University of California Berkeley 
 
 Purchased from 
 
 ALEXANDER GOLDSTEIN 
 
 MEMORIAL FUND 
 
Three Years and a Half 
 in the Army; 
 
 OR, 
 
 HISTORY OF Tim SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 BY 
 
 MRS. ELLEN WILLIAMS, 
 
 ALLERTON, IOWA, 
 
 " Co. A." Second Colorado Cavalry. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 Published for the Author by 
 
 FOWLER & WELLS COMPANY, 
 
 753 BROADWAY. 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1885, 
 BY ELLEN WILLIAMS. 
 
PRBFACE. 
 
 In placing this work before the public the 
 author has but one aim ; that is, to give to the 
 Soldiers of Colorado a record which shall impart 
 pleasure to themselves, their f amilies and friends ; 
 the reading of it will take them over the same 
 ground again, through the same hardships, show 
 ing their powers of endurance, of bravery and 
 valor ; bringing to mind no doubt much of per 
 sonal knowledge which the author could not 
 reach, hence it is missing, but she trusts they 
 will grant she has done the best possible with 
 the means at command, trying to make it an 
 interesting, truthful account of brave acts and 
 deeds, with all reverance, respect and kindness 
 for the soldiers of Colorado whose hardships with 
 her husband she shared. 
 
 ELLEN WILLIAMS. 
 
THREE YEARS AND A HALF IN THE ARMY ; 
 
 OR, 
 
 HISTORY OF THE SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 In the summer of eighteen hundred and sixty, 
 to any one taking a bird's-eye view of the differ 
 ent mining districts of Colorado, it bore much 
 the appearance of a bee-hive. 
 
 The mountains were perforated with holes in 
 which were at work a countless number of 
 men. And as they moved in and out they 
 resembled the busy insect. 
 
 The work went on day by day ; to some 
 Dame Fortune gave favors ; to some disappoint 
 ment. Now and then an excitement of new dis 
 coveries disturbed the regular routine of labor. 
 
 And the arrival of the mail from the States 
 with news from home sometimes made slight 
 changes. 
 
 Soon that event began to be one of intense 
 interest, the papers contained accounts of trouble, 
 and later the cry flew like wildfire, war is de 
 clared. 
 
2 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Then followed the sound of fife and drum. 
 Recruiting officers were to be found in every 
 available point, and men flocked to the standard 
 of their country, and enlisted to aid in putting 
 down the enemy. When this great rebellion 
 broke out, the shock was felt, not only in the 
 immediate locality of the outbreak, but extended 
 all over the continent, from the Atlantic to the 
 Pacific coast. 
 
 The echo of the first gun fired on Sumpter had 
 scarcely died away, when the loyal men of the 
 loyal States and Territories rose in their might, 
 and asked to be led against the "invaders of 
 peace and enemies of free institutions." Con- 
 spicious among that number was the Territory of 
 Colorado. Although but a child in years, and 
 separated from the States by a vast sandy plain ; 
 with a population composed of all classes, repre 
 senting almost every State and Government on 
 the Globe, yet the great heart of her people throb 
 bed with loyal pulsation, and loyal blood coursed 
 through her every vein. When the war was 
 forced upon her by the rebels, true to her allegi 
 ance to the Government of the United States, 
 Colorado called the roll of loyalty and honor, and 
 a thousand brave hearts and willing hands came 
 up and answered to their names, exchanging 
 " Pick and Shovel" for the " Sword and Bayonet," 
 and marched forth to meet the rebel hordes that 
 were over-running and desolating the fair and 
 wealthy soil of Texas and New Mexico, and 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 3 
 
 threatening even Colorado herself. How well 
 the work was done, may readily be ascertained 
 by pointing to the bloody battle-fields of Valverde, 
 Pigeon's Ranche, Apache Canon, etc. , where the 
 soldiers of Colorado, assisted by a portion of the 
 New Mexican forces under General Canby, met 
 and signally defeated the rebels under the notori 
 ous Sibley, driving them like chaff before the 
 wind, thus rescuing from their unhallowed grasp 
 the fertile soil of New Mexico, and the rich gold 
 deposits of Colorado, a prize they strongly covet 
 ed, and a project in which had they succeeded, 
 would have blasted her prospects perhaps for years 
 to come. For even a small force in the moun 
 tains, and well acquainted with the passes and 
 fastnesses, could have kept at bay and bid defi 
 ance to an army ten times their superior in point 
 of numbers, and have proved a serious obstacle 
 for the already heavily burdened, although "not 
 exhausted," government in crushing out the most 
 gigantic rebellion on record. 
 
 The ranks of the Second Colorado Kegiment 
 were composed of the hardy miners, inured to toil 
 and privation, with but little experience in the art 
 of war, and that little confined, at first, princi 
 pally to the two Independant Companies, A and 
 B. These two companies were organized in the 
 fall of '61, and mustered into service under Cap 
 tain Ford, afterward Colonel of the regiment of 
 which these two companies became a part, and 
 Captain Dodd, afterward Lieutenant- Colonel. 
 
4 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 About the first of December, Company B, and a 
 few days after, Company A, received marching 
 orders to report in Fort Garland, New Mexico, 
 there to be mustered into the service of the 
 United States. Accordingly, after a few days of 
 marching through the valleys and over the moun 
 tains, we reached the garrison, then in command 
 of Major Whiting, of the regular United States 
 army. There was but little worth recording 
 during the march, save the fact that we passed a 
 Mexican lying by the roadside, who had been dead 
 several weeks, yet the body was as perfect as if 
 but sleeping, even the eyes, which were open, 
 were plump and full, and although wolves, 
 panthers, wild-cats, bears, and other ferocious 
 animals were plenty there, the body had never 
 been touched, which to us was a source of sur 
 prise. On inquiry, we were informed the man 
 had shot an American and in turn was shot, and 
 our informant added, "nothing will eat a Mexi 
 can." And so it seemed. 
 
 The two companies were duly mustered in and 
 put on duty in the garrison to await further orders. 
 As horses could not be procured just then they took 
 their place as infantry, doing duty in turn with the 
 regular soldiers already stationed there. 
 
 Major Whiting, the officer in command of Fort 
 Garland, was one of the regular army, and decid 
 edly rigid, anything out of the old military order 
 greatly annoyed him. As recruiting had been such 
 a sud,den event it had been impossible to procure 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 5 
 
 military clothing fast enough, and so the raw re 
 cruit was easily known there by the mixture of his 
 garments, part citizen, part soldier. Among other 
 things, overcoats were scarce articles ; expecting 
 to get them at the Fort, and fine weather when 
 leaving Canon City did not show their necessity. 
 One cold grey overcoat was all company A could 
 muster. At one corner of the garrison, where a 
 guard had to walk his beat, it was extremely cold, 
 a draft cutting through all the time, consequently 
 the old grey coat was called into requisition, to the 
 infinite disgust of the Major, who turned to the 
 Orderly, Pat Ford, asking him if the same man 
 was always on guard, and received for answer, 
 "No, be jabers, but the same coat kivers the 
 whole company now." 
 
 THE MAJOR'S LAMENT. 
 
 'Tis there when the moon so pale and still 
 Is throwing its beams o'er the murmuring rill, 
 'Tis there when the morning sun's bright sheen 
 On each mountain top is seen. 
 
 'Tis there by night, 'tis there by day, 
 The same old coat of dusky grey, 
 Its patches too, I do declare, 
 It is the same, 'tis always there. 
 
 Wher'er I look the guard in sight 
 
 Is bearing that hideous grey old fright, 
 
 'Tis surely ominous of ill, 
 
 It sends through me a nervous thrill. 
 
 At midnight when all others rest 
 My mind by dreams is sore opprest, 
 
HISTORY OF THE 
 
 I wake and murmur in despair 
 That same grey coat is always there. 
 
 I wish some pitying soul would take 
 That coat and burn it for my sake, 
 Or cast its shreds to the winds of heaven, 
 The act I am sure would be forgiven. 
 
 ANSWER. 
 
 That coat has proved the friend indeed, 
 Look kindly on our friend in need, 
 That same old coat, through wind and storm, 
 Hath many a heart kept warm. 
 
 The soldier cold, and sparsely clad, 
 E'en of the old grey coat was glad, 
 Then scorn it not, though worn and grey, 
 Nor throw the soldier's friend away. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 CHAPTEE n. 
 
 Scarcely had the companies began to learn the 
 ways of garrison life, ere reports came to the 
 effect that the rebels were marching from Texas 
 on to Mexico and Colorado, taking all garrisons 
 on the route, thus supplying themselves with 
 arms, clothing, etc., and, as many joined them, 
 it was giving them strength and encouragement. 
 Simultaneously came the order for Co. B to report 
 at Santa Fe, in New Mexico, and from thence 
 were hurried on to Fort Craig, to join the forces 
 there under General Canby, where the enemy 
 were daily expected. None too soon did they 
 arrive, as a desperate encounter took place which 
 resulted in great loss to the enemy, and some to 
 the troops under General Canby. The rebels 
 there met a class of men who gave them reason 
 to be less sanguine than they had been. Com 
 pany B were dauntless and brave, and with 
 Lieutenant Dodd on the lead they presented a 
 solid breast to the enemy, meeting the lancers as 
 they came, each man with his bayonet unhorsed 
 the on-coming foe. The enemy were repulsed 
 and badly demoralized. The battle of Valverde, 
 New Mexico, took place on the twenty-first of 
 February, 1862. Company B, of the Second 
 
8 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Colorado, made one out of five companies to 
 support McRea's Battery, and afterward rein 
 forced Colonel Roberts, in each place grandly 
 performing their duty. Two men were killed and 
 several were wounded. The battle of Valverde 
 was a fierce and desperate fight. Much blood 
 was shed on both sides; it left many wounded, 
 dying and dead. In the battle General Canby 
 showed himself the brave, considerate commander 
 and after it was over, as he w T ent through the 
 ranks of the wounded, he wept as only a comrade 
 would who loved his fellow soldier ; a truly noble 
 man he was. Meanwhile the report of the enemy 
 below came to Fort Garland as fast as mule 
 dispatches could bear it, and with it orders for 
 Company A, of the Second Colorado (of which my 
 husband was bugler), to march as soon as pos 
 sible, and report at Santa Fe, in New Mexico, for 
 further orders. Accordingly, on the fourth day 
 of February, drawing ten days' rations, Company 
 A, with Captain Ford in command, started on 
 one of the most perilous marches of the war. 
 The second night out we camped on the Rio 
 Grande, or Grand River. Three wagons had 
 been chartered to convey us to Santa Fe ; to each 
 one was attached six yoke of oxen. The first 
 intention was to cross the San Antonie Moun 
 tains, it being the shortest road. We therefore 
 crossed the river and proceeded. As we went on, 
 each day was giving us more difficult roads and 
 deeper snows and intensely cold weather. The 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 9 
 
 frost was severe ; it broke the king-bolt of one of 
 the heavy freight wagons like it was a pipe-stem 
 a bolt of iron as large as one's wrist. That left 
 a part of the company without beds or bedding, 
 and in consequence we had to camp at the first 
 spot available for water, as near to the damaged 
 wagon as possible, to admit of its being repaired 
 early next day. 
 
 The spot was an open plateau, at the foot of 
 the mountains, very cold and breezy ; we all 
 suffered intensely. A pail of water brought from 
 the stream and placed by our tent, in an hour had 
 frozen so much you could not dip a small cup in 
 the centre. We were all glad to eat our frozen 
 piece and crawl under the blankets as soon as 
 possible. Placing my children (I had two little 
 ones) between my husband and myself, to keep 
 them from perishing, thinking they were safe, I 
 can assure you, I was fatigued enough to sleep 
 soundly myself till reveille in the morning. 
 Couriers were sent ahead to see if it was possible 
 to get through on the route. They returned with 
 the information that the mountains were impas 
 sable ; trains were already blocked in forty feet of 
 snow. We had then to retrace our steps to 
 return to the camping ground of the Rio Grande, 
 cross over and try a more southern route through 
 the Taos Valley. Napoleon's march across the 
 Alps was made the theme of song and story, but 
 it would sink into insignificance if compared with 
 the marches of the Second Regiment of Colorado, 
 
10 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 especially of Companies A and B. Mexico was a 
 trackless waste, alternately long narrow valleys 
 and ranges of irregular mountains covered with a 
 growth of pine cedar and scrub oak, which during 
 winter are loaded down with snow. 
 
 There are no roads, but just a trail made by the 
 burros, which the natives pack with their goods 
 whenever they wish to transport them to any 
 place. 
 
 I have seen a household packed on one of the 
 little long-eared creatures, even women and their 
 trunks; there was but little in sight except the 
 ears and legs of the poor animal. 
 
 But to go back to our march. Some days we 
 could only make about two miles. In selecting 
 this route our guides had hopes of less snow, but 
 it seemed as if we could scarce encounter more 
 difficulty. Snows would fall at night covering up 
 tents and wagons, and all track or trail was out 
 of sight. Squads of the soldiers would march 
 ahead to break the track, alternately changing to 
 rest each other, while others with shovels went 
 ahead of the teams to clear the way for the poor 
 jaded animals, and (allowing a military term) 
 bringing up the rear was my two children and 
 myself ; my baby boy was most of the time in the 
 arms of one or other of the soldiers, his comrade 
 relieving him of his gun. To ride was impossible, 
 as that would be to freeze or to risk a roll down 
 the mountain side, as one misstep of a poor toil 
 ing beast might have hurled the wagons down 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 11 
 
 into the deep ravines, burying all out of sight in 
 the snow. 
 
 One day of this trying march across the Katoon 
 Mountains, I think will never be forgotten by any 
 of those who were there. We started up from 
 Red River in the morning. It was extremely 
 cold, and the mountains very steep; hopes were 
 entertained of reaching feed and water at night 
 for the sake of the poor cattle. After starting 
 out it was found impossible to proceed without 
 doubling teams ; all the oxen had to be attached 
 to one wagon, and then it seemed scarcely to 
 move, even with all their united efforts. 
 
 Those of the soldiers not needed to help with 
 the wagons subsequently started to ascend the 
 mountains, my husband with the rest, my chil 
 dren and myself following behind. About a mile 
 up it became so cold, the sharp stinging wind 
 cutting face and fingers, that my little boy began 
 to cry, all effort to make him forget it was of 
 no avail. We had out-walked the teams, and 
 it became evident they would be some time reach 
 ing where we were. The soldiers proposed and 
 prepared to carry into effect the idea of making a 
 fire. 
 
 You may imagine what a task it was, when 
 not a spot of bare ground could be seen. The 
 trees being weighted down with snow. But to 
 say, was to do with the hardy mountaineer. 
 Overcoats were pulled off and placed on the 
 snow under a pinon tree, and then I was re- 
 
12 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 quested to its down with my children and coats 
 were hung around us for protection, till a fire 
 could be started. Then came the task of digging 
 out dead wood from under the snow, but as many 
 hands make quick work, a pile was soon raised. 
 Next came the hunt for matches with which to 
 start the cheering blaze. Snap, snap, snap, still 
 no fire, only one match was left, all efforts had 
 been futile, till now came the glowing spark from 
 the last match, and soon we were sitting and 
 some standing in the melted snow. We heeded 
 not the wet, the fire was so pleasant to our senses 
 in our benumbed condition. While enjoying the 
 fire a messenger came, telling us the teams could 
 make but a very short distance that day. As 
 they told us where to find a camping ground for 
 the night, we left our cheerful fire and started on, 
 reaching the ground designated. 
 
 Beneath the shelter of some friendly pinon trees 
 our tents were placed as soon as the wagons 
 reached the ground. Meals were then prepared 
 and quickly disposed off. 
 
 The poor tired animals were driven back to Red 
 River, our starting point (in the morning), to be 
 fed. Nothing was to be had on the mountain 
 top. For one week the poor tired creatures had 
 to be driven back each night to be fed. You may 
 therefore judge we could not travel far in the 
 day. 
 
 When we awoke next morning we found our 
 selves buried in snow, and heard the Captain 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 13 
 
 bawling round, " Charley, where are you ?" (to my 
 husband) who soon started a fire inside, which 
 sent the snow rolling off the tent. Marching 
 through the snow was again the order of the day, 
 with the same programme as before, with slight 
 variations, one of which was tying ropes to one 
 side of the wagons, the men hanging with all 
 their, might to stop them from rolling down the 
 precipice into the ravines beneath, which were 
 filled with snow. We were just climbing round 
 the mountains to reach the valley on the other 
 side, and thus it was for about twenty days, sky 
 above and snow beneath, tramping wearily 
 along. 
 
 Not hearing from the company, the officers in 
 command at Santa Fe became uneasy and sent 
 out scouts to hunt us up. On learning our 
 whereabouts, mule teams were sent to relieve the 
 jaded oxen, and to hurry us on to Santa Fe, 
 where marching orders were waiting for the com 
 pany, and all the troops stationed there to push 
 on soon as possible to Fort Union. The military 
 supplies for the Territories and the arsenal wero 
 kept there, and it was deemed advisable to 
 protect that garrison, it being the best stronghold, 
 and the enemy were reported marching in full 
 force for that point, as it would give them control 
 of the whole frontier, and most of the supplies 
 needed for a large body of troops. With the rein 
 forcement of teams, we soon reached Santa Fe, 
 where all was bustle perparing to march. Our 
 
14 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 tents were speedily put up and we were soon 
 eating the first square meal for twenty-eight 
 days ; that you may imagine, when you remember 
 we started with only ten days' rations, and we 
 had travelled through a country where money 
 would have been but little benefit if we had been 
 fortunate enough to possess it. The settlements 
 were few and very far between, and at best not 
 very inviting ; the inhabitants were Mexicans, and 
 mostly peons, guarding the herds or flocks of 
 their masters. 
 
