.-Col. Chas. Fair; of
the Frontier Division 7th Army Corps.
"Colonel Williams never afterwards resumed direct command of his
regiment. It constituted for most of the time, however, a part of the
Brigade, which he commanded until he was mustered out of service with
the regiment.
"The regiment remained with the Division at Little Rock until some time
during the month of May, when it Marched for Fort Smith,--then
threatened by the enemy,--at which point it arrived during the same
month. This campaign was one of great fatigue and privation, and
accomplished only with great loss of life and material, with no adequate
recompense or advantage gained.
"The regiment remained on duty at Fort Smith until January 16th, 1865,
doing heavy escort and fatigue duty. On the 16th of September, 1864, a
detachment of forty-two men of Co. K, commanded by Lieut. D. M.
Sutherland, while guarding a hay-making party near Fort Gibson, were
surprised and attacked by a large force of rebels under Gen. Gano, and
defeated after a gallant resistence, with a loss of twenty-two killed
and ten prisoners--among the latter the Lieutenant commanding. On the
16th of January, 1865, the regiment moved to Little Rock, where it
arrived on the 31st of the same month, here it remained on duty until
July 1865, when it was ordered to Pine Bluffs, Ark. Here it remained,
doing garrison and escort duty, until October 1st, 1865, when it was
mustered out of service and ordered to Fort Leavenworth for final
payment and discharge. The regiment received its final payment and was
discharged at Fort Leavenworth on the 30th day of October, 1865."
The heroism of the negro people of Kansas was not all centered in this
one regiment. Elated with the success of their brethren already in the
field, there was a general desire to emulate their heroic deeds. In
June, 1863, the second regiment was organized at Fort Scott. The
regimental organization was completed at Fort Smith, Ark., by the
mustering in of the field and staff officers.
The regiment went into camp on the Poteau River, about two miles south
of Fort Smith. Here the work of drill and discipline was the daily
routine of duty until the regiment maintained a degree of proficiency
second to none in the Army of the Frontier.
On the 24th of March, 1864, the regiment left Fort Smith and started on
what was known as the Camden Expedition, forming a part of Colonel
Williams' Brigade of General Thayer's Division. Major-General Steele's
forces left Little Rock about the same time that General Thayer's
Division left Fort Smith, the latter uniting with the former on the
Little Missouri river, all destined for active operations in the
direction of Red River.
Colonel Crawford, in reply to the writer's circular letter asking for
information respecting the 2nd Regiment's service on the frontier, thus
pungently details the operations of the army of which his regiment was a
part:
"WASHINGTON. D. C., Dec. 31st., 1885.
"JOSEPH T. WILSON, Esq., Richmond, Va.
"MY DEAR SIR:
"The Second Kansas, afterwards designated as the 83rd United
States Colored Troops, was organized at Fort Scott, Kansas,
on the 3rd day of October, 1863. Most of the companies were
organized and mustered into service during the spring and
summer preceding. The regiment, when organized, was full to
the maximum, or nearly so, and composed of active,
able-bodied young men. Immediately upon assuming command of
the regiment, I moved to the front through Missouri, to Fort
Smith, in Arkansas, where the regiment was stationed during
the winter 1863-4, and when not on other duty or in the
field, spent the time in company and regimental drill.
"On the 24th day of March, 1864, with the Kansas Division of
the Frontier Army under the command of General Thayer, I
moved south and joined the 7th Army Corps under the command
of Major-General Fred. Steele, in an expedition against the
rebel armies under Generals Price, Kirby Smith and Dick
Taylor, then encamped in the vicinity of Shreveport, La.
"While Steele was advancing from the North, General Banks
was at the same time moving up the Red river from the East.
Price, Smith and Taylor, seeing the two armies of Steele and
Banks, closing in upon them, concentrated their forces,
first upon Banks, and after defeating and routing his
forces, turned upon Steele, who was then near Red river, in
south-western Arkansas.
"Steele hearing of the Banks disaster, changed his course
and moved eastward, to Camden, a strongly fortified town on
the Washita river. From the point at which he turned
eastward, to Camden, a distance of about sixty miles, the
march was almost continuous, except when it became necessary
to skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, which hovered
unpleasantly close during the greater part of the distance.
"In each of the light engagements which took place on this
march from Red river to Camden, the 2nd Regiment
participated, and behaved in a manner creditable to itself
and the army.
"After remaining at Camden about three days (so as to give
the victorious rebel armies full time to concentrate upon
him) General Steele crossed the Washita to the North and
commenced a disgraceful retreat or run back toward Little
Rock.
"The enemy, under Price and Kirby Smith, followed in close
pursuit, and within a few hours were again upon our flank
and rear. The march or retreat was continuous, night and
day, until the village of Princeton was reached, where
Steele's army encamped one night, and received a full ration
of fresh beef and New Orleans sugar, the latter of which had
been captured, or rather found in Camden. Early on the
following morning the army resumed its onward march, towards
the North Pole as the apparent objective point.
