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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 sparce—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.
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
[Pg. 221] - BLANK
[Pg. 222]
A PHALANX REGIMENT RECEIVING A GIFT OF
COLORS.
[Pg. 223]
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
concur
rent resolutions, which quelled a discussion
which other wise 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 50th, 60th,
and a detachment of the 3rd Artillery
Phalanx Regiment, with two field guns,
sallied out of Helena and proceeded down the
Mississppi 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
[Pg. 224]
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 sharp-shooters
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.
[Pg. 225]
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 Carmichael, broke
through the confederate ranks and rushed to
the support of the Phalanx, aligning them
selves 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
[Pg. 226]
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 regi-
[Pg. 227]
ments, 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
accidentaly 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,* 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 Ordance
Quartermaster and Commissary
---------------
*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.
[Pg. 228]
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 con-
[Pg. 229] - BLANK
[Pg. 230]
PHALANX SOLDIERS REPELLING AN ATTACK.
[Pg. 231]
federate 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.
"Immediately after its organization, the regiment was
ordered to Baxter Springs, where it arrived
in May, 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:
[Pg. 232]
'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 gal-
[Pg. 233]
lant 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
[Pg. 234]
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 cau-
[Pg. 235]
tiously 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 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 Cam-
[Pg. 236]
den, 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
proceeding 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 be packed as closely as the nature f
the ground would permit. I also opened
a fire upon the enemy's line 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 frank 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 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 crossfire 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
[Pg. 237]
PHALANX CAVALRY BRINGING IN CONFEDERATE
PRISONERS.
[Pg. 238] - BLANK
[Pg. 239]
to. Again were they forced to fall
back, and twice during this conflict were
their colors brought to the ground, but as
often raised.
brought to the ground, but as often raised.
'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.
[Pg. 240]
"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 \vent 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 Ex-
[Pg. 241]
pedition, 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
preceeding. 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 tinder 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 lied 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
[Pg. 242]
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
Springfield and Enfield rifles with deadly
effect.
"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;* 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
---------------
* "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 responsibity
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.
[Pg. 243]
PHALANX SOLDIERS BRINGING IN A CAPTURED
BATTERY
[Pg. 244] - BLANK
[Pg. 245]
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.
"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 au 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 today, 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, 1
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. 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
---------------
*
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.
[Pg. 246]
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.
[Pg. 247] - BLANK
[Pg. 248]
THE WOODEN HORSE.
A mode of punishment for slight offences.
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