 Now came the most trying time for me. After 
 getting through that far, hoping to be able to keep 
 with or near my husband, I found orders for all 
 women to stay in Santa Fe. Accordingly, my 
 husband and his comrades found a room in 
 which they placed my few earthly possessions, 
 that consisted of bedding, clothes and food. 
 Soldiers don't get burdened with household 
 effects ; at least, we did not. I stepped in that 
 room not knowing how long I would have even 
 that roof over my head. I dared not to think, 
 what the war might bring to me. I was penni 
 less, for we had taken no pay, although six 
 months in the army. I dared not to think, 
 perhaps I might be left alone with my two little 
 boys, a stranger there. I could not understand 
 one word of Spanish or talk it, and perhaps in the 
 end I might have to beg my way back to my 
 friends. I never thought of the dark side. I 
 only lived with the hope that all would be right ; 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 15 
 
 that my husband would be spared, and I be near 
 him when he needed a wife's care. I never 
 dreamed that the American Government might 
 disown me or throw aside my claims as a soldier's 
 wife. But such things have been done, and many 
 have suffered. It has made me shudder often 
 when I look back and think what might have 
 been. In a few hours the troops were called into 
 line and marched through the square and out of 
 sight, enroute to meet the enemy who were 
 expected to put in an appearance any minute. 
 
 As the troops passed out of sight, I stood with 
 my two little boys in the doorway watching 
 them. A sense of loneliness came over me, such 
 as I never felt before. Hundreds of miles from 
 home and kindred, among a nation of people 
 whose language I could not understand, and 
 although a few Americans were in business there 
 yet the Spanish language was all that was 
 spoken. Scarcely had I began to realize my 
 situation before my thoughts were carried away 
 from the subject. On the east side of the square, 
 the flames were bursting from a dwelling which 
 had been used as officers' quarters, and some 
 thoughts had been entertained of putting me 
 there, but a kind Providence spared me from a 
 sad accident, alone as I was. Next came an 
 excitement, the intensity of which I can never 
 show on paper. In less time than it takes me to 
 write it, came Mexican men, women and chil 
 dren. Lame ? feeble, crippled and all ages, 
 
16 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 rushing, as you will see hungry animals, after 
 food; one pulling here and one pulling there. 
 The building burned to the ground ; it was only 
 adobe, consequently there was not much to be 
 burned beside doors and windows. 
 
 This motley crew heeded not the fire but rushed 
 to the empty house adjacent, which had been 
 occupied by troops, and tore therefrom everything 
 made of either wood, iron or glass. From the 
 wells, the buckets, chains, rollers and even the 
 curbs passed into their hands. Like so many 
 famishing wolves, they tore around trying to out 
 do each other ; jostling, crowding, scolding and 
 cursing in Spanish as they loaded down their 
 burros with the plunder. A party had been left 
 in charge of the stores of the commissary who, it 
 was stated, sold all he could, putting the money 
 in a safe place, and then fearing the rebels he 
 threw out the remainder into the square and left. 
 It consisted of boxes of soap, rice, candles, 
 pickles, hominy, vinegar, dried vegetables, and 
 all such stores as are used in the army. Such a 
 charge as they made on the provisions was 
 scarcely ever witnessed by -mortal eye, and the 
 scene will never leave my memory ; pen fails to 
 give a fair description. All were Mexicans but 
 one ; that was the wife of a regular soldier ; she 
 was an Irishwoman, and was dressed in a bright 
 green dress, and thus became distinguishable 
 among them. Methinks I see her now, first here, 
 then there, always well loaded, and it was useless 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. lY 
 
 for the Mexicans to interfere. She was too brisk 
 a soldier for the natives. In spite of my dis 
 couraging situation I could but laugh at her 
 difficulties and disputes ; they were many. This 
 plundering was kept up till past midnight, it 
 began about noon, a clear bright moon helping 
 them to see their way, and their activity did not 
 cease. In the stable-yard or corral was a large 
 stack of hay and a great deal of fire- wood ; after 
 clearing all the empty houses they attacked it. I 
 sat in the window watching the motley crew, till 
 I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. When day 
 light appeared they were still at then- work, and 
 it continued as long as there was a house to 
 search. In fact the business men began to fear 
 lest they would next attack their stores, so fero 
 cious did they appear ; and it did seem as if there 
 was cause to fear ; it did not look safe till in a day 
 or two a scare was put on them by two rebels, 
 who had been arrested subsequently in Santa Fe 
 as spies, but were given their freedom after 
 the troops were concentrated at Fort Union. 
 They returned to Santa Fe ; on seeing them the 
 Mexicans sent a cry ringing on the air "Tehanna, 
 Tehanna," which meant " Texan," of whom they 
 stood in great fear, the men seeing, which I think 
 helped the excitement. The Mexicans were 
 afraid to occupy their separate beds, and could be 
 seen dragging their beds and bedding into as few 
 rooms as they could possibly inhabit. The two 
 men, desiring to show a little authority, came 
 
18 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 around to where I was living, and one desired me 
 to make preparation to move as soon as I could. 
 Seeing I was feeling quite sick, I suppose that 
 caused them to be civil. I promised to move as 
 soon as I could get a house to live in, and he 
 passed on a few doors further, where lived my 
 friend of the green dress, and I soon saw from the 
 gestures of the two there was an altercation ; and 
 as he backed out she stepped up. At last he 
 exclaimed : i i If you don't move out I will burn 
 the house over your head." She stepped up to 
 him, and slapping one hand in the palm of the 
 other, she said in anything but polite language, 
 "Burn away, burn away, I can put as many 
 sticks on the fire as you can." I think he took 
 her word for that ; at least that was the last we 
 heard of them. 
 
 I left the house very soon. The wife of a 
 Mexican soldier had vacated hers from fear, and 
 told me if I dared to live in it I could. I moved, 
 only too glad to get where I would be free from 
 annoyance. The Government buildings and 
 property was the first hunted up by straggling 
 rebels, and we were left to their tender mercies. 
 A part of the rebel army was then making its 
 way up to Santa Fe, when they reached Alber- 
 guergue, they gave eight of our men their liberty. 
 They had taken them prisoners at Valverde. 
 Truth to tell they had great need of provisions, 
 and so it was a policy to let them go. Major 
 Garrison and some privates of the regular army, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 19 
 
 and one or two of Company B of the Second 
 Colorado were the prisoners. They entered the 
 city, weary, worn and footsore, intending to 
 proceed to join their respective commands, but 
 advised by Mrs. General Canby they stayed a few 
 hours taking the rest they dearly needed. 
 
 Rumors were then flying round that the rebels 
 were then marching on to Santa Fe in great num 
 bers sweeping the country before them, and, it 
 seemed to us, there was truth in the report, for in 
 a few hours stragglers began to arrive, and began 
 to take all they could lay hands on from the 
 soldiers' wives. Our husbands had procured for us 
 all the provisions they could, as we were entirely 
 without, and we could form no idea of when we 
 could get more, and therefore had to husband our 
 stores with great care. As soon as I heard of 
 their plundering, my little boy and myself dug a 
 long shaped hole in the ground at the back of the 
 house, there we placed our sack of flour and 
 other stores, covering them up carefully and 
 scattered ashes and dry dirt over the place to hide 
 the fresh digging. About the time we had 
 finished we learned that the officer in command 
 was Captain Battles, with whom our Captain's 
 wife was acquainted, and at her request he put a 
 stop to such doings. So our scare then was at an 
 end, as far as ourselves were concerned, but it 
 only gave place to a greater anxiety each 
 moment. We were listening for the boom of 
 cannons, we feared the worst, for our troops 
 
20 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 were so few in number, and rumor told of the 
 thousands who were marching on from Texas 
 sweeping all before them. 
 
 At this critical moment, the heart of a true 
 good woman, showed itself. Mrs. Canby, wife of 
 the poor murdered General who lost his life in 
 the Modoc Nation. Urged all loyal women to 
 help make preparation for such wounded as 
 might need care, herself setting the example, by 
 having beds filled, hospital rooms set in order, 
 lint, soups and everything she could think of, 
 prepared for the comfort and aid of the suffering. 
 When expostulated with for so doing, as rebel 
 wounded might be the ones, her answer was that 
 of a pure loving Christian woman. It was this, 
 "No matter whether friend or foe, our wounded 
 enemy must be cared for and their lives saved if 
 it is possible, they are sons of some dear mother." 
 Her total disregard of self and watchful care of 
 the suffering men, tending with her own hand at 
 every place where she saw most need of woman's 
 care, won for her the love of friend and foe 
 alike. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 While this was going on, the roar of cannon 
 was heard. The din of war reverberated through 
 the surrounding country, and, only too soon, 
 wounded men were brought to the city, maimed, 
 suffering and dying. They were promptly 
 attended to, although they were from the Con 
 federate lines. Subsequently an engagement had 
 taken place. The Confederate forces had en 
 trenched and fortified themselves, and totally 
 unexpected our forces found themselves obliged 
 to stand on the defensive. The Texans had taken 
 a stand, which for a time seemed to give them the 
 advantage in position and certainly they had it in 
 point of numbers. So sure were they of success, 
 that they had placed their supply train containing 
 provisions, arms, ammunition, clothes and so 
 forth, for their army, in a canon in their rear 
 with a guard of only two hundred men in charge. 
 
 This circumstance gave our men great aid, as in 
 my further history I shall show. A little strategy 
 placed it in their hands. While part of our 
 troops were coping with the enemy, braving to 
 all appearance certain death, a small handful of 
 men under Major Chivington, led by a scout, and 
 marching round the mountain went to where 
 
22 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 their supply train was placed, which they 
 attacked. Some were taken prisoners, some fled 
 panic-stricken, and in less time than it takes me 
 to tell it, a roar as if the mountains were rent in 
 twain arose on the air ; they had fired the train, 
 and in a few seconds nothing but the smoke and 
 ashes was left of that which was to sustain the 
 large Confederate force then in the Territory and 
 at that time engaged in a battle with our forces 
 at Apache Canon. While this small band suc 
 ceeded in effectually crippling the enemy, their 
 comrades were engaged in one of the most 
 brilliant battles of the war. We find the official 
 records fail to give the credit to the soldiers of 
 Colorado. Yet their success was mainly due to 
 them. 
 
 Their coolness and bravery was without a par- 
 alel. Sergeant Jones of Company A, who helped 
 to man one of the batteries, when the shot and 
 shell was flying around him like hail, hurling trees 
 and rocks and making the mountains tremble, 
 turned to his comrades, so deliberately, and said : 
 "Boys they like grape, lets give 'em a little more." 
 
 I think the unfairness of official record was 
 mainly due to the fact that it was from the regu 
 lar officers' mostly, and they had not much kind 
 feeling for the volunteers. I can here give the 
 part taken by Colonel Slough of the first regiment 
 of Colorado, he was in command of the division 
 composed of the following troops : his own 
 regiment, the First Regiment of Colorado, Captain 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 23 
 
 Ford's Independant Company of Volunteers, after 
 wards A of the Second Kegiment of Colorado, 
 Captain Lewis' Battalion of Fifth Infantry, 
 Captain Ritter's Battery, Lieutenant Clafflin's 
 Battery and four small howitzers. The move 
 ment commenced from Fort Union, Saturday, the 
 twenty-second of March, and the command 
 encamped at Vernal Springs, forty-five miles from 
 Union, on Tuesday, the twenty-fifth instant. 
 
 On Wednesday, the twenty-sixth, a command 
 of two hundred cavalry and one hundred and 
 eighty infantry, under Major Chivington of the 
 First Regiment of Colorado, was advanced toward 
 Santa Fe, with a view of capturing or defeating a 
 force of the enemy reported to be stationed there. 
 The enemy in force was engaged near Johnston's 
 Ranch, Apache Canon, about fifteen miles from 
 Santa Fe. The result was victorious to our 
 forces. The enemy was defeated with some 
 twenty or twenty-five killed, more wounded, and 
 about seventy taken prisoners. Our loss was 
 small. Three men killed in the fight, two died 
 from wounds and some eight others wounded. 
 Captain Cook of the Colorado Volunteers was 
 very badly wounded, but recovered after a long 
 sickness. 
 
 Major Chivington' s command, Company A, 
 under command of Captain Ford, formed a part of 
 the same, and took position on the Pecas, at Kas- 
 lowski's Ranch, twenty- seven miles from Santa 
 Fe. About noon on the twenty-seventh, Colonel 
 
M HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Slough left Camp Paul, at Bernal Springs, and 
 about two o'clock next morning posted his entire 
 force at Kaslowski's. On the twenty-eight, a 
 movement was made upon the enemy in 
 columns, with a view of reconnoitering his posi 
 tion at Johnston's Eanch. For this purpose the 
 infantry force of regulars and volunteers, under 
 Major Chivington, was directed to move off on 
 the Galisteo road, attain the principal height upon 
 the side of Apache Canon and occupy them. 
 While the main body, under Colonel Slough, 
 moved directly into the canon. It was known 
 that the enemy had been strongly reinforced. At 
 nine o'clock in the morning our troops left their 
 encampment and at thirty minutes past ten 
 arrived at Pigeon's Kanch, five miles distant, and 
 please bear in mind, it was a rocky, mountainous 
 country through which they had to pass, it was 
 almost impossible to set a sure foot on the loose 
 pebbles. The command, under Major Chivington, 
 had flanked off at a point about two miles beyond 
 Kaslowski's. 
 
 When Colonel Slough's command reached 
 Pigeon's, he directed Captain Chaplin, Seventh 
 Infantry, Adjutant-General, to proceed forward 
 with the cavalry and reconnoiter the position of 
 the enemy. He had proceeded about three hun 
 dred yards when our pickets were driven in, and 
 the enemy opened a fire of grape and shell from a 
 battery carefully placed in position upon the hill 
 side. The batteries were brought forward and 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 25 
 
 the infantry thrown out upon the flanks. The 
 cavalry, with an addition of infantry, supported 
 the batteries and the firing became general. The 
 battle continued over five hours. The fighting 
 was all done in thick covers of cedars, and having 
 met the enemy where they were not expected the 
 action was defensive from beginning to end. The 
 capturing and destroying of the wagon train and 
 supplies by Major Chivington's command was a 
 most serious disaster to the enemy. About five 
 p. M. a flag of truce came from the enemy, and 
 measures were taken by both forces to gather up 
 and bury their dead and to care for the wounded. 
 All who were able to be moved were brought to 
 Santa Fe, and Rebel as well as Union men shared 
 alike the kindness and care of the doctors and 
 citizens. Mrs. General Canby personally seeing 
 that none should suffer for care. The wounded 
 who could not be brought to the city were her 
 special charge ; her carriage could be seen every 
 day on the road, bearing her or something her 
 thoughtful care had provided for the sick and 
 suffering. 
 
 As there was positive orders for Fort Union to 
 be protected at all hazards, Colonel Slough with 
 his entire command fell back to that point. The 
 Confederate forces came on to Santa Fe, where 
 their sick and wounded lay. From privations 
 and hardships, marching through a climate much 
 colder than their own, disease set in and phneu- 
 monia gave the grave nearly as many as the fight. 
 
26 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Day by day I saw the hospital wagon, with its 
 silent load, wending its way along the mountain 
 side, and on that lonely plateau would be laid side 
 by side all that was left of the once healthy, 
 robust young men who but a few weeks before 
 left the sunny soil of Texas, leaving their beloved 
 ones behind, never to return. A small wooden 
 tablet marks their resting place; their names 
 to-day, I expect, are faded out and they are 
 numbered with the unknown. Finding, I sup 
 pose, nothing could be gained by holding Santa 
 Fe, the whole Confederate force who were able to 
 travel evacuated the city, leaving their dying to 
 the merciful. They abandoned their sick and 
 dying eveiywhere. 
 
 The Confederate forces were reported to be con 
 centrating at or near Albuquerque, accordingly 
 General Canby, of whose command Company B 
 of the Second then was a part, ordered Colonel 
 Paul, who was in command of the division at 
 Union, to make a junction with him at the above 
 named point, to intercept or rout the entire force 
 of the enemy. On the evening of the thirteenth 
 of April, a junction was formed and the whole 
 united command was marched, during the day and 
 night of the fourteenth, to Peralto, thirty-six 
 miles distant, arriving there before the Confeder 
 ate force had any suspicion of the movement. In 
 this command Companies A and B of the Second 
 Colorado were again together. 
 
 On the morning of the fifteenth, a mountain 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 27 
 
 howitzer and a train seven wagons loaded with 
 supplies, and escorted by a lieutenant and 
 thirty men, were captured. Six of the Confeder 
 ates were killed in the conflict, three wounded 
 and twenty-two captured. To cover this move 
 ment, Colonel Paul with his column had been 
 detached, and after completing it, he received 
 permission to clear the basque in front of Peralto 
 of the enemies force that then occupied it. After 
 some sharp skirmishing, in which our loss was 
 one killed and three wounded, this work was 
 handsomely executed, and the basque in front and 
 rear of the town occupied by our troops. 
 
 The point occupied by the Confederate troops 
 was known to be the strongest, except Fort 
 Union, in New Mexico, and as nearly all the men 
 had been twenty -four, and many of them thirty- 
 six hours, without food, no general attack was 
 designed until after the approaches to the place 
 had been thoroughly reconnoitered and the troops 
 allowed time to obtain food and rest. This recon- 
 noisance was made on the afternoon of the same 
 day, the points and direction of attack selected, 
 and the camp of the command advanced to a 
 point nearer the town where the trains could 
 be guarded by a smaller number of men. During 
 the night the enemy abandoned his position and 
 crossed to the right bank of the Eio Grande del 
 Norte, leaving his sick and wounded behind him 
 without attendance, without medicine and almost 
 without food, 
 
28 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 After detaching the staff -officers attached to the 
 department headquarters, to make arrangements 
 for future operations and the train that could be 
 spared for supplies, the pursuit was continued 
 down the left bank of the river (the shortest 
 route) with the intention of crossing at La Foya, 
 Palvastera, Sabina or Fort Craig, if the enemy 
 should not be overtaken sooner. On the night of 
 that day our camp was five miles in his rear. On 
 the sixteenth we had nearly overtaken the rear of 
 his column, and the march was continued during 
 the remainder of the day in sight and almost 
 within cannon range, but on opposite sides of the 
 river. All night our camps were directly oppo 
 site, but during the night he abandoned a large 
 portion of his train, thirty-eight wagons and the 
 supplies they contained, and fled into the moun 
 tains. After making arrangements for securing 
 the property abandoned by the enemy, the march 
 was continued to Balvedera. At this place the 
 command was halted for a day, in order to be 
 assured of the position and movements of the 
 enemy, and to secure the safety of a supply train 
 in our rear. These objects having been accom 
 plished, the march was resumed and continued 
 till the command reached Fort Craig on the after 
 noon of the twenty-second of April. 
 