"Now mind you this was an army (the 7th Army Corps) about
thirty thousand strong; mostly Western troops, and
splendidly armed and equipped. Better soldiers never wore
spurs or carried muskets. Yet under the command of a tenor
singing dog fancier, that magnificent army was thus
retreating before an army in every way its inferior save,
and except, the Commanding General.
"Thus things went, disgracefully, until the afternoon of the
day on which we left Princeton, April 29, 1864. Then, for
the first time after turning our backs to the enemy, in the
vicinity of Red river, there seemed to be a bare possibility
of escape,--not from the enemy, but from absolute disgrace
and humiliation.
"At no time during that disgraceful retreat, was there a
moment when the whole army corps, except the Commanding
General, would not have welcomed a battle, with one
universal shout.
"About 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the day mentioned, the
rebel Cavalry appeared in force and commenced skirmishing
with our forces in the rear, which continued, more or less,
until darkness set in. Meantime our distinguished leader,
the Major-General Commanding, had arrived at the crossing of
the Saline river, thrown a pontoon bridge over that swollen
stream, and made good his escape to the north side, taking
with him the whole army, except one Section of artillery and
two brigades of infantry of which the 2nd Kansas colored
formed a part.
"These two brigades--six regiments in all--stood in line of
battle all night long, while the rain poured in torrents
most of the time.
"During the night the enemy's infantry moved up and formed
in our immediate front; in fact made every necessary
preparation for battle, while the dog fancier, who was
unfortunately at the head of our army across the river, was
either sleeping or devising the ways and means by which he
could most easily elude the enemy.
"But when daylight came the six regiments were there in
line, every man ready, willing and determined to return,
volley for volley, and if necessary force the fighting, so
as to bring on a general engagement.
"There were but six regiments of us south of the river, with
two pieces of artillery. But we were there to stay until a
battle was fought.
"General Rice of Iowa, formed his brigade in the center; the
12th Kansas Infantry, commanded by Col. Hayes was on his
left, and the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry, commanded by
myself, was on the right.
"As soon as it was fairly light, the battle began; both
lines moving slightly forward until within close range. From
the beginning, the crash of musketry was terrific. Our men
stood firm against the advanced Division of the enemy's
infantry, and used their Springfield and Enfield rifles with
deadly effect.
"The enemy seeing our weakness in numbers, pressed heavily
in the center and upon both flanks, with the evident design
of breaking our line before re-enforcements could reach us.
"But in this they were disappointed. We held our position
until re-enforcements arrived.
"At one time my regiment was under a heavy fire from the
front and also from the flank, but not a man wavered. In
fact it seemed to inspire them with additional courage. The
re-enforcements as they arrived, passed to the rear and
formed on the left, leaving me to hold the right. After
about three hours hard fighting, the enemy having failed to
dislodge my regiment from its position, which was regarded
as the key to the situation, brought into position a battery
of artillery, planted it immediately in front of my regiment
and opened with canister.
"As soon as this was done I gave the order to cease firing
and fix bayonets, and followed that immediately with the
order to charge the battery.
"These orders were executed with a courage and daring seldom
equaled by even older troops, and never excelled by a
volunteer regiment.
"In less than two minutes from the time the charge was
ordered, the rebel battery was in our possession, and out of
thirty-six horses used in the battery, but two were left
standing when we passed the guns.
"Most of the artillery-men lay dead and wounded around the
battery while the line of infantry support in the rear of
battery, fell back in disorder before our bayonets; not,
however, until many of them had for the first time felt the
effects of cold steel.
"The charge, though bloody on both sides, was pre-eminently
successful, and my regiment, "the 2nd Iron Clads," as it was
called, brought away the battery so captured.
"In the charge, the regiment lost in killed and wounded,
some forty odd men and officers. All of our horses, field
and staff, were shot and most of them killed. The color
bearer Harrison Young, a hero among men, was wounded and
fell, raised to his feet and was again twice wounded. A
comrade then took the flag and was wounded, and a third man
brought it off the field.
"A wounded lieutenant of the battery was brought to me, as a
prisoner;[25] but in view of the massacre of colored troops
by the rebels at Fort Pillow and other places, I sent the
Lieutenant immediately back through the lines, pointing him
to the regiment that had made the charge, and telling him
that since the rebel authorities had concluded to take no
prisoners, belonging to colored regiments, it would hardly
be proper for me to hold him as a prisoner; that they had
established the precedent, and that in so far as I was
concerned, they could 'lay on MacDuff.' The Lieutenant
rejoined his command a sadder if not a wiser man.
"After the charge I moved with my regiment to the centre,
where the battle was then raging hottest. Here it remained
in the thickest of the fight until an advance was ordered
all along the line, which was made, the enemy falling back
slowly before our troops, and finally retired from the
field, leaving us in full possession, with a complete
victory.
[Illustration: PHALANX SOLDIERS BRINGING IN A CAPTURED BATTERY]
"Only infantry was engaged on either side except the rebel
battery, which my regiment captured.