 Companies A and B of the Second Colorado 
 were ordered into the Fort, and the First Regiment 
 of Colorado camped on the sands preparatory to 
 being returned to Colorado. The two first named 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 29 
 
 companies stayed at Fort Craig doing such duty 
 as was from time to time assigned them, hoping 
 for a release as it was one of the most disagreea 
 ble places in which to stay ; tarantula, centipedes 
 and tail-toads were frequent bed-fellows; the 
 provisions were of the poorest quality, both bread 
 and meat wormy, and the water was as thick as 
 porridge. At last the pay-master made his 
 appearance for the first time since enlistment, 
 which was very nearly a year. Our troops had 
 but little encouragement to fight ; badly clothed, 
 badly fed, and so many months without a cent of 
 money, but as it was unavoidable they took it 
 philosophically and made the best of it when it 
 came. A short time after this event, about the 
 last of August or beginning of September, Com 
 panies A and B of the Second Colorado, with 
 Lieutenant - Colonel Dodd in command, were 
 ordered to report at Santa Fe, and they were very 
 glad of the change. 
 
 A laughable incident occurred on this march. 
 It befng extremely warm it was deemed expedient, 
 as they had a sandy desert to cross, to make that 
 march early in the morning while cool. The 
 bugler accordingly had orders to sound reveille as 
 soon as the morning star appeared. He rolled up 
 in his blankets, took a good snore or two, waking 
 up he saw the bright star sailing along. He 
 sounded the call, the camp was aroused, and 
 after a little preparation the command was in 
 motion, In vain they looked for day. Some one 
 
30 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 found out at last it was the " evening star," 
 instead of the morning. All then declared the 
 bugler had taken his canteen for a telescope, look 
 ing through it instead of the latter. 
 
 After a tedious march across the hot sand the 
 command reached Santa Fe, finding it occupied 
 by Union troops and all going on as if nothing 
 had disturbed the peace of the country, the only 
 evidence left was the destruction which General 
 Canby was endeavoring to obliterate as speedily 
 as possible, repairing all the damage caused by 
 pillage and fire. When the Union forces evacu 
 ated the city they cut down the flag-pole, 
 intending the rebels should never have the chance 
 of raising their flag on it. 
 
 When our troops returned to Santa Fe, about 
 the first order given was to make a pole to replace 
 the one cut down and men were detailed for the 
 purpose. My husband was one of the number 
 and, on the fourth of July, assisted in raising the 
 flag of the free once more in the City of Santa Fe. 
 
 It is up and it floats, 
 
 On the pure morning air, 
 It's stripes are uninjured, 
 It's stars are all there ; 
 
 And long may it float, o'er the land and the sea, 
 Our own glorious emblem, the flag of the free. 
 
 It is up, and the sunshine, 
 
 Hath gilded the staff, 
 The mountains we fancy 
 They seem as to laugh, 
 
 May the echo go forth, o'er the land and the sea, 
 Our flag is afloat, 'tis the flag of the free, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 31 
 
 See the traitors succumb, 
 In their rebel disgrace ; 
 When they find our fair emblem, 
 
 Hath taken its place, 
 
 Owning that as they vanish, o'er the land and the sea, 
 Our flag must float ever, the flag of the free. 
 
 It is up, and its breast 
 
 Is to heaven laid bare, 
 
 Our God he hath seen it, 
 
 And blesseth it there ; 
 
 It waves, aye how grandly, o'er the land and the sea, 
 Our flag is acknowledged, the flag of the free. 
 
 'Neath its folds our forefathers 
 
 Have bled and have died, 
 Victory and honor 
 
 Is to it allied ; 
 
 As it spreads in its grandeur, o'er the land and the sea, 
 Our emblem of glory, the flag of the free. 
 
 It is up, may the heavens 
 Turn black with despair, 
 Ere 'tis torn from its homestead 
 
 And other placed there. 
 
 May the darkness of Erebus, wrap earth and the sea, 
 Ere they tear from its standard, the flag of the free. 
 
 MRS. WILLIAMS. 
 
32 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 It was a beautiful and impressive sight ; the 
 morning sun gilding the mountain-tops with its 
 mellow light and reflecting its golden hues on all 
 around us. General Canby with the officers of 
 his staff, with bared heads ; the Chaplain's prayer 
 of thankfulness ; the General standing with his 
 hand upon the pole, his fine form and noble 
 physique ; around him the officers and the soldiers 
 under arms, ready to salute; the mountains in 
 the background ; in front, the citizens ; altogether 
 gave a picture worthy the pencil of an artist. 
 Grandly sublime, more especially so when taking 
 into consideration the place and general condition 
 of the country, scarcely a step above barbarism. 
 
 The two companies, A and B, were assigned to 
 garrison duty, a regular officer who was in com 
 mand there appeared to take eminent delight in 
 giving them duties to perform, which would 
 lessen them as men ; for instance, to clear away 
 the slop and garbage which accumulated around 
 the officers' quarters, and sweep the dirt from their 
 doors. Now our volunteers did not enlist for 
 such work, but knowing at the same time that a 
 good soldier obeys orders, it was done, and with 
 the labor no doubt some profanity was mixed, as 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 33 
 
 soldiers under aggravating circumstances are not 
 proof against temptation to err. Time soon 
 became irksome to them, they had no penchant 
 for staying around garrisons, it was active service 
 they wanted, and when reports came that the 
 Texans intended to try another attack on the 
 Territory, coming up by way of Red River, it gave 
 them a hope that again they would have a show 
 to test the mettle of the enemy. About the time 
 the first snow fell, Company B was ordered to 
 report at Fort Union. On their arrival they were 
 put on duty in the garrison where active work 
 was going on throwing up trenches. Very shortly 
 after, Company A was also ordered to report at 
 the same place, and on arriving there the duty was 
 assigned them of cutting timber for the trenches 
 to facilitate the matter. We camped about five 
 miles from the Fort in a place called Coyote 
 Canon, a narrow defile between the mountains, 
 where we were surrounded with timber. 
 
 The work went actively forward for a few 
 weeks, every means to find out the movements of 
 the enemy, their strength and intention were 
 made. After making a feint as if to enter the 
 Territory again they all at once disappeared, and 
 it became evident they had abandoned the idea 
 and instead were moving toward the Arkansas, or 
 Indian Nation. All sign of trouble in Mexico was 
 at an end, and the duties of the garrison was all 
 there was to perform, except an occasional scout 
 after prowling redskins. 
 
34: HISTORY OF THE 
 
 About the early part of January, orders came 
 for Companies A and B of the Second Colorado to 
 report at Fort Lyon, accordingly the two com 
 panies left Fort Union under Captain Hall's 
 command. I think there was but a very few 
 regretted leaving Mexico, yet it was again mid 
 winter. Our route this time was a more pleasant 
 one. We did not have to encounter on this trip 
 such inclement weather, although sometimes cold, 
 wet and snowy, it was nothing in comparison 
 to our other marches ; it was one of pleasure, the 
 sick out-door patients I cared for improved every 
 day ; it was a quiet march with only the fun of 
 camping out . thrown in. We reached Fort Lyon 
 in the Spring of 1863, and met there a hearty 
 welcome from the soldiers of Colorado already 
 stationed there. As some companies of the First 
 Kegiment of Colorado were in Fort Lyon on the 
 arrival of our two companies, A and B, the former 
 were sent to Denver preparatory to being ordered 
 to the States. During the time we were in 
 Mexico, recruiting had been actively going on in 
 Colorado and other companies had been organized, 
 thus completing the Second Regiment of Colorado, 
 who were then for the first time all together. 
 They were physically as fine a regiment as ever 
 answered the call of the roll, their bravery was 
 such that they were held in awe by the Confeder 
 ate forces. They never failed to strike terror to 
 their ranks. Their presence had always proved a 
 signal of defeat. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 35 
 
 We had been in Fort Lyon but a short time 
 before it seemed evident there would be an upris 
 ing among the Indians, and the excitement kept 
 the regiment a great deal of the time in the saddle, 
 scouting here and there. Some fears were enter 
 tained of their attacking the garrisons ; it was 
 evidently their intention to take advantage if the 
 country was clear of troops. During the Spring, 
 orders came from the department to the effect 
 that the Second Kegiment was ordered into the 
 field to march forthwith to the States, under com 
 mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Dodd. Accordingly, 
 all men fit for duty were duly put under marching 
 orders. Company F was left at Fort Lyon. All 
 men on sick report were attached to that company, 
 my husband among the number, at that time 
 under treatment for rheumatism. The rest of the 
 regiment started for the States. The weather was 
 pretty fair at first, but was very wet, cold and 
 disagreeable before they got to the States. The 
 regiment up to this time had not been supplied 
 with horses, so those who were without confis 
 cated ponies on the road, in some cases one 
 serving two masters. 
 
 On reaching the railroad, from which point 
 they were to be shipped to St. Louis, they had a 
 difficulty in getting proper conveyance, the rail 
 road company wanting to ship them like cattle ; 
 but they refused to be carried up in that manner. 
 Finding they would not put up with such 
 indignity, they furnished them passenger cars, 
 
36 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 and they went on their way rejoicing, reaching St. 
 Louis in the morning, but by some mismanage 
 ment were left at the depot till noon, when they 
 were marched to Benton Barracks and there 
 supplied with horses, and from thence were 
 ordered to Maravia. Colonel Dodd was ordered to 
 take Companies A and B, with two pieces of 
 artillery, to escort a provision train from Fort 
 Scott to Fort Smith, Arkansas. When within 
 ten miles of Fort Smith the enemy unexpectedly 
 attacked them in a ravine of heavy brush. A des 
 perate encounter ensued which lasted about three 
 hours. Of the rebels, there was two to one. 
 Fortunately our troops had no loss, but the 
 enemy's was about twenty killed and wounded. 
 
 On this trip, seeing plenty of pigs in the woods, 
 some of the boys concluded to try their guns on 
 them for the sake of fresh pork, and they found 
 them to be a great curiosity, having cloven feet or 
 whole hoofs like a horse. The regiment was kept 
 in the field all the Summer and Fall. Many hard 
 marches and desperate encounters they met on 
 their way down to Port Gibson, where they met 
 again some of the same regiments they encoun 
 tered in Mexico. There was much hard fighting, 
 marching and counter - marching ; the enemy 
 losing heavily, with some loss to our own, who 
 were finally ordered up to St. Louis. Company 
 K stayed at Fort Lyon till the month of Novem 
 ber ; then Companies F, G and H of the Third 
 Eegiment, in obedience to general order, concen- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 37 
 
 trated with Company K of the Second at Fort 
 Lyon and received orders to march for the 
 States. 
 
 Accordingly, on the twentieth day of Novem 
 ber, 1863, with Major Pritchard in command, we 
 started at noon and made about twelve miles. 
 It was a fine afternoon, but toward night a 
 cool breeze arose, bringing with it a snow 
 storm, which was so severe that for nine days 
 we were obliged to stay there. The wagons 
 were almost out of sight, and the mules had 
 to be driven back to Fort Lyon for feed. 
 This was but a commencement of a series of 
 storms; for two months we saw nothing but 
 the most inclement weather ; the snow came so 
 suddenly and so severely that it found us all 
 unprepared no wood, and almost an impossi 
 bility to get any, and but few stoves. The 
 animals suffered equally with ourselves ; but the 
 government mules generally learn a thing or two, 
 and we had some of that educated class with us. 
 Seeing no show for fodder, in the night they went 
 to the supply wagon of Company K and eat up 
 the rations; appropriating flour, bread, bacon, 
 hominy, rice, etc., for hay and corn. That made 
 another requisition on the commissary a necessity, 
 and men were therefore detailed to return to the 
 Fort for stoves, food and such things as were 
 needed for the trip. 
 
 Each day we were hoping for a change in the 
 weather. The morning would sometimes brighten 
 
38 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 up, but a few hours brought the cold wind and 
 drifting snow. On the morning of the twenty- 
 fifth it was cheerful and bright, but night again 
 brought with it a most severe and terrible 
 storm of snow. During the time we laid snow 
 bound in this camp called by the men, " Camp 
 Snow Bank" the stage for the States, from Fort 
 Lyon, tried to make its way down to Fort 
 Larnard, the driver was so badly frozen he laid 
 for many months hovering between life and death, 
 and recovered at last to be a hopeless cripple. 
 Many of our men were frost-bitten and suffered 
 intensely from the biting cold winds. 
 
 After we started, each day was almost a repeti 
 tion of the other. Few marches on record equal 
 this one in severity, suffering and exposure. Not 
 a friendly tree to screen us from the storm, the 
 open, bleak plains before and behind us, and for 
 miles nothing to burn but weeds ; every available 
 piece of wood was used up. Two freighters who 
 had taken up apples, butter, eggs, etc., to the Fort 
 followed the command down. Their teams were 
 six yoke of oxen, with very heavy freight wagons. 
 Their cattle all perished but one yoke ; the wood 
 work of the wagons they used, as long as they 
 could avail themselves of a splinter, and no doubt 
 they thought themselves very fortunate in get 
 ting through alive to the Missouri River. 
 
 Each day as it advanced brought with it the 
 same repetition of snow and bad weather. Many 
 incidents occurred which helped to change the 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 39 
 
 monotony of marching day by day through the 
 storm, some laughable and others rather of the 
 irritable order. One man who loved the ardent, 
 desiring to warm the inner man, and intending to 
 do so at the expense of the sick, went slyly to the 
 hospital ambulance and taking therefrom a half- 
 pint bottle of burning fluid (in mistake for 
 whiskey) drank it down, and the result was a 
 very sick man. He was placed in the ambulance, 
 the end gate turned down that his head could 
 reach over. As he lay there vomiting he was the 
 picture of forlorn misery, many jokes were passed 
 at his expense. Lieutenant Gooding, created a 
 laugh by saying : "Boys, don't let the fluid waste, 
 we will put a wick in his mouth to-night and use 
 him for a lamp." One night, a very hard wind 
 was blowing, with snow and hail cutting through 
 the air, the Sibley tents were twisting and scream 
 ing as if in. torture, when all at once a gust 
 stronger than the rest tore out the guides of one 
 next to ours ; it was occupied by our good-natured 
 professor, Tom Willey, his wife and baby; the 
 wind carried the fire from the stove into the bed, 
 and while she was struggling to keep the fire from 
 consuming the bed, he was pulling at the ropes 
 calling for help ; and the hail stinging his bare 
 limbs, made him dance to a tune he had never 
 learned to play on his violin, an instrument he 
 was very fond of. 
 
 On the eighteenth of December, a young buffalo 
 ran into camp and paid for its temerity with its 
 
40 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 life. Its carcass was a great luxury and much 
 enjoyed by us all ; a portion was handed over to 
 me. I was always remembered if there was any 
 thing to share. The next day was extremely cold 
 with very rough wind ; but, as if by way of com 
 pensation, we found the best camping ground it 
 had been our fortune to obtain. It was called 
 Walnut Creek. There was plenty of wood, water 
 and good shelter. A stage-station was there 
 which seemed to bid us hope that we would, after 
 a while, find more dwellings. On the following 
 day we passed another, and as we were now on 
 the Smoky Hill route, ranches became more fre 
 quent and from them we were able to get feed for 
 the animals, which began to show the evidence of 
 hard suffering on the march ; and the men began 
 to feel as if it was home coming, for here were 
 small porkers running around and it was quite a 
 frolic to the boys to give them chase as .they 
 scampered away through the bush. Here was fresh 
 pork, sausage, and pies and cakes for sale, wilich 
 after such a march was a delight to our vision. 
 Here Major Pritchard gave orders for a general 
 cleaning up, ever soldier thenceforth making 
 quite a different appearance. The next morning 
 ushered in the twenty-second day of the month ; 
 we started, passing through the town of Salina, in 
 Kansas, and camped five miles beyond in a belt of 
 timber, which seemed alive with chickens, quail 
 and turkeys, and at a ranch across the river were 
 four tame buffalos, used on the place to haul logs, 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 41 
 
 etc. Reports here reached us of the northern 
 Sioux Indians being on the war-path and commit 
 ting depredations, but we saw none of them. We 
 started again when the bugle sounded the for 
 ward, crossed the Solomon ferry, and here a mule 
 fell on a broken bridge, one leg slipping through a 
 hole in the plank, but it was helped out with but 
 little damage. At our next camping place some 
 went to a house near by and partook of a hotel 
 dinner. It cost twenty-five cents ; that was great 
 extravagance for a poor soldier after living in the 
 snow on hard tack and beans so long. It was a 
 luxury to set down on a chair in a house even. 
 
 Christmas morning came to us in a pouring 
 rain, the mud knee deep ; we passed through 
 Junction City, a nice little town, and on to Fort 
 Riley. Here we went into quarters, which was a 
 great treat after such a hard trip. 
 
 We saw but little here to remind us we were in 
 the States, only one company and a small guard 
 set who seemed mostly beardless boys. 
 
 There was far more discipline in Colorado, but 
 the garrison did one good to look at ; a soldier 
 could but be clean here. The buildings were 
 finished off in a first-class style. Standing as it 
 does above the Eepublican River, which runs 
 through a belt of timber, winding round the garri 
 son, it makes a picturesque spot. Even the 
 stables, corn-cribs, pastures and yards are finished 
 off in a neat and complete manner, giving it a 
 tasty appearance. We stayed there to rest 
 
42 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 for a few days and the weather moderated some. 
 The first day out from Fort Riley was fine. We 
 crossed the Manhattan Bridge and camped on the 
 bottom. It was an extremely wet camping ground, 
 we had to cut a brush pile to place our beds on ; 
 the ground was so wet and soft the tent pins 
 were pushed in by hand. The weather changed so 
 suddenly in the night that next morning they had 
 to be chopped out with an axe. We crossed the 
 Kansas Kiver on the ice and passed through 
 Topeka, then but a small town. We would try 
 to obtain shelter some nights in some of the many 
 houses we passed, but in only two or three cases 
 succeeded. No one appeared to pity us poor 
 women and children out in that inclement 
 weather. Day by day it grew colder, and the 
 Doctor bade us stop and take possession of an 
 empty log cabin by the road-side and there stay 
 till the weather moderated if it took us all winter. 
 That was the order of Doctor Vance as he rode off 
 to catch up with the command. As a good 
 soldier obeys orders we halted, and driving the 
 teams round to the shelter of the cabin unhitched, 
 and some of the boys building a fire in the wide 
 fire-place we prepared the supper, and such a one 
 as it was I shall never forget. The beef, o which 
 we had a fair supply, and potatoes, were so frozen 
 that it was impossible to make any impression on 
 them with a knife. To peel the latter was impos 
 sible ; to throw them away 'would never do, for 
 we had been so long without potatoes they 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 43 
 
 were the gift of a good Union man on our route. 
 One of the men therefore suggested that we hash 
 up together both beef and potatoes. Accordingly 
 he took an axe and laying both on a clean board 
 he minced all up fine together, and if there was a 
 little soil mixed in, I must say, I never relished a 
 meal half as well before or since. 
 
 We piled the bags on high and wide, but Mrs. 
 Willey and myself could do but little else than 
 shiver, although the warmest place was given us. 
 It was I think the coldest night I ever witnessed. 
 The poor mules although sheltered by the two 
 wagons and house seemed to be almost perishing 
 on their feet, as they stamped and kicked in the 
 cold night air. Here we passed from 1863 to 1864. 
 
 The next morning we started to catch up with 
 the command. It was very bright, but cold and 
 frosty during the day. Seeing a pedestrian on the 
 road our men inquired if he had seen the command 
 pass by. His answer was, " Yaw, yaw ; they 
 gone, you take this road, 'tis the shortest ; you 
 turn dis way, to de left (with a motion of the 
 hand), and you will cross a leetle pridge over the 
 creek, keep to the left, you will get to Cedar 
 Creek where they will camp to-night. " We did 
 so, and, as he said, made camp in good season. 
 
 Mr. McDougal and family and a Mr. Murphy 
 should have especial mention, for they were 
 extremely kind and thoughtful. They sent down 
 straw to the camp for the men to sleep on, as the 
 ground was covered with snow, and, in addition, 
 
44 HISTORY OP THE 
 
 they gave them fresh pork and potatoes, which 
 was one of the greatest treats possible, also invit 
 ing the families to go to their houses and partake 
 of their hospitality. Their kindness I shall never 
 forget. The march was telling heavily upon my 
 health, and the fatigue of setting tent, packing 
 and unpacking, was for once omitted much to my 
 comfort. I was thoroughly interviewed by their 
 pleasing daughters, from whom their mother 
 had to beg me off to get a little rest. We pursued 
 our way next day. It was hard to see the men 
 foot-sore, frost-bitten and weary. After a few 
 more days of travel we reached Kansas City. 
 Snow still covered the ground. The soldiers 
 camped in it for a few days, when they were 
 ordered to quarters to report for duty and await the 
 arrival of the rest of the regiment, then on their 
 way up from St. Louis. Mr. Willey and my hus 
 band rented two rooms in the outskirt of the 
 town, so as to be handy to do their duty as 
 buglers. 
 
 While Major Pritchard's command was cross 
 ing the plains to the States, the rest of the Second 
 Colorado Regiment, then doing duty down in the 
 Arkansas Nation, received orders to march and 
 report at Kansas City, preparatory to co'nsolida- 
 tion. The Second had in its many battles and 
 skirmishes lost many of its brave boys, and as the 
 Third Regiment had never been full an order was 
 issued from headquarters, Department of Missouri, 
 announcing the organization of the Second Colo- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 45 
 
 rado Cavalry, as formed by the consolidation of 
 the Second and Third Regiments, as directed in 
 Special Order Number 278, Headquarters Depart 
 ment of Missouri. 
 
 When organized, its officers were as follows : 
 James H. Ford, colonel ; Theodore H. Dodd, lieu 
 tenant-colonel ; Samuel S. Curtis, first major , 
 J. Nelson Smith, second major ; Jesse L. 
 Pritchard, third assistant surgeon ; D. M. Vance, 
 assistant surgeon ; Robert S. Roe, adjutant ; J. S. 
 Cook, quarter-master (who afterward resigned, 
 and Guy C. Manville was promoted to the posi 
 tion) ; James Burrell, commissary ; L. Hamilton, 
 chaplain. Companies K of the Second and F, G 
 and H of the Third Infantry, were broken up and 
 the men assigned to the other companies compos 
 ing the regiment, consisting of twelve companies 
 and numbering in .all over one thousand, one 
 hundred men. The consolidation having been 
 completed, the regiment was mounted on horses 
 furnished by the government, or rather by govern 
 ment contractors, and said by many to be the 
 finest lot of horses in the department, which 
 opinion could be fully admitted on comparison 
 with that of other regiments. A considerable 
 number were, however, entirely unfit for service, 
 as experience proved ; breaking down with the 
 least exertion, proving utterly incapable of per 
 forming the duty required of cavalry horses. The 
 regiment was armed with the government sabre, 
 Star's carbine, an arm capable of throwing a ball 
 
46 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 with great force and precision when properly 
 adjusted, but of uncertain fire, a very important 
 defect, when the life of a brave man was depend 
 ing ; also Star's revolver, a good pistol, with one 
 serious objection, the revolving apparatus was lia 
 ble get to out of order after a few discharges. It 
 seemed strange, with such imperfect arms, so few 
 accidents should happen, only one or two being 
 the result therefrom. 
 
 On the sixteenth of January, the regiment was 
 placed on the cars and started for Kansas City, 
 Missouri, arriving at Dresden (at that time the 
 terminus of the Pacific Eailroad and distant from 
 St. Louis about two hundred miles) the next day. 
 The night was extremely cold, and the men, a 
 large number of them, were placed in the cars 
 without stoves or fire, and experienced great diffi 
 culty in keeping from freezing, being confined to 
 the limits of the crowded cars with but little 
 room for exercise. The horses were crowded into 
 as small a space as possible in the open cars for 
 sure conveyance, but a large number were 
 severely " corked," caused by the sudden starting 
 and stopping of the train. On arriving at Dres 
 den the regiment went into Camp Smith, where it 
 remained, with the exception of the battallion 
 that proceeded to Kansas City, until about the 
 fifteenth of February, when it again took up the 
 line of march, and passing through Warrens- 
 burgh on the sixteenth, arrived at Kansas City 
 about the twentieth of February, 1864. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 4Y 
 
 In passing through the counties of Jackson and 
 Cass, the country was found to be overrun with 
 marauders. These marauders, or banditti, became 
 so numerous and bold in their nefarious trans 
 actions, and such difficulty was experienced in 
 apprehending and punishing the guilty, that it was 
 deemed necessary, in order to insure justice to all 
 parties, to cause the immediate abandonment by 
 the inhabitants of these counties. About the 
 twenty-third of September, 1863, the order was 
 issued by General Ewing, giving them fifteen 
 days to leave the counties, which was speedily 
 obeyed by the inhabitants. Troops were 
 stationed in the different parts of the sub-district, 
 and the country overran ; houses burned to the 
 ground, causing the country once so fertile to 
 resemble a wilderness, with homes deserted, fields 
 of ground abandoned by the faithful plow. It 
 looked sad, but it left no sustenance for the bush 
 whackers, and but few places of shelter. Of that 
 few they were ever ready to take advantage, 
 hiding behind there friendly walls and at every 
 opportunity shooting at our troops who had occa 
 sion to go near or past ; it was their favorite past- 
 time and mode of warfare, to take our troops 
 unaware, never in any instance meeting them 
 bravely face to face. On the fourteenth of Janu 
 ary, 1864, General Brown, who was at that time in 
 command of the district of Central Missouri, issued 
 an order from headquarters, allowing all loyally 
 disposed citizens, who had been driven from their 
 
48 HISTORY OF THIS 
 
 homes, to return on conditions, viz. : that they 
 should be ever ready to assist the government in 
 its endeavors to put down the rebellion, and pro 
 tect themselves and their homes from all enemies. 
 The same general order assigned Colonel James 
 H. Ford, Second Colorado Cavalry, to the com 
 mand of the fourth sub-district, district of 
 Missouri, headquarters at Kansas City, Missouri. 
 
 Colonel Ford assumed command on the eigh 
 teenth day of February, and appointed Lieutenant 
 E. L. Berthoud, then of Company E, acting 
 assistant adjutant-general, and Captain J. C. W. 
 Hall, of Company B, assistant provost-marshal. 
 
 On assuming command, Colonel Ford pro 
 ceeded to distribute his forces throughout the 
 sub-district, in such a manner as would be best 
 calculated to conduct the campaign against the 
 squads of bushwhackers, and at the same time be 
 able to concentrate his forces with little delay on 
 the appearance of a superior force of the enemy. 
 Among the stations announced were the follow 
 ing : Kansas City, Independence, eight miles east, 
 West Point, three miles south, Hickmann's Mills, 
 sixteen miles south, Pleasant Hill, thirty-five miles 
 south-east, and Harrisonville, about forty-five 
 miles south from Kansas City. At this time the 
 bushwhackers were comparatively quiet, confin 
 ing their efforts to an occasional midnight assas 
 sination or robbery, evidently deferring operations 
 on a large scale until the leaves came out on the 
 trees to afford them protection in their fiendish 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 49 
 
 work. Nevertheless, the troops at the different 
 stations were not idle, but were actively engaged 
 in scouring the country and becoming acquainted 
 with its geographical position, the roads and 
 by-ways, learning each nook and corner as well 
 as the inhabitants, who consisted chiefly of 
 " widows" (?) whose husbands had gone to the 
 war and who were strictly loyal to the govern 
 ment of the southern confederacy ! So much 
 diligence was exercised by the troops, that by the 
 first of June there was scarcely a locality, road or 
 by-path through the country, including the famous 
 Sni Hills, with which they were not thoroughly 
 familiar ; a very important feature in hunting 
 bushwhackers. 
 
 Many were the ruses and schemes employed by 
 our soldiers to discover the haunts of these 
 brigands. After dashing up to and surrounding 
 houses at dead of night when the male inmates, 
 who were supposed to be in the brush, would be 
 likely to visit their homes, and not unfrequently 
 repeating their visit the same night in order to 
 entrap any one who had watched their move 
 ments and supposed them far away. It was a 
 dangerous, as well as unpleasant duty to perform, 
 not knowing what moment a leaden message of 
 death would be sent crashing through the brain 
 from the hands of an unseen foe, who lay in 
 ambush waiting for the troops to pass and who 
 almost universally possessed the advantage of 
 having the first fire (which was generally their 
 
50 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 last), their cowardly dispositions not allowing 
 them to dare risk an open conflict, unless they 
 possessed superior advantages in the strength of 
 their forces. Little was accomplished by either 
 party until about the first of May, after the trees 
 and brush were densely covered with leaves suffi 
 cient to screen the banditti in their nefarious 
 transactions, and protect them from the scrutiniz 
 ing search of the troops, who were almost 
 constantly hunting for them using every means in 
 their power to catch, destroy and drive from the 
 country the villianous scoundrels. 
 
 Sergeant P. F. Russell, of Company I, with 
 twenty men, had been stationed at Dayton, a 
 small town on Grand Eiver in Cass County, to 
 watch the crossing. On the morning of the 
 twenty-seventh of April, a party of men clothed in 
 Federal uniform were seen passing near the 
 station, and Russell supposing them to be some of 
 our own men rode out to halt them. As they 
 were passing over a point of rising ground two of 
 the party were seen to fall in the rear apparently 
 awaiting for Russell to come up, when they all 
 disappeared over the brow of the hill. Mistrust 
 ing some foul play a reconnoifcance was made, 
 but nothing could be seen of the party ; two days 
 afterward the body of Russell was found about 
 eight miles from Dayton, on the prairie pierced 
 through the head with a ball and his watch and 
 money taken. He evidently did not discover his 
 fatal mistake until arriving in their midst, and 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 51 
 
 was surrounded and hurried away utterly unable 
 to offer any resistance. The band was a part of 
 QuantrelFs or Todd's gang. 
 
 About the same time, privates Stone and John 
 son of the same company, while carrying 
 dispatches from Harrisonville to Johnstown, were 
 fired upon by a party of bushwhackers on Grand 
 River and driven back across the stream. They 
 succeeded in making their escape, after running 
 many narrow chances for life, and reached Johns 
 town three days afterward. A party of four or 
 five widows (?) living in the eastern part of Jack 
 son County, and whose husbands were known to 
 be in the brush, were arrested about the twen 
 tieth of May, and sent to Kansas City in charge of 
 Sergeant Freeman and seven men. The escort 
 returning the next day were ambushed by a 
 party of bushwhackers, twenty-five or thirty in 
 number, near the crossing of the Little Blue on 
 the Independance and Lone Jack road. One of 
 the boys by the name of Vogt was shot twice 
 through the head and fell dead from his horse ; 
 another by the name of Sowell, was severely 
 wounded and fell from his horse, but partially 
 recovering succeeded in getting re-mounted behind 
 Sergeant Freeman, who exhibited great courage 
 and presence of mind during the affray, but soon 
 afterward Sowell received another shot in the 
 head which felled him the second time ; but, sur 
 prising to relate, succeeded in making his escape 
 into the brush, where he spent the night, and 
 
52 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 came into camp the next day with six bullet 
 wounds on his person. The rest of the party 
 fortunately got off unharmed, having to abandon 
 the train in charge, which the banditti disposed off 
 by shooting the six mules and burning the wagon, 
 after taking therefrom such things as they could 
 appropriate ; an opportunity which they never 
 overlooked, as they invariably stripped whenever 
 they could get a chance. 
 
 Meanwhile, in and around Independence, they 
 continued their fiendish work, killing all men 
 (who would not join in their barbarity) without 
 discrimination. On the twenty -ninth of April, a 
 detachment of our troops under command of Lieu 
 tenant Spencer, pursued on the trail of a party of 
 bushwhackers between Lone Jack and the Sni 
 Hills. Coming up with them they charged them, 
 but the bandits were well mounted, as they took 
 care no one should have a good horse if it suited 
 them. The horses of two of the boys had borne 
 them far in advance of the others, which proved 
 fatal to them, killing one and wounding the other. 
 The one who fell dead at the first fire was George 
 Wells, private of Company K ; the other was 
 John Freestone, of Company G, who was severely 
 wounded. On the thirteenth of June, Sergeant- 
 Ma j or Hennion with an escort of eight men and a 
 six-mule team in charge, was attacked about five 
 o'clock in the afternoon about four miles south 
 west of Westport, on the Hickman's Mill road, by 
 a band of twenty-five or thirty bushwhackers un- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 53 
 
 der the infamous desperado, Dick Yager. The 
 first volley fired, although not over twenty feet 
 distant, had no other effect than the wounding of 
 Hennion slightly in the ankle and the complete 
 surprise of our little party, who fired several hur 
 ried shots and took to the brush, closely pursued. 
 At the second discharge from the enemy Hen- 
 nioii's horse was killed and the cylinder blown 
 from his revolver at the same time ; but he suc 
 ceeded in making his escape into the brush, where 
 he lay until ten o'clock that night and reached 
 Kansas City the next morning at six o'clock with 
 three bullet holes in his jacket and one through 
 his pants. The rest of the party succeeded in 
 getting away unharmed. Two of them who 
 were in advance hastened forward to Hickman's 
 Mill for re-inforcements, and one of the party set 
 out during the night and reached Hickman's Mill 
 next day. The banditti captured the team, un 
 loaded some goods belonging to Mrs. Johnson, of 
 Company L, and directed her to a house near by 
 where she could stay until relief would come. 
 They then set fire to the wagon, killed two of the 
 mules and wounded a third, which they left ; 
 the other three they appropriated to their own use. 
 Some days afterward a fresh grave was found 
 near the spot, supposed to be that of a bush 
 whacker killed in the encounter. 
 