"Our cavalry, some five thousand strong, and artillery,
about forty pieces, as already stated, were on the North
side of the river, and could not be brought into action, to
advantage, on account of the dense forest and swampy nature
of the ground. We had about fifteen thousand men engaged,
while the enemy had the armies of Price and Kirby Smith,
from which our _gallant_ commander, Steele, had for many
days been fleeing, as from the wrath to come. During the
entire battle Steele remained on the north side of the
river, beyond the reach of the enemy's guns, and at a point
from which he could continue his flight with safety in case
of defeat. But the victory was ours, so the march from
Saline river to Little Rock was made in peace.
"During this battle my regiment lost in killed and wounded
about eighty men, but we were richly rewarded by the
achievements of the day. We, perhaps, had as much to do with
bringing on the battle as any other one regiment. I went
into action in the morning without orders. In fact I
disobeyed an order to cross the river at daylight, and
instead, I formed my regiment and faced the enemy. The
regiment charged the battery by my orders, and against an
order from a superior officer, to hold back and wait for
orders.
"My regiment, though among the first in action, and having
suffered a greater loss than that of any other, was the last
to leave the field.
"From this time forward until the close of the war, in so
far as the Western army was concerned, we heard no more of
the question, 'Will they fight?'
"The reputation of at least one colored regiment was
established, and it stands to-day, in the estimation of men
who served in the Western army, as the equal of any other
volunteer regiment.
"After the Saline river battle the regiment moved back to
Little Rock and thence to Fort Smith, in western Arkansas.
"In July 1864, with the 2nd and other troops, I conducted an
expedition through the Choctaw Nation in the Indian
Territory, against, or rather in pursuit of a brigade of
rebel forces, driving them out of that country. During this
campaign several light engagements were fought, in each of
which the 2nd took a prominent part, and in each of which
the 2nd was invariably successful.
"In the fall of 1864[26], I resigned my position as Colonel
to assume other duties.
"What took place from then until the regiment was mustered
out of service, I only know from heresay, but it is safe to
say that the regiment maintained its reputation as one of
the best infantry regiments in the 7th Army Corps.
"A short time before I left the regiment, General Marcy,
then Inspector General of the U.S. Army, inspected the
Kansas Division, to which my regiment belonged, and his
report, which is now on file in the War Department, if I am
not mistaken, shows that the 2nd Colored in point of drill,
discipline and military appearance, stood first of all the
regiments in that Division.
"Yours truly,
"SAMUEL J. CRAWFORD.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gilpatrick, promoted from Major, took command of the
regiment succeeding Colonel Crawford, and in December made a forced
march to Hudson's crossing on the Neosho river, by way of Fort Gibson, a
distance of one hundred and fifty miles, on quarter rations, and
returned as escort to a large supply train. It was then, with all the
Phalanx regiments at Fort Smith, ordered to Little Rock, where it
arrived with a very large train of refugees under charge, on the 4th of
February, after a march of seventeen days.
Colonel Gilpatrick says:
"The men suffered severely on the march by exposure to wet
and cold and for the want of proper and sufficient food,
clothing and shelter. Many of them were barefooted, almost
naked, and without blankets."
The regiment remained at Little Rock until the spring of 1865, when it
formed part of an expedition which proceeded some distance south of
Little Rock, and operated against a band of guerillas on the Saline
river, which they succeeded in driving out and partly capturing. On the
25th of July the regiment broke camp and proceeded to Camden, Arkansas,
and was mustered out of the United States service, and proceeding by way
of Pine Bluff, Ark., Memphis, Tenn., and St. Louis, Mo., reached
Leavenworth, Kansas, where the men were finally paid and discharged on
the 27th of November, 1865. These brave men immediately returned to
their homes to enjoy the blessings of a free government.
[Illustration: THE WOODEN HORSE.
A mode of punishment for slight offences.]
FOOTNOTES:
[24] Not less than 70,000 negroes--5,000 at least of which fought for
the Union.--have been driven by persecution into Kansas from the
Southern States, and the exodus still continues.
[25] "Colonel Crawford ordered the prisoners to be taken to the rear
without insult or injury, which conduct on his part is in striking
contrast to the treatment bestowed upon our colored troops at Poison
Springs. He also told a rebel lieutenant and other prisoners to inform
their commanding General that colored troops had captured them, and that
he must from necessity leave some of his wounded men in hospitals by the
way, and that he should expect the same kind treatment shown to them
that he showed to those falling into his hands; but that just such
treatment as his wounded men received at their hands, whether kindness
or death, should from this time forward, be meted out to all rebel
falling into his hands. That if they wished to treat as prisoners of war
our colored soldiers, to be exchanged for theirs, the decision was their
own; but if they could afford to murder our colored prisoners to gratify
their fiendish dispositions and passions, the responsibility of
commensurate retaliation, to bring them to a sense of justice, was also
their own. But, notwithstanding the kindness shown to their prisoners,
so soon as our command left, a Texas soldier, in the presence of one of
their officers, killed, in the hospital, nine of the wounded men
belonging to the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry."--_McAfee's Military
History of Kansas._
[26] About the middle of October, Colonel Crawford received information
of his nomination for the office of Governor, and came from Fort Smith
to Kansas, arriving about the 20th instant, just in time to be an active
participant in the expulsion of General Price and his army from the
border of the State.