 The frequency of these attacks and the increas 
 ing temerity of the assassins required energetic 
 action on the part of our troops, consequently 
 
54 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Colonel Ford ordered the regiment into the field 
 and established its headquarters near a deserted 
 village called Kaytown, situated on the Independ 
 ence and Hickman's Mill road, and sixteen miles 
 distant from Kansas City. From this point the 
 troops, under Majors Smith and Pritchard and 
 other officers of the regiment; scoured the country 
 in every direction, sometimes mounted and at oth 
 er times dismounted, which had the desired effect 
 of driving the marauders from that portion of the 
 country to seek a safer and more congenial lati 
 tude. During one of these scouts, Corporal Mar 
 tin, of Company H, with ten men, some two miles 
 east of camp, were quietly passing along, when 
 hearing a noise as if some persons were talking in 
 the distance, quickly concealed themselves in the 
 brush. Our party awaited the approach of the 
 other party, who coming within fifty yards were 
 discovered to be bushwhackers, five in number, 
 and were immediately fired upon by the scout. A 
 ball from the gun of private Jones, of Company H, 
 passed through the hip of one of the enemy named 
 Young, wounding him severely, but his horse car 
 ried him off. Pursuing the course taken by them 
 and coming up to a house, the alarm was given 
 by some one who acted as sentinel, and out rushed 
 the same party and after a hurried exchange of 
 shots disappeared in the brush. Young, the 
 wounded man, was killed a short time afterward. 
 Headquarters of the regiment remained at Kay- 
 town about one month, during which time the 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 55 
 
 troops were kept constantly on the move. Vari 
 ous expedients were resorted to to entrap the ene 
 my, but they had become aware of the dangerous 
 locality and quietly decamped until a more favor 
 able opportunity presented itself. As they were 
 always on the alert such opportunity was not 
 long wanting. They were always ready to jump 
 out from behind a fence corner or an old cabin 
 and shoot down in cold blood the unwary, in evi 
 dence of which on the twenty-sixth day of May, 
 Thomas Herrington and William Ford, the latter 
 known as Pat Ford (in the regiment), both pri 
 vates of Company A, were detailed to carry ex 
 press from Hickman's Mill to Pleasant Hill and 
 back. On their return trip when a few miles from 
 Pleasant Hill, a messenger dressed in Federal uni 
 form halted them just as they turned to pass a 
 heavy thicket of brush. Laying his hand on the 
 bridle of one of the horses, he said he had orders 
 for them to return to Pleasant Hill for some dis 
 patches that had been omitted. Not thinking it 
 was a ruse to take them at a disadvantage they 
 listened unguardedly, when, in an instant, sever 
 al more made their appearance. They found out 
 when too late they were in the hands of the most 
 villainous cut-throats. On seeing how they were 
 entrapped they raised their guns to fire, but were 
 immediately covered with six or eight revolvers in 
 the hands of the enemy, who assured them if they 
 would surrender they should not be harmed. 
 They then took their horses, arms and dispatches, 
 
56 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 and after holding them prisoners for a few hours 
 they shot them down in cold blood. Thomas Her- 
 rington seemed to have been shot without warn 
 ing ; the ball passed through the head and he 
 apparently died without a struggle. William Ford 
 had evidently fought hard for his life, for he had 
 many wounds iu his head and shoulders. Poor 
 boys ! theirs was a sad fate. They were beloved 
 and regretted by all their comrades. Their bodies 
 were taken to Pleasant Hill, and the ladies of that 
 town kindly performed the last sad duties for 
 them and decorated their graves with flowers. 
 
 They brought the fairest flowerets, the brightest flowers that 
 
 bloom, 
 To deck our comrade's clay-cold brows, to deck our comrade's 
 
 tomb ; 
 
 We never shall forget the hands, the kindly ones which gave 
 That last kind tribute to the dead, to deck with flowers their 
 
 grave. 
 
 We loved them, we've stood side by side 'mid cannon's deafen 
 ing rattle, 
 
 And bore our stars and banner on through many a hard 
 fought battle ; 
 
 We loved them, they were dear to us as brother is to brother, 
 
 For soldiers in this war and strife grow dear to one another. 
 
 Two fathers long, aye, long ago in earthly beds were sleeping ; 
 
 Two mothers dear are left alone and for their loved ones 
 weeping ; 
 
 What calm each mother's heart to know that woman's gentle 
 care 
 
 Hath gazed upon their forms and placed the beauteous blos 
 soms there. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 57 
 
 The soldier's heart is gushing full of gratitude and love, 
 They only hope to meet with such angelic forms above ; 
 Their blessings rest upon the brows of those, the good and 
 
 fair, 
 Who placed the early flowers of spring upon their comrade s 
 
 bier. 
 
 C. WILLIAMS, Co. A. 
 
58 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A few days previous to this sad occurrence, on 
 the tenth day of May, Lieutenant Gooding with 
 twenty men of Companies H and G started from 
 Pleasant Hill after night had set in on a scout 
 of three days' duration ; on the night of the 
 second day out, while scouting twenty miles 
 north-east of Pleasant Hill, they drew up to a 
 house owned by one named Webb. Upon enter 
 ing, although past eleven o'clock, the table was 
 found ready ' ( set " and every necessary prepara 
 tion made for a meal ; upon inquiry, our party 
 was informed that there was no bushwhackers in 
 the country, but not being inclined to give 
 credence to the smooth tongues and unqualified 
 assertions of the " war- widows, " who were so 
 numerous in that portion of the country and 
 who could live there unmolested while depreda 
 tions were being committed all around them 
 our boys kept a sharp look-out, and after leaving 
 the house and proceeding cautiously along the 
 road some three miles, they were met by a party 
 of four men, who were just emerging from the 
 brush and could barely be discerned in the dark 
 ness of the night. "Who are you?" challenged 
 their leader. " Who are you?" demanded Good- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 59 
 
 ing, while every man grasped his revolver with a 
 firmer grip. Without deigning to give answer 
 the four men wheeled about, put spurs to their 
 horses and fled through the thick under-brush, 
 amid a shower of bullets from the well directed 
 fire of the advance. The next day the dead 
 bodies of two of the bandits were found near the 
 scene of the encounter. 
 
 During the campaign a portion of the troops 
 had been stationed at Camp Smith, some three 
 miles south-west of Independence, and, on the 
 sixth of July, Captain S. Wagoner, of Company 
 C, and twenty-five of his men left camp and 
 proceeded in a north-easterly direction until 
 reaching the Pleasant Hill and Independence 
 road, about eight miles distant from the latter 
 mentioned place ; here they saw four men who 
 immediately took to flight, and while pursuing 
 them our party was charged upon by nearly one 
 hundred bushwhackers, who were lying in ambush 
 awaiting their approach. Unconscious of the 
 presence of so large a body of the foe until they 
 rushed forth from the dense thicket, with savage 
 yells that would have done credit to a parcel of 
 redskins, and poured a deadly volley into the 
 midst of the scouts, who, nothing daunted, firmly 
 stood their ground, and, with their brave Captain 
 leading them on, returned the fire, although out 
 numbered four to one by the foe, who came 
 rushing on until the combatants were mingled 
 together, fighting a hand-to-hand encounter 
 
60 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 midst the fallen dead and dying. The gallant 
 Wagoner fell, mortally wounded, and dragging 
 himself a few feet to one side he gave a farewell 
 shot, that sent an enemy reeling to the ground 
 with his life blood spurting from the wound, 
 and shouted, "Give them death, boys," and 
 breathed his last. Completely overpowered by 
 numbers our troops were forced to fall back and 
 surrender the field to the enemy, with the loss of 
 their valiant Captain and seven brave men killed 
 and one wounded. The loss of the enemy was 
 nine killed and fifteen wounded. 
 
 They took the arms and what money was on 
 the persons of our boys and left their bodies lying 
 as they fell, where a strong force of our troops 
 who were sent out found them, and brought 
 them to Independence the next morning and 
 buried them in a body in the cemetery with a 
 brick wall surrounding the entire number; and 
 the company, assisted by the officers of the 
 regiment, erected a fine marble monument to 
 mark their resting-place. I was requested to 
 write an inscription and in answer I wrote the 
 following which was inscribed on the monument 
 erected in the cemetery at Independence, in Mis 
 souri : 
 
 " Brave heroes rest beneath this sculptured stone ; 
 In unfair contest slain by murderous hands. 
 They knew no yielding to a cruel foe 
 And thus, this tribute to their memory stands 
 Our country's honor, and a nation's pride 
 'Twos thus they nobly lived and bravely died," 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 61 
 
 Captain Wagoner was a brave man, of which 
 his surviving comrades were ready to testify. 
 His loss and that of the brave men who fell with 
 him cast a gloom over the entire regiment. 
 
 Notwithstanding the increased vigilance of our 
 troops in scouring the country in search of these 
 brigands, it was seldom they caught them ' ' nap 
 ping," for they were cognizant of the danger they 
 were incurring by remaining in the country and 
 committing their depredations, and were cautious 
 of their movements ; only making a demonstra 
 tion when assured of success on their part. 
 Being intimately acquainted with the entire 
 country (having resided there for years) and 
 having the advantage of acting on the defensive, 
 when our troops were sent in pursuit of them, 
 they for a long time succeeded in evading an 
 open collision with them, feeling uninclined to 
 extend their acquaintance with men who gave 
 them such a rough introduction. About this 
 time a desperado by the name of Thornton came 
 into the counties on the north side of the river, 
 and was collecting together all the bushwhackers 
 and other vagabonds that would flock to his 
 standard, in order to go into offensive operations 
 against the Union people on a large scale and 
 finally escape to the Southern army, as it was 
 getting rather warm for their comfort and safety. 
 Through the spies he had employed to watch the 
 movements of the enemy, Colonel Ford learned 
 of their place of rendezvous, and about two 
 
62 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 o'clock in the morning of the thirteenth of July, 
 he quietly embarked on board the Fanny Ogden, 
 and the Emilie, with about three hundred men, in 
 the midst of a heavy rain-storm, and proceeded as 
 far as Weston, a town on the north bank of the 
 Missouri River, about seven miles above Leaven- 
 worth City, landing at this point the troops 
 bivouaced, until twelve o'clock in the morning, 
 and being re-inforced by a portion of the Sixteenth 
 Kansas Cavalry, under Colonel Jennison, the 
 column moved toward Camden Point, a town of 
 one hundred and fifty inhabitants, arriving within 
 four miles of the town our advance encountered 
 the rebel pickets, who hastily fired a volley and 
 retreated, pursued by the advance who succeeded 
 in killing two of their number ; the others made 
 their escape into the thick brush on the road-side : 
 the Brigade was formed in fours, and the order 
 " galop" was given and the column moved for 
 ward at a rapid rate, over the road, Company F 
 (Captain West) leading the advance ; on arriving 
 at the town, the rebels were found drawn up in 
 line about three hundred and fifty strong, ready 
 for battle ; Captain West also formed his men in 
 line at hailing distance and demanded, "Who 
 are you ? " The question was reiterated by the rebel 
 leader. West replied, " Captain West, of the 
 Second Colorado ! " The reply came back, proud 
 and defiant, " We do not recognize Captain West 
 and his party," and the rebel colors were immedi 
 ately displayed. Captain West instantly ordered 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 63 
 
 a charge, and the rebel ranks were broken and 
 scattered by the fierce onset of our troops ; who 
 bore down on the foe like an avalanche, sweeping 
 all before them, amid the smoke and din of battle, 
 and the wild, deafening cheers of our men, that 
 rang out loud and clear upon the air, and was 
 echoed and re-echoed through the surrounding 
 forest, the rebel forces, after exchanging a few 
 volleys, fled in every direction in the wildest con 
 fusion, in many instances leaving their horses and 
 equipments, and quite a number throwing down 
 their arms, taking to the brush pursued closely by 
 our troops, who having become exasperated by 
 their former fiendishness, shot them down like so 
 many dogs without mercy. The main portion fled 
 on the road leading east of the town, and were hot 
 ly pursued for nearly five miles, but being mount 
 ed on fresh horses they finally escaped and our 
 troops returned and camped on the same ground 
 occupied previously by their forces. Our loss 
 was one man killed (Private Flannegan) and one 
 wounded (Sergeant Crane), both of Company F ; 
 that of the rebels was twenty-one killed, if any 
 were wounded they made their escape. 
 
 In this action the rebel colors, which was pre 
 sented to them by the ladies of Platte City and 
 bore the motto "Protect Missouri," was cap 
 tured by Company F. The next day Colonel 
 Ford's command pushed forward in the direction 
 of Platte City, a small town about eight miles 
 south-east of Camden Point, containing some three 
 
64 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 or four hundred inhabitants, and noted for being 
 a place of rendezvous for bushwhackers and rebels. 
 A small rebel sheet had been published here, sup 
 ported by the citizens of the town and the sur 
 rounding country, flourishing under the title of 
 The Platte City Register. The command arrived 
 here about ten o'clock in the morning, camped 
 and remained until next day, with the exception 
 of Company K, under Lieutenant Parsons, which 
 continued on the trail of the remnant of the party 
 'of bushwhackers who were defeated at Camden 
 Point. On the morning of the fifteenth, Colonel 
 Ford and his command moved toward Liberty, 
 the county seat of Clay County, where they ar 
 rived at two o'clock in the afternoon and went 
 into camp. Headquarters remaining at this place 
 for several days, detachments in the meantime 
 were sent out to various portions of the surround 
 ing country, at different times, in order to inter 
 cept any small parties of bushwhackers that might 
 be prowling about, and also to get any informa 
 tion of the whereabouts of Thornton's gang, who 
 were supposed to be collecting again for the pur 
 pose of making their escape out of the country. 
 On the twenty-first of the month, about forty 
 men belonging to the Second Colorado, in charge 
 of Lieutenant Hammond, of the Seventh Missouri, 
 proceeded from Kansas City according to instruc 
 tions from Colonel Ford, to join his command at 
 Liberty. Upon arriving at this place the com 
 mand had already gone, proceeding north on the 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 65 
 
 Plattsburg road, instructions having been left for 
 the re-inforcements under Lieutenant Hammond 
 to follow the command. Hastily feeding the 
 horses, allowing them but a few minutes to rest, 
 at four o'clock in the afternoon we were in the 
 saddle again on the road to Plattsburg, moving 
 at a lively walk and frequently breaking into a 
 long, steady gallop, while the dust arose in clouds, 
 covering the horses already wet with perspiration, 
 and clothing the riders with so dense a coating 
 that their countenances were barely distinguish 
 able. 
 
 About eleven o'clock at night we reached a 
 house on the road- side, within six miles of Platts 
 burg, where the detachment halted for water and 
 to make inquiries concerning Colonel Ford's com 
 mand. Upon hailing the inmates of the house, 
 who had retired, a female voice replied by asking 
 who we were. Lieutenant Hammond replied, 
 "We are soldiers and want to speak to you, if 
 you will come to the door," to which no reply was 
 given. Awaiting a sufficient length of time and 
 no one appearing the Lieutenant called the second 
 time, assuring them no harm should befall them, 
 but that he only wanted to make some inquiries ; 
 but no response being given he ordered them to 
 open the door or he would break it down. Upon 
 this being threatened a stir was heard inside and 
 a window was suddenly thrown open on the rear 
 of the house, and a man in his night-dress sprang 
 to the ground and bounded into a dense grove of 
 
66 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 locust bushes near by, closely grazed by a ball 
 from the carbine of one of the party. His exit 
 was unexpected, and, consequently, unprepared 
 for. The moment the shrill report of the gun 
 rang upon the still night air a series of piercing 
 screams issued from within the building, the fe 
 males supposing the rifle had done its work. The 
 soldiers sprang from their saddles and clearing the 
 fence pursued the direction taken by the fugitive, 
 but under cover of the darkness of the night he 
 succeeded in escaping in an adjacent cornfield. 
 Disappointed in not securing the man and exas 
 perated at their refusal to come forth, the Lieu 
 tenant returned to the house, which by this time 
 had been broken open, and in no very mild terms 
 assured the inmates consisting of three women 
 that for their obstinate conduct in refusing to 
 open the door, and also secreting a bushwhacker, 
 they richly merited the burning of the house to 
 the ground, whereas, had they complied with his 
 request, they would have been unmolested. 
 
 The house was searched, but no arms were found 
 and the party mounted their horses and passed on. 
 Marching on some three miles further the com 
 mand drew up to a house by the road-side, and 
 upon inquiry, learned that Colonel Ford's com 
 mand had left the road and marched across the 
 country toward Grosnerville, a small place some 
 sixteen miles distant and in a westerly direction ; 
 the horses being very much fatigued and the men 
 wearied with the long ride and the want of sleep, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 6T 
 
 and it being almost impossible to follow the trail 
 by starlight, Lieutenant Hammond thought it best 
 to halt and rest till daylight ; securing the horses 
 and scaling the fence, the boys soon plucked oats 
 enough to feed the somewhat jaded animals, and 
 throwing out a picket guard they threw themselves 
 upon the ground with their saddles for pillows 
 and were soon fast asleep, from which they were 
 awakened by the shrill notes of the bugle at early 
 dawn. Feeling considerably refreshed by the two 
 hours rest and sleep, they hastily saddled their 
 horses, mounted and were soon on the trail that 
 led through a wild untenanted part of the country. 
 About ten o'clock the party reached Gosnerville, 
 where they learned that the command had pro 
 ceeded in the direction of Platte City, leaving 
 orders for Lieutenant Hammond to return with 
 his force to Liberty, which they did, arriving at 
 that point about three o'clock the same evening ; 
 having traveled over one hundred miles in a few 
 hours. Upon leaving Liberty, Colonel Ford pro 
 ceeded north on the Plattsburg road about twenty- 
 five miles, where a trail was discovered leading in 
 the direction of Gosnerville, which he immediately 
 followed, and arrived at the latter mentioned place 
 about four o'clock in the afternoon ; here the trail 
 was lost, and getting no information as to the 
 direction taken he pushed forward in a westerly 
 direction some three miles where the command 
 was halted. The horses fed and rested until dark 
 ness approached, when the .bugle sounded boots 
 
68 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 and saddles, and in a few minutes the Battalion 
 was moving. Marching some four miles a halt 
 was ordered, and the men lay down and slept 
 soundly in the open air until three o'clock in the 
 morning, when they were again on the move, and 
 by one o'clock in the afternoon reached Camdeii 
 Point without meeting the foe ; here they changed 
 direction to the south and marching some eight 
 miles then camped. 
 
 The next morning the Colonel was up long be 
 fore day, and the Battalion was soon mounted and 
 moving on toward the south-west. After passing 
 over some ten miles of ground without any road, 
 they suddenly came upon a fresh trail of a party 
 of twenty-five or thirty bushwhackers, and im 
 mediately joined in the pursuit, which was kept 
 up until three o'clock that afternoon, when arriv 
 ing at a house owned by a rebel by the name of 
 Woods they halted to feed and make inquiries ; 
 but, although the trail had been followed to the 
 door-yard, the inmates could tell nothing in regard 
 to them ; but a few minutes had elapsed, when a 
 man came out of the brush and entered our lines, 
 evidently under the impression that our forces be 
 longed to rebel Stone's party ; discovering his mis 
 take he put spurs to his horse and dashed past at 
 a gallop under a shower of balls, but finally fell 
 from his horse pierced by a dozen bullets. Mount 
 ing their horses our troops scoured the woods, and 
 discovered a camp within half a mile that had just 
 been deserted, having been alarmed by the firing ; 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 69 
 
 our troops immediately started in pursuit and on 
 emerging from the timber discovered a party of 
 mounted men numbering twenty about one mile in 
 advance and flying at the top of their speed ; rais 
 ing a shout our boys dashed after them over the 
 open prairie and were fast gaining ground when 
 the bushwhackers again entered the timber and 
 scattering were again lest to view in the dense 
 underbrush that covered the ground ; the trail 
 was followed for eight miles through the timber 
 and ravines, when the pickets of the bushwhackers' 
 camp were again discovered. Upon hailing them 
 they replied that they belonged to Stone's com 
 mand, they were fired upon by our boys, who 
 succeeded in killing one man and wounding 
 another, the rest of the bandits made their escape. 
 
f HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 About the nineteenth of July, Major Smith, in 
 command of about one hundred and forty men, 
 left Liberty and proceeded to Richfield, a small 
 town south of Liberty and fourteen miles distant, 
 situated on the Missouri River ; on going into town 
 the advance guard discovered and fired upon a 
 party of bushwhackers, some thirty strong, who 
 beat a hasty retreat ; taking their trail the com 
 mand pursued them for eight miles down the 
 river ; here Major Smith divided his forces ; about 
 fifty men under Captain Green, taking the road 
 back towards Richfield for the purpose of inter 
 cepting any of the enemy who might have taken 
 the back track; another party of about forty 
 under his own command pursued a north-east 
 direction, while Captain Moses, with forty-seven 
 men belonging to Companies M and C, pursued 
 an easterly direction seven or eight miles and 
 camped. The next morning his party were 
 mounted and pushing forward, about one o'clock 
 in the afternoon, they arrived at a little town by the 
 name of Fredericksburg, situated in Bay County 
 and some twenty miles distant from Liberty; 
 upon nearing the town a body of troops were dis 
 covered to be approaching from an opposite 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 71 
 
 direction, at first they were supposed to be a por 
 tion of our own forces, under Major Smith ; but 
 that illusion was quickly dispelled by a volley of 
 shots coming from their advance ; not in the least 
 disconcerted, Captain Moses instantly dismounted 
 the first platoon and formed them in line across 
 the road in front and returned a deadly fire on 
 the foe, which had the effect to check their 
 advancing columns, although their vastly out 
 numbering rifles rained a perfect shower of leaden 
 messengers of death in the midst of our little 
 band, who firmly, heroically, stood their ground, 
 and returned shot for shot and volley for volley, 
 telling fearfully on the ranks of the enemy and 
 holding them at bay, although more than five 
 times their number, until the horses that had been 
 pressed by our party and of which they had a 
 large number became frightened and, conse 
 quently, unmanageable, rearing and plunging 
 until they threw our little band into confusion, 
 which was taken advantage of by Thrailkill, 
 leader of the enemy ; and throwing out his flank 
 ers on both sides of the road, he with the main 
 body charged down the lane upon our confused 
 but dauntless heroes, who met the foe in deadly 
 combat, hand-to-hand, sternly contesting the field, 
 some of them mounted and some on foot ; the 
 terrific plunging of the horses, unused to the field 
 and consequent confusion, not allowing them an 
 opportunity to mount before the enemy were upon 
 upon them. For the space of twenty minutes 
 
f2 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 which seemed as so many hours the fight raged 
 in all its fury, and the ground was strewn with 
 the wounded, dying and dead ; some of our men, 
 who had fallen mortally wounded, fighting while 
 the life-blood was spurting from their wounds 
 even to the death ; but on they came, yelling like 
 so many demons, swarming from the woods. 
 Captain Moses who was in the thickest of 
 the fight, seeing the utter hopelessness of con 
 tending with such great odds, directed his men to 
 save themselves and they reluctlantly dispersed 
 and taking to the woods escaped after being 
 hotly pursued for over a mile leaving six of their 
 number dead on the field. Both the Captain and 
 his men behaved with the greatest coolness and 
 bravery ; the former came of the field with three 
 bullet marks on his clothes and person, one ball 
 grazing his forehead cutting the skin slightly, 
 another severed his sabre-belt and a third cutting 
 his coat ; his horse, a noble animal, was pierced 
 by three balls, but carried him out of all danger. 
 Nearly every one of the party who escaped with 
 their lives bore some evidence of the desperate 
 contest, either upon his clothes or his person ; 
 several of the horses were killed and several were 
 wounded ; all the led horses were lost, escaping in 
 their mad fright in every direction, fleeing for their 
 lives in wild consternation. 
 
 After the fight was over our men, who had con 
 siderable experience in hunting bushwhackers, 
 immediately scattered through the woods each 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 73 
 
 one taking his own course, thereby eluding the 
 pursuit of the exasperated and blood-thirsty 
 enemy, and each making his way into camp as 
 soon as time and circumstance would permit ; in 
 so doing many dangers were to be avoided and 
 many narrow escapes had to be run. The first 
 messengers from the scene of action arrived at 
 Liberty at about half -past four o'clock in the after 
 noon, and about one hundred men, under com 
 mand of Lieutenant Gooding, were ordered to the 
 rescue. 
 
 Having saddled and mounted, the command 
 "forward" was given, and letting their horses 
 out into a long gallop they moved forward at a 
 rapid gait toward the scene of the contest, each 
 man eager to meet and chastize severely the cow 
 ardly fiends who would risk a fight only when 
 conscious of an advantage in their favor ; just as 
 night was setting in, and when within about six 
 miles of the battle-ground, they were met by two 
 more of our men, who had been in the brush dur 
 ing the latter part of the day and only ventured 
 forth when it became dark enough to cover their 
 movement from any of the enemy who might be 
 watching for their appearance ; the men gave a 
 detailed account of the fight and stated, what 
 proved afterward to be a fact, that the enemy 
 were near three hundred strong, and were doubt 
 less on the alert for re-inforcements that would in 
 all probability be sent by our commander. 
 
 Taking into consideration the darkness of the 
 
74 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 night, the dense forest and broken country through 
 which they would be obliged to pass, and the ad 
 vantage the enemy would possess in numbers and 
 position, the commanding officer decided to halt 
 the command and send a messenger back for ad 
 ditional re-inforcements. The dispatch bearer ar 
 rived safe at Liberty, and Major Pritchard with 
 one hundred and fifty mounted men joined the 
 command at about half -past one o'clock in the 
 morning, when the entire body, near two hundred 
 and fifty strong, under command of the Major, 
 moved forward to the scene of the previous day's 
 fight, having taken the precaution to throw out 
 flankers, for a considerable distance on each side 
 of the road. At about four o'clock the battle 
 ground was reached, and from citizens who lived 
 near it was ascertained that the enemy had moved 
 forward after stripping the dead of their arms, 
 money and clothing whom the citizens had col 
 lected and deposited in a church near by, prepar 
 atory to interment they also stated the number 
 of the enemy killed in the engagement to be six 
 teen, having helped to bury them ; then umber of 
 wounded was not ascertained. The command 
 moved forward on the road until daylight when 
 a halt was ordered and the somewhat jaded horses 
 were fed from an adjacent corn-field, the saddles 
 remaining upon them and the bits in their mouths. 
 Having rested a short time, the command was 
 mounted and moving forward over the road for 
 some three miles ; the trail of the enemy was dis- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 75 
 
 covered to diverge to the right and, pursuing the 
 direction taken, their camp-ground was found on 
 a river bottom, but had been deserted by them 
 about an hour previous. Again taking up the trail 
 our troops wound their way through the forest 
 and thick underbrush and emerged into the road, 
 having lost considerable ground in following 
 the trail ; moving on to within three miles of 
 Kichmond, the country seat of Ray County, the 
 trail again diverged to the left, but not wishing to 
 lose any more time, the Major and command 
 dashed straight forward into the place and waited 
 the coming up of the enemy, who was supposed 
 to have taken a circuitous route for the pur 
 pose of throwing their pursuers off the scent ; 
 in the meantime, a scout having been sent out to 
 reconnoitre, returned and reported the enemy 
 having pushed on in an easterly direction. Tak 
 ing up a line of march our troops once more struck 
 their trail about four miles distant, about an hour 
 and a half after they had passed. 
 
 In pursuing the course taken by the enemy, it 
 was necessary to exercise caution in order to 
 avoid being ambushed by the foe, which might 
 prove fatal to our party ; and in order to guard 
 against this, Major Pritchard threw out flanks for 
 a considerable distance on each side of the road, 
 who were compelled to pick their way through the 
 dense underbrush, through fences and over logs, 
 ravines and hillocks, necessarily causing tardy 
 movements on the part of our forces. Pursuing 
 
T6 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 the trail for about five miles farther they came to 
 the ground where the enemy had camped and fed 
 their horses ; but had moved on sometime before 
 our troops came up, according to information ob 
 tained from citizens on the road, who seemed anx 
 ious to impart anything they knew that would be 
 of service to our troops in their endeavors to over 
 haul the enemy. When within three miles of the 
 town of Knoxville, the dead body of a citizen was 
 found lying by the road-side killed by the Ban 
 ditti and on pushing on two miles farther a large 
 amount of destroyed mail matter was found on 
 the road, where the coach had been plundered 
 and the mail bags rifled and their contents strewn 
 over the ground; being within one mile of the 
 town the Major ordered a charge and the battalion 
 moved forward at a gallop, with drawn revolvers. 
 Upon reaching Knoxville the birds had flown, 
 much to the chagrin and disappointment of our 
 troops, who were anxious to give them a severe 
 chastisement for their many evil deeds committed 
 through that country. Moving in advance of our 
 column the enemy had the advantage of securing 
 all the best horses in the country, such an oppor 
 tunity they never failed to improve, and by so do 
 ing could bid defiance to the pursuers, whose 
 horses had well nigh given out having travelled 
 over one hundred miles with very little rest. Tak 
 ing into consideration the wearied men and the 
 jaded condition of the horses, the Major deemed 
 it advisable to give over the pursuit and return to 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 77 
 
 camp, which after a brief halt was carried into 
 effect the command reaching Liberty that night. 
 In service of this nature, it was impossible to have 
 wagons at all times for the transportation of sub 
 sistence and the troops were obliged along with 
 what provisions they carried in their haversacks 
 to subsist upon the farmers throughout the coun 
 try, who had abundance of everything required ; 
 nor were our men slow to help themselves to what 
 they needed to satisfy their appetites while passing 
 through a country whose inhabitants were so 
 notoriously rebel in their sentiments and actions. 
 Up to the time of the invasion by our troops, they 
 had never experienced the evil effects of war 
 brought to their own doors, and while the counties 
 of Jackson, Cass, Bates and others across the river, 
 suffered all the terrible consequences of being 
 overrun and devastated by the contending forces, 
 they had reaped all the benefits of the scarcity of 
 provisions in the market and consequent rise in 
 prices; at the same time allowed the secession 
 element to flourish unmolested in their midst, 
 until it manifested itself in such gigantic magni 
 tude that it became intolerable and had to be 
 crushed. And now, having the war brought to 
 their own doors and realizing some of its blight 
 ing effects, they were obliged to take measures 
 for their own peace and safety. Meetings were 
 held and resolutions passed, and bodies of men 
 were organized to keep down bushwhacking and 
 preserve order throughout the country, preferring 
 
78 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 to take the matter into their own hands rather 
 than have their country laid waste by the soldiers, 
 who had but little reason to show leniency to the 
 rebels against the United States Government and 
 still less for the bushwhackers. 
 
 Matters having become quiet and somewhat set 
 tled in that part of the country, Colonel Ford and 
 command returned to Kansas City, after assuring 
 the people of Clay County that very severe meas 
 ures might be expected should he be obliged to 
 pay them another visit. 
 
 About the twentieth of September, General 
 Sterling Price, with a cavalry force some twenty 
 thousand strong, invaded Missouri from the south, 
 meeting with but little opposition until reaching 
 Pilot Knob a small town of about four hundred 
 inhabitants, situated in Iron county at the termi 
 nus of the Iron Mountain Kailroad and eighty- 
 six miles south from St. Louis where he arrived 
 on the twenty-seventh day of September, and im 
 mediately commenced an attack on the Fort at 
 that place, garrisoned by about eight hundred 
 men under command of General Ewing. The at 
 tack began at six o'clock in the morning and last 
 ed until dark, our gallant little band foiling the 
 repeated attempts of the enemy to take the place, 
 repulsing their vastly outnumbering forces with 
 tremendous slaughter. The Fort was septangular 
 in form, with earthworks thrown up to the height 
 of nine feet, and ten feet in thickness, and sur 
 rounded by a deep ditch with almost perpendicu- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 79 
 
 lar sides, from which the earth was taken to raise 
 the embankments. It was compactly built and 
 mounted seven guns in all, four thirty -two pound 
 siege-guns and three twenty-four pound field- 
 pieces, also, two mortars of six-inch calibre for 
 throwing bombs. The magazine was located un 
 derground in the centre of the Fort, and one 
 twenty -four pound gun mounted upon its roof, 
 which was of solid earth four feet in depth, to 
 protect the ammunition from the effect of the ene 
 my's fire. On the south-west side of the Fort was 
 the passage-way leading outside into the rifle-pits, 
 that were dug for the protection of our marksmen 
 while disputing the passage of the enemy to the 
 right and rear of the defenses. The enemy made 
 several successive charges, but were repulsed each 
 time leaving many of their number dead on the 
 field. 
 
 Our loss during the day was ten killed and twenty- 
 one wounded. The entire loss of the rebels reached 
 near fifteen hundred ! Nearly twice the number of 
 the garrison ! This terrible slaughter was accounted 
 for by the fact that the guns were so arranged 
 that their fire could be concentrated on any given 
 point, and as the columns advanced they were 
 greeted with a most deadly reception, in the shape 
 of shot, shell, grape and canister, that Utterly 
 mowed the enemy down and caused utter' con 
 fusion in their broken ranks. At dark Price drew 
 off his forces to Arcadia, a small town two miles 
 and a half below, intending to make a combined 
 
80 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 effort to take the Fort by assault the next day. 
 General Ewing not having received any re-inf orce- 
 ments, and knowing it would be impossible to 
 hold out for a much longer period against such 
 fearful odds, wisely removed our dead and 
 wounded and such property as could not be 
 abandoned, and evacuating at half -past two 
 o'clock in the night, blew up the fortifications 
 and retired, and the place was occupied by the 
 rebel forces next day. Exasperated at our stub 
 born and successful resistance and their severe loss 
 in the action, the rebels wreaked their vengeance 
 upon the Union citizens living in the vicinity, by 
 entering their houses and appropriating such of 
 the articles contained in them, that they coveted, 
 to their own use and destroying the remainder, 
 and in some instances burning the houses to the 
 ground. 
 
 In the meantime General Ewing retreated in 
 good order in a north-westerly direction, leaving 
 the enemy in possession of the Iron Mountain 
 Kailroad running to St. Louis, care having been 
 taken to remove the rolling stock, thus rendering 
 it useless to the enemy as a means of conveyance 
 to the city or intermediate points. The object of 
 the invasion of the rebel army was to ascertain 
 the number and to collect together all who were 
 willing to fight under the rebel colors, and if 
 possible hold the State as belonging to the rebel 
 Confederacy. From numerous letters written in 
 different parts of the State, the commander of the 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 81 
 
 rebel force had assurances that a large number of 
 rebel residents were only awaiting an opportunity 
 to fall into line and march to the music of se 
 cession. These representations, together with a 
 strong desire to regain the foothold he once had in 
 the State, and the faint hope of bring Missouri 
 again under the rule of the so-called " Southern 
 Confederacy," also for the purpose of dividing the 
 attention of our Government, thereby weakening 
 its attempts to put down the rebellion, were the 
 inducements that offered themselves to the con 
 sideration of General Price ; and finally resulted 
 in the " great raid" during the months of October 
 and November. The results of which proved such 
 a failure to the designs of the rebel leader. 
 While Price with his augmenting force, was 
 pushing his way through the State, in a north 
 west direction, all sorts of vague rumors in regard 
 to the rebel General, his designs and the numeri 
 cal strength of his forces, were flying over the 
 country, creating considerable excitement and 
 consternation among the Union citizens residing 
 on the line of his march ; and rejoicing among 
 the rebel portion of residents throughout the 
 State. 
 
 Upon receipt of intelligence of the approach of 
 the rebel army, General Curtis, then commanding 
 the department of Kansas, immediately forward 
 ed dispatches to the Department at Washington, 
 stating the necessity of concentrating a strong 
 force on the border, urging immediate action in 
 
82 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 regard to the matter, and asking to be supplied 
 with a sufficient body of troops to repel the invad 
 ing force and capture or drive the enemy from 
 the country, and avert the impending danger of 
 its being overrun and devastated by a relentless 
 foe, who would have gloried in the act of carrying 
 fire and sword into the heart of loyal Kansas, and 
 desecrating the homes and firesides of the freemen 
 who had battled so long and successfully against 
 the foes of liberty and human freedom. The Sec 
 ond Colorado had just been ordered to report to 
 the Kansas Department for active service against 
 the Indians, who had assumed a hostile attitude 
 toward the whites, capturing trains, running stock 
 and killing any small parties of travelers that 
 were so unfortunate as to fall into their merciless 
 clutches. A portion of the regiment was at Leav- 
 enworth when, on the eighteenth of October, the 
 proclamation of martial law was prepared. The 
 Second immediately took the field and for several 
 days before General Blunt moved toward Lexing 
 ton, Colonel Ford, from Independence, was scour 
 ing the country thoroughly. The much lamented 
 Major Smith entered and left Lexington the day 
 before General Blunt's reconnoitering column. 
 On the twelfth of October, while headquarters of 
 the regiment was at Kansas City, the excitement 
 of that place had become so great in regard to the 
 coming of the rebel Price and the prospect of his 
 paying the city a visit, that Major Pritchard, who 
 was at that time in command of the post, ordered 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. / 83 
 
 all business houses to be closed that afternoon at 
 four o'clock, and the citizens to turn out to drill 
 and prepare to meet the enemy. A survey was 
 made and rifle-pits dug, extending from the bank 
 of the river on the east of the city to the south 
 west portion, protecting the approaches from In 
 dependence on the east and Westport on the 
 south. To accomplish this, every man who was 
 able to wield a pick or shovel and who was not 
 already on duty drilling was ordered to the en 
 trenchments. Determined to enforce the order 
 without fear or favor, Major Pritchard placed the 
 entire company of Squadron H on provost duty, 
 with instructions to find and convey to the trench 
 es all idlers and shirkers from duty. As a matter 
 of course the loyal portion of the citizens needed 
 no urging, the necessity of the occasion being suf 
 ficient incentive for them ; but it was gratifying 
 to the soldiers to get after the " sympathizers" 
 and stay-at-home rebs of whom the city and vi 
 cinity possessed a large number, who were too 
 cowardly to openly espouse the cause of the rebels, 
 but chose rather to remain at home out of the 
 way of bullets and gunpowder and discourage 
 Union sentiments and feelings by their contami 
 nating influence and intolerable hypocrisy ; of 
 which some of their leading characters possessed 
 this contemptible quality to a most astonishing 
 and alarming extent. 
 
 Some characters in particular, who wore very 
 meek countenances and had tongues that for oily 
 
84 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 smoothness, when in company with Union men, 
 might be likened unto never-failing fountains of 
 kerosene, and yet were known to be deep-dyed 
 rebels at heart, made themselves particularly ob 
 noxious. These characters were well known to 
 the soldiery and received their particular attention. 
 As the rebel army continued its march through 
 the State rumors of every description were circu 
 lated, causing great excitement and an almost 
 total suspension of business. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 85 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Union citizens of Independence, a town of 
 about one thousand five hundred inhabitants, 
 situated nine miles east of Kansas City, deeming 
 it unsafe to remain longer at that place, evacu 
 ated it on the evening of the twelfth of October, 
 and reached Kansas City that night. 
 
 On the morning of the thirteenth, the railroad 
 bridge across the Big Blue, between Independence 
 and the latter mentioned place, was burned by a 
 band of bushwhackers, and Captain Moses of the 
 Second Colorado, in command of companies M and 
 C, anticipating a design on the part of the enemy 
 to cut off his retreat, abandoned Independence 
 where he had been stationed and fell back to 
 Kansas City. The afternoon of the same day, 
 information reached us that Independence had 
 been taken possession of by the bushwhackers and 
 was being pillaged by the relentless vagabonds. 
 
 Hastily collecting together about one hundred 
 and twenty-five men, Captain Moses proceeded to 
 that place by the river-road ; when within about 
 three miles of the place, the command was met 
 by a man who informed Captain Moses that the 
 town was full of rebels the advance of Price's 
 army. Drawing his men up in line and giving 
 
86 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 them instructions in case of an engagement with 
 the enemy, the Captain ordered the column for 
 ward, keeping clear of the road to avoid being 
 ambushed. Upon arriving within one mile a 
 party was sent out to reconnoitre while the com 
 mand quietly dismounted to rest a few moments ; 
 failing to get satisfactory information the com 
 mand was mounted and moved silently forward 
 until within a quarter of a mile, when a charge 
 was ordered and the column went sweeping for 
 ward like the resistless hurricane, each one firmly 
 impressed with the conviction that the enemy 
 were posted in strong force in the town. Charg 
 ing down the hard, stony street at the top of 
 their speed, the clatter of the horses hoofs rang 
 loud and clear, and as the column drew up on the 
 public square, alarmed citizens might be seen 
 rushing into their houses terrified at the sudden 
 appearance of our troops ; but, they arrived too 
 late ; some twenty-five bushwhackers had visited 
 the town and appropriating what articles they 
 wanted immediately decamped with their booty, 
 having been gone about one hour previous to the 
 arrival of our troops. Remaining in town until 
 night set in, Captain Moses and command started 
 for Hickman's Mills ; when within about five 
 miles of that place, they were met by Major 
 Smith, with two hundred men ; after a few min 
 utes consultation the entire force under command 
 of the Major returned to Independence. 
 
 On arriving within one mile of the town, the rear 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 87 
 
 of the command, consisting of about two hundred 
 men, took the road to the right to come in on 
 another street, in order to intercept the flight of 
 any bushwhackers who might have entered the 
 town and would endeavor to make their escape, of 
 which movement the advance being some dis 
 tance ahead were entirely ignorant, and which 
 might have proved disastrous in its consequences 
 had less discretion been used afterwards. Our 
 advance had just entered the street running north 
 and on the west side of the public square when 
 by the dim starlight two mounted men were seen 
 standing in the street near the square, apparently 
 watching our movements. Upon our approach 
 to within three hundred yards they suddenly dis 
 appeared down the street running west, as if con 
 scious of the near advance of a superior force. 
 This suspicious movement and the threat that the 
 bushwhackers gave utterance to that day that 
 they would return to town that night, strongly re 
 inforced, for the purpose of burning and sacking 
 the place had the effect to assure them that they 
 had at last ' i treed " their game, and the exultant 
 ejaculation, "Boys, we've got them now," quick 
 ly passed from front to rear as the command 
 * ' Forward " was given and the battalion went 
 thundering over the stone-paved street, while a 
 squad dashed off to the right to come in on the 
 street running parallel on the east side of the 
 square, for the purpose of intercepting the enemy 
 in their flight should they conclude that discretion 
 
88 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 were the better part of valor and try to make 
 their escape. Coming up at a lively gallop a large 
 number of men with horses were seen gathered 
 around the square, as though they felt themselves 
 masters of the town and dreaded not the approach 
 of the troops. Dashing up to within twenty-five 
 yards, the darkness of the night rendering it im 
 possible to distinguish anything more than the 
 outlines of the figures moving about, the com 
 mand was halted, and half a dozen excited voices 
 from the ranks of the Colorados simultaneously 
 rang out with, "Who are you?" "Who are 
 you ? " came back the reply, proud and defiant. 
 "Come out and make yourselves known," was 
 the answer, as the click of a hundred revolvers 
 was heard on the still night air. Each one was 
 almost fully assured the enemy was there in 
 strong force and momentarily expected to receive 
 a deadly volley from their ranks. At this junc 
 ture, while the excitement was at its height, one 
 of their party advanced and was met by one of 
 the other, when after a brief consultation it was 
 ascertained that they were a portion of their own 
 troops, who had taken the road to the right and 
 had arrived in advance of the battalion under 
 Captain Moses, So fully were the troops impressed 
 with the belief that they were in the presence of 
 an enemy that some seconds passed before they 
 could realize the true state of the case ; and when 
 fully satisfied in regard to the matter, a thrill 
 of horror chilled the blood of the entire com- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 89 
 
 mand to think how nearly fatal had been their 
 mistake. 
 
 Accustomed to guerrilla warfare, and realizing 
 by experience the fact that they often opened fire 
 upon our own forces without extended explana 
 tions, and also aware of the ruse frequently prac 
 ticed by them, that of claiming to be Colorado 
 troops, it was a matter of astonishment to the 
 entire command that they did not open fire upon 
 hearing the sullen and unsatisfactory reply of the 
 other party. 
 
 It really seemed that nothing short of the hand 
 of Providence intervened to prevent the flow of 
 blood ! The cold-blooded and inhuman murder of 
 some of our men by the bushwhackers, and the 
 consequent rule of no " quarter," adopted by our 
 troops when contending with them, had begotten 
 a feeling of animosity between the two forces 
 that speedily ripened into a deadly feud ; and 
 when a struggle between the two belligerent par 
 ties did ensue it was for life or death ! 
 
 In the present instance, had one shot been fired 
 a scene, with its terrible results, would have 
 ensued that would beggar all attempts at descrip 
 tion. Amid the clash and clanging of sabres and 
 the incessant roar of fire-arms, mingled with the 
 shouts of the combatants, each fully assured that 
 they were fully engaged with their mortal enemy, 
 it would have been utterly impossible, in the 
 darkness of the night to have discovered the terri 
 ble error, until too late to save the lives of a large 
 
90 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 number of our brave boys, whose mettle had been 
 tried and whose courage was unquestioned. But 
 fortunately for the command the threatened dan 
 ger was averted, and, it being after midnight, they 
 turned into quarters, after having a strong picket 
 guard placed upon all the roads leading to the 
 town, with strict orders to keep a vigilant watch 
 for the enemy, whose appearance was hourly 
 expected. The next morning at an early hour 
 the assembly was blown, and in a few minutes 
 the command was mounted and moved forward 
 on the road leading to Lexington for the purpose 
 of reconnoitering. Passing over some twenty 
 miles of the road and discovering no evidence of 
 the proximity of the foe, Major Smith left the 
 road, and after proceeding in a northerly direction 
 four or five miles the command was halted, and 
 the horses were fed from an adjacent corn-field. 
 After resting a few minutes the troops moved on 
 in the direction of the Sni Hills ; a rough, rocky, 
 broken part of the country, densely covered with 
 brush and noted for being a rendezvous for the 
 bushwhackers, who, when they had once succeeded 
 in escaping into this region, it was a dangerous 
 and generally unwarrantable experiment for our 
 troops to endeavor to ferret them out of their 
 stronghold. 
 
 Bearing to the right and striking the Little Blue 
 at the Blue Mills, our force then proceeded in a 
 south-west direction, and leaving Independence to 
 the right took a circuitous route for Hickman's 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 01 
 
 Mill, a small place fifteen miles south of Kansas 
 City. 
 
 Night had now- set in, and the clouded sky 
 betokening a storm soon made the way very 
 dark, augmented by the heavy timber and dense 
 underbrush through which they passed ; over 
 rocky cliffs and deep ravines, frequently obliged 
 to proceed in single file for miles the path not 
 being wide enough to admit more than one pass 
 ing at a time. It was of course an unpleasant 
 ride and necessarily very slow and tedious, and 
 notwithstanding the way was led by a guide who 
 was familiar with the country through which they 
 passed on more than one occasion they were 
 obliged to halt and retrace their steps for a con 
 siderable distance. It was near midnight when 
 the command reached Hickman's Mill and went 
 into camp until morning, when they retraced their 
 course to Independence to join Colonel Ford, who 
 had proceeded to that place the evening previous. 
 Our troops had a great deal of amusement very 
 often at the expense of the bushwhackers ; 
 although, it was at the same time very risky and 
 dangerous ; they would dress up in butternut and 
 play bushwhacker themselves, and thus find out 
 their camps and places of resort and other 
 secrets. Among the number of schemes about 
 the most laughable was the following : a squadron 
 composed of Companies F and E had cleared out 
 at Camden Point about one hundred and sixty 
 of Thornton's guerrillas; the next morning 
 
92 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Captain Bill Green, dressed up in the copper- 
 colored garb and riding a mile or two in advance 
 of the command, made a grand rush up to the 
 house of a notorious secesh, who had the evening 
 before shown them a stock of certificates of loyalty 
 thus hoping to deceive them ; but Captain Green 
 was not to be duped, he informed the old gent 
 that the Federals were close by and his horse was 
 played. Thereupon the old man bustled round 
 gave the Captain a fine horse from the stable 
 worth three hundred dollars and bade him "God 
 speed " to Thornton's camp, telling him where it 
 was. But in a few minutes the old man found 
 out his mistake, when he saw the command ride 
 up with Colonel Ford at its head and Captain 
 Green beside him on his fine black charger, he 
 did not show his certificates this time, but he did 
 contribute three more fine horses to Uncle Sam, 
 which he probably got paid for after proving his 
 loyalty. On the fifteenth of October, General 
 Curtis passed through Kansas City, to Indepen 
 dence, and the next day proceeded to Hickman's 
 Mill, where troops were concentrating, prepara 
 tory to the reception of Price's forces. Major 
 Smith, with a portion of the Second Colorado, 
 proceeded to Lexington, a distance of forty miles, 
 where he arrived just after the town had been 
 vacated by a band of bushwhackers, who had 
 charged into the town killing some of the citizens 
 and firing into a boat that was passing up the 
 river ; having no other effect than the piercing of 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 93 
 
 her sides and pilot-house with balls, without 
 injury to any of her passengers. 
 
 The most extravagant evidences of joy were 
 manifested by the Union citizens of the place on 
 the arrival of our troops. The bandits had been 
 very abusive in their conduct while there, helping 
 themselves to whatever they wanted, loudly de 
 nouncing Unionists, and threatening to burn the 
 town ; and their departure and the arrival of our 
 troops caused general rejoicing ; and every one 
 was eager to attend to the wants of our men, 
 bringing water and eatables, to satisfy their thirst 
 and hunger. After scouring the country thorough 
 ly and gaining no definite information concerning 
 the movement of the rebel army, the Major and 
 command returned to Independence. On the 
 same day General Curtis received official informa 
 tion of the capture by the rebels of Sedalia and 
 Dresden, towns situated on the Pacific Kailroad, 
 and about one hundred miles east of Kansas City, 
 and garrisoned by a small force ; also, that Price's 
 entire force, now swelled to twenty-eight thousand 
 strong was steadily marching in the direction of 
 Kansas City. On the twenty-seventh, a recon- 
 noitering column consisting of about eleven hun 
 dred cavalry under General Blunt, left Hickman's 
 Mill and proceeded on the road to Lexington, 
 with the determination of striking the enemy be 
 fore returning if to be found in that part of the 
 country. Having reached and passed through 
 Lexington, on the afternoon of the nineteenth, 
 
94 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 General Blunt' s advance and Price's vanguard met 
 about ten miles south-west of that place, and a 
 skirmish ensued, during which the enemy endeav 
 ored to surround Blunt' s command, by throwing 
 forward two columns, one on the right and the 
 other on the left, while his centre engaged our 
 forces, to cover the movements of his flanking 
 columns. 
 
 General Blunt was on the alert and discovered 
 the movement in time to thwart the design of the 
 enemy and ordered our troops to fall back, which 
 they did in time to cut their way out with the as 
 sistance of four small howitzers, commanded by 
 Colonel Moonlight, sustaining little or no loss on 
 our part. The guns were planted in a command 
 ing position and their fire directed by Colonel 
 Moonlight in person, and the grape and canister 
 was poured into the enemy's flanks on the right 
 and left having the effect to check their advance 
 until our forces were again formed into line. 
 
 General Blunt being satisfied that the enemy 
 was there in strong force gradually fell back, with 
 two companies of the Eleventh and one of the 
 Fifteenth Kansas Cavalry and the artillery under 
 command of Moonlight to protect their rear and 
 cover their retreat. In this manner our troops 
 fell slowly back, sharply contesting the confident 
 advances of the enemy, for about ten miles dis 
 tance west of Lexington ; when night setting in 
 the enemy checked up, but a constant skirmish 
 firing was kept up during the entire night and the 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 95 
 
 next day, until our forces were within ten miles of 
 the Little Blue, when the rebel army halted; 
 while our forces retreated to the Little Blue and, 
 halting, lay upon its east bank until evening, 
 when the entire command crossed. Colonel Moon 
 light with the Eleventh Kansas and the artillery 
 was posted on the west bank to defend the cross 
 ing, with orders, if necessary, to burn the bridge, 
 for which purpose a torch made from the dry 
 plank was prepared and placed upon the centre of 
 the bridge ready for the match. General Blunt 
 with the principal part of his force proceeded to 
 Independence, eight miles west of the crossing. 
 At eight o'clock on the morning of the twenty- 
 first the enemy made their appearance on the 
 east bank of the creek and immediately com 
 menced an attack on our little force, who gallant 
 ly disputed their passage to the bridge, finally ap 
 plying the torch. It was soon wrapped in flames, 
 which served to check their impetuous advance 
 for a short time. 
 
 In the meantime Colonel Moonlight dispatched 
 a messenger to General Blunt, at Independence, 
 informing him of the attack by the rebels and 
 that he would be compelled to fall back and allow 
 the enemy to cross unless re-inforced without de 
 lay. General Curtis had just completed the or 
 ganization of the different brigades as the mes 
 senger rode into Independence with the dispatch. 
 
 The bugle was immediately sounded and the 
 JTirst Division, consisting of the Second Colorado 
 
96 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Cavalry (also including the Fifteenth, Sixteenth 
 and Eleventh Kansas Cavalry, the latter already 
 at the scene of action), three companies of the 
 Third Wisconsin Cavalry, and the First Colorado 
 Battery ; in all about fifteen hundred men, under 
 the command of Major General James G. Blunt, 
 proceeded to the front at about eleven o'clock in 
 the morning. 
 
 The First Brigade, consisting of the Second 
 Colorado Cavalry (Major J. Nelson Smith), the 
 First Colorado Battery (Captain W. D. McLain), 
 and four companies of the Sixteenth Kansas Cav 
 alry, was commanded by our gallant Colonel, 
 James H. Ford. The column moved forward at a 
 gallop until within one mile of the Little Blue. 
 Here they were joined by Colonel Moonlight, who 
 had been contesting the enemy's advance at the 
 same time slowly falling back ; the enemy having 
 succeeded in effecting a crossing both above and 
 below the bridge. To dismount and throw down 
 some rail fences was but the work of a moment, 
 and a line was formed, the Second Colorado 
 Cavalry on the right, the Fifteenth Kansas on the 
 left, and the Sixteenth Kansas in the centre ; the 
 Batallion of the Third Wisconsin joining Colonel 
 Moonlight. 
 
 Moving forward to the right through the heavy 
 timber for the distance of half a mile, our line 
 gained an advanced position, and the Second 
 Colorado was dismounted and in less than half a 
 minute were hotly engaged with the enemy. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 97 
 
 Pushing forward to the brow of the next hill, a 
 strong force was discovered posted behind a stone 
 wall on a hill to our left, who immediately opened 
 a brisk fire on our advancing column, who faltered 
 not, but returning shot for shot, and steadily ad 
 vancing succeeded in driving them from the wall, 
 at the same time exposing our own force to a 
 deadly fire from the hill on the left ; but our gal 
 lant little force succeeded in driving them from 
 their position and forcing them to fall back about 
 one mile. 
 
 Advancing to the brow of a hill, our troops had 
 barely time to take up an advantageous position 
 behind a high fence, when a heavy column of the 
 enemy, led by the notorious bushwhacker Todd, 
 who had been promoted to the position of Colonel 
 in the rebel army, and who declared he would an 
 nihilate the Second Colorado in revenge for the 
 death of many of his followers and several nar 
 row escapes of himself at their hands while he 
 was engaged in bushwhacking in the counties of 
 Jackson and Lafayette. Our regiment, however, 
 being advantageously posted, poured such a deadly 
 fire into their ranks as to check their advance ; 
 and twice they were compelled to fall back, but 
 being strongly re-inforced and led by the daring 
 Todd, they came up the third time and our little 
 force was obliged to abandon the position and re 
 tire, which they did in perfect good order keeping 
 up a continuous fire upon the advancing foe. At 
 this period of the engagement, Major J. Nelson 
 
98 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Smith, who, by his kind treatment and manly 
 bearing toward both officers and men. .had won the 
 love and esteem of the entire regiment, while 
 bravely cheering his men and encouraging them 
 to repel the fierce onset of the vastly outnumber 
 ing foe, not hesitating to expose his person wher 
 ever his presence was necessary, while thus nobly 
 doing his duty he was struck by a minie ball that 
 pierced his left lung and falling from his horse he 
 never spoke again. No truer or braver man ever 
 drew the breath of life. 
 
 He fell, as only a hero falls 
 
 Facing a deadly foe 
 The blood gush'd from the manly heart, 
 
 And bathed the palid brow. 
 
 One moment gazed that gallant band, 
 
 Upon the stricken, there ; 
 Then, one long hoarse determin'd shout 
 
 Rose on the burdened air. 
 
 One shout he's dead revenge ! revenge ! 
 
 A thousand bullets sped, 
 And hurtling through the rebel band, 
 
 Laid many a traitor dead. 
 
 Dead ! and they laid a mingled mass 
 
 Together, man and horse : 
 Yet, on they came, their legions trod 
 
 O'er many a mangled corpse. 
 
 But they were met by hands as firm 
 
 As e'er a sabre drew : 
 Unflinching was their Iron front' 
 
 They many a rebel slew, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 99 
 
 He sleeps that gallant soldier sleeps, 
 
 Within an honored grave : 
 Laid there by loving hands, and mourn'd 
 
 By many a gallant brave. 
 
 Mourned as only soldiers mourn 
 
 A hero loved and lost : 
 Oh ! would he were the only one 
 
 This cruel war had cost ! 
 
 At the announcement of his death the men, 
 who almost worshipped him, sent up a savage 
 yell of revenge, and under the command of the 
 brave Captain Green, the next officer in charge, 
 they stood there almost entirely unsheltered and 
 delivered volley after volley that sent a storm of 
 leaden hail into the enemy's ranks, causing many 
 of them to bite the dust, among whom was the 
 notorious Todd, who was pierced by several balls 
 and fell dead from his horse. But the enemy 
 pressed on and our troops were ordered to fall 
 back to their horses. Having mounted, a retreat 
 was ordered and the entire command moved for 
 ward on the road to Independence, a distance of 
 eight miles ; the retreat being covered by Ford's 
 Brigade. This gallant band a mere handful of 
 men in comparison to the overwhelming number 
 of the enemy under their able and gallant com 
 mander sternly contested the enemy's impetuous 
 advance and repelled the frequent fierce charges 
 made by the foe, who were conscious of their 
 vast superiority in point of numbers and stung at 
 the successful resistance made by our troops. 
 
100 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Inch by inch was the entire road to Independence 
 sternly and bravely contested by our little force, 
 protecting the rear and holding the impetuous 
 enemy in check, allowing a safe and perfectly 
 orderly retreat of our entire force. Independence 
 was reached at sun-down and our troops moved 
 on to the Big Blue, about five miles west of Inde 
 pendence on the Kansas City road, and the day's 
 battle was over. 
 
 Here camp was formed, and dismounting from 
 their somewhat jaded horses the men flung them 
 selves upon the ground and were soon sound 
 asleep, with the exception of the picket-guard, 
 who were stationed on the road and kept a vigi 
 lant watch upon the enemy's movements who 
 occupied the town during the night. Never was 
 rest and sleep more welcome to our tired forces, 
 having been almost constantly on the alert for 
 the preceding week, scouring the country in every 
 direction, sometimes night and day ; and that 
 day, having been hotly engaged with the enemy 
 from nine o'clock in the morning until the even 
 ing, it required no effort on their part to soon for 
 get the stirring scenes of the day in a sound slum 
 ber. 
 
 During the day our 'wounded were removed 
 from the scene of action to Independence, where 
 the utmost care and attention of the citizens, es 
 pecially the female portion, was bestowed on 
 them ; and be it said to their credit, a considera 
 ble number of rebel ladies who resided in the 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. . 101 
 
 4 
 
 place came to the rescue with bandages and lint 
 to stay the flow of blood and bind up the shat 
 tered limbs of our wounded. 
 
 But the kind, assiduous attentions of the few 
 Union ladies, of that place was more fully appre 
 ciated by our men. Constant in their efforts to 
 ease the sufferers, nothing that in reason could be 
 done* was left undone by them in their generous 
 sisterly care of those who suffered and bled for the 
 Union and the old Flag ; long will they be held in 
 grateful remembrance by the Second Colorado. 
 Nor less noble, nor less faithfully did our surgeons 
 perform their unpleasant duty of binding up and 
 stitching the ghastly wounds and amputating the 
 fractured limbs of our brave, unmurmuring 
 soldiers ; great credit is due them for their con 
 stant and untiring energies, exerted to alleviate 
 pain and animate the men with kind words of 
 encouragement and cheerfulness. 
 
 The men sustained their injuries with heroic 
 fortitude. One instance deserves particular men 
 tion, a young man named Frank Gould, who had 
 but recently been honorably discharged and sub 
 sequently was an officer in the Home Guards of 
 Kansas City, at the approach of Price's army, 
 declared his preference to go into battle with his 
 old comrades of the Second, and did so, and was 
 engaged in carrying dispatches on the field when 
 he was struck by a portion of a shell that almost 
 literally tore his shoulder away, he was placed in 
 an ambulance, and taken to Independence ; on 
 
102 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 I 
 
 arriving there, he raised his hat with his remain 
 ing arm and feebly swinging it in the air, shouted, 
 " Hurrah for the Second Colorado and the Old 
 Flag !" 
 
 The poor fellow lived some time afterward, but 
 finally died, admired and beloved by all who 
 knew him. Just previous to the occupation of 
 the town by the enemy's forces, all of our 
 wounded who could be removed were taken to 
 Kansas City, Major Smith's body was also brought 
 in that night and the entire place was filled with 
 gloom and sadness to see that in a few short 
 hours some of the bravest and best beloved of our 
 regiment had given their hearts blood for the 
 Union cause and the end was not yet ; how 
 many more were to be missed from that brave 
 band only time could tell. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 103 
 
 CHAPTER vrn. 
 
 The day previous to the Battle of the " Little 
 Blue," Captain George West, with about fifty 
 men of his squadron (Company F), was sent from 
 Independence with dispatches from General Cur 
 tis to General Blunt, then at Lexington. Upon 
 nearing the latter place he was met by Captain 
 Jack Curtis, who, with two squadrons of the Fif 
 teenth Kansas, had just cut his way out from the 
 enemy that had well nigh surrounded a portion of 
 our forces. Learning from Curtis that General 
 Blunt was falling back on another road, Captain 
 West wheeled about and directing his course 
 across the country found the General, delivered 
 the dispatches and returned to Independence the 
 same night, having ridden over eighty miles with 
 out once dismounting. The Captain humorously 
 remarked that, " General Price had reason to con 
 gratulate himself upon the fact that I met Curtis 
 as I did ; otherwise he would have been whipped 
 then and there, or else I should ; although many 
 would have had serious doubts about my being 
 able to cope with ' Old Pap,' who was said to have 
 largely out-numbered me say, in the ratio of 
 thirty thousand to fifty men. " The day after the 
 battle little was done by either of the forces, 
 
104 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 aside from maneuvering, skirmishing and placing 
 troops in position ; on our part to guard the fords 
 on the Big Blue, which the enemy would neces 
 sarily be obliged to cross in his onward march. 
 
 The ford on the road leading to Kansas City 
 was protected by Captain McLain's (First Colo 
 rado) Battery and a body of about five thousand 
 troops. 
 
 The ford a few miles south known as Byron's 
 Ford was not strongly guarded, only a small 
 force being stationed at that point ; insufficient 
 to seriously retard the progress of the enemy, who 
 had planted a masked battery of three brass pieces 
 to protect his crossing, which was discovered by 
 Captain Hollaway while deploying his squadron 
 ( Company L ) as skirmishers. 
 
 In the afternoon a party of the enemy were dis 
 covered attempting to cross and were fired upon 
 by a portion of the Kansas Militia, when in com 
 pliance with orders from Captain Green, com 
 manding the regiment, Captain Hollo way with his 
 squadron made a dashing charge, resulting in the 
 the capture of one Captain, one Surgeon, one 
 Lieutenant and two privates. 
 
 In the evening and during the night the enemy 
 crossed his entire force, his movements accelerated 
 by the fact of General Pleasanton pressing close 
 on his rear with a strong force of Cavalry; the 
 enemy's rear guard had scarcely left Independence 
 before Pleasanton' s advance entered the town. 
 
 Price's army was drawn up in battle order near 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 105 
 
 Westport, three miles south of Kansas City, op 
 posed by Colonel Ford's Brigade, Captain McLain's 
 Battery, and a portion of the Kansas troops.; the 
 Kansas Militia having ingloriously fallen back be 
 yond the Kaw River, crossing at Wyandotte. 
 
 A political strife was at its height in Kansas at 
 the time of the invasion of Price's army, and un 
 fortunately for the reputation of the people and 
 the State, the spirit of jealousy and contention 
 was carried with them when they arose as one 
 man and marched to the border to repel the ene 
 my's threatened invasion. 
 
 No grander sight was ever contemplated than 
 the simultaneous uprising of the citizens of 
 Southern Kansas, when the call was made to take 
 up arms against the invaders. All work was sus 
 pended, business houses closed and the people, 
 realizing the exigency of the moment, forgot all 
 else in the determination to defend their homes. 
 Hastily forming themselves into organized com 
 panies and regiments, with little or no time to drill 
 or perfect themselves in the arts of war, they 
 marched to the border to await the coming of the 
 foe. But intriguing parties seeking office, em 
 braced the opportunity to urge their selfish claims 
 upon the people, and, what with intriguing and 
 wire-pulling, soon excited a feeling of disgust and 
 dissatisfaction in the ranks, having a tendency to 
 destroy confidence and obliterate all feelings of 
 patriotism ; many > were under the impression that 
 the foe was not advancing, but the campaign was 
 
106 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 gotten up for speculation among leading politi 
 cians ; consequently they became disheartened and 
 thousands of them stacked their arms and refused 
 to cross the State line. Only a minor proportion 
 of the large number who started for the scene of 
 action ever saw the face of the enemy by their 
 action very forcibly bringing to mind the couplet : 
 
 " The King of France, with ten thousand men. 
 Marched up the hill and down again !" 
 
 One regiment of Infantry from Jefferson 
 County, that reached Olathe four hundred and 
 eighty strong, came into Kansas City the day 
 previous to the battle of Westport led by their 
 Colonel with only ninety men, the balance having 
 absolutely refused to proceed any further ; a good 
 many of their officers finding they could not in 
 duce the men to move forward threw away their 
 swords and taking up muskets in their stead 
 bravely joined the ranks, and with the heroic little 
 band followed their gallant leader to meet the foe. 
 Early in the morning of the twenty-third of Octo 
 ber, the battle of Westport began. 
 
 General Pleasanton came up with and engaged 
 the rear of the enemy. At the commencement of 
 the fight, General Brown came to Pleasanton and 
 reported his skirmishers driven in : "Well," re 
 sponded the General, " seeing such is the case, what 
 do you intend doing ?" "I don't know, sir !" was 
 the reply. " Then go to the rear immediately 
 and consider yourself under arrest ;" was the stern 
 command of General Pleasanton, highly incensed 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 107 
 
 that an officer should exhibit such ignorance or cow 
 ardice in the presence of the enemy. Some sharp 
 artillery practice ensued, in which Captain McLain's 
 First Colorado Battery, consisting of three-inch 
 rifled parrotts, and supported by a portion of 
 the Second Colorado Cavalry, commanded by Cap 
 tain Boyd, did great execution in thinning the 
 ranks of the enemy the guns capable of throwing 
 shell three miles with precision. A desperate 
 charge was made by the enemy, for the purpose of 
 capturing a portion of this Battery that was par 
 ticularly annoying to them ; but they were hand 
 somely repulsed, with heavy loss in killed and 
 wounded and prisoners on their part. The lane 
 up which they charged was literally strewn with 
 dead and wounded men and horses. The battle 
 ground extended over a large area and at differ 
 ent points, the fight raged with greater or less 
 fury for several hours, when the enemy was dis 
 covered moving off his large train and by three 
 o'clock in the afternoon the entire rebel army was 
 in full retreat toward the Arkansas Eiver. Our 
 forces immediately engaged in the pursuit, a col 
 umn under Colonel Moonlight bearing off toward 
 Olathe, while the main force followed in the rear. 
 A column consisting of the Second Colorado and 
 the Sixteenth Kansas Cavalry, under Colonel Jen- 
 ninson, pushed forward and succeeded in over 
 taking and suddenly striking the enemy on his 
 right flank, six miles south-east of Little Santa Fe 
 and fifteen miles from Westport. Considerable 
 
108 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 consternation was exhibited by the rebels, who 
 supposed that our entire army was upon them. 
 Hastily forming two lines of battle, consisting of 
 about six thousand men, and placing a battery in 
 position, they greeted us with several rounds of 
 shot and shell, which, fortunately for us, had no 
 other effect than to cause the bobbing of several 
 heads belonging to persons who had never been 
 under fire and on this occasion thought it policy 
 to be polite even to the enemy. 
 
 Having no artillery and our force being insuf 
 ficient to contend with the enemy, we were com 
 pelled to fall back a distance of three miles, where 
 we bivouaced for the night. 
 
 Incidents were not wanting to show the spirit 
 of cool courage and determination of our men 
 during the engagement with the enemy. Private 
 James Eoss, of Company E, Second Colorado 
 Cavalry, had taken three prisoners and was con 
 ducting them to the rear, when one wheeled his 
 horse about and attempted to escape. Ross turned 
 in his saddle to shoot him, when he himself re 
 ceived his death wound from a musket ball ; not 
 withstanding, he succeeded in safely bringing in 
 the other two prisoners, turned over his arms to 
 his company commander and lived until the next 
 day. Private Iker, of the same Company and 
 regiment, during the fight had used all his carbine 
 cartridges and discharged the contents of both of 
 his revolvers, when clubbing his carbine he dashed 
 up to a rebel and struck him dead from his horse 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 109 
 
 and immediately fell dead himself pierced by a 
 rebel ball. 
 
 By sunrise on the morning of the twenty-fourth, 
 the entire Division, under Generals Curtis, Pleas- 
 anton and Blunt, moved forward in pursuit of the 
 retreating rebels, who were a considerable distance 
 in the advance and making strenuous exertions 
 to increase that distance, only anxious to be " let 
 alone " that they might make good their escape 
 from what they were now fully persuaded was a 
 precarious situation. Their booty in the way of 
 subsistence, of which they expected to get abun 
 dance in the country through which they passed, 
 proved altogether insufficient in quantity to fully 
 supply the demands of so large a force, which had 
 constantly been augmenting since their arrival on 
 Missouri soil ; and in order to avoid the disastrous 
 consequences of being reduced to actual starva 
 tion in the end, they were obliged to subsist on 
 less than half rations, together with what scanty 
 supplies could be foraged in the sparsely settled 
 country through which they were obliged to 
 pass. 
 
 The rebel General, Sterling Price, by his for 
 mer maneuvers had won the deserved reputation 
 of being a skillful, cunning and able leader in 
 truth, the "most daring and successful raider 
 that the Confederate army could boast of. Ever 
 on the alert and aware of the danger of delay, he 
 caused the retreat to be conducted with as much 
 rapidity as the circumstances would permit, allow- 
 
110 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ing no more time to halt than was absolutely 
 necessary to rest his already weary and hard- 
 pressed followers. Our forces eagerly joined in 
 the pursuit, which was continued until after night 
 had set in, marching the distance of forty miles, 
 before bivouacing on the north side of the Marias 
 des Cygnes, a large creek on whose south bank 
 the next day's battle was fought that proved so 
 disastrous to the rebels. The night was very 
 dark, the sky overclouded and at midnight a cold, 
 chilling rain began to fall, making it very dis 
 agreeable and unpleasant, although not enough to 
 arouse our men from the sound and refreshing 
 slumber they were enjoying ; having, as soon as 
 the halt was ordered, laid themselves down with 
 the ground for a bed, their saddles for a pillow 
 and a blanket for a cover. 
 
 During the night the enemy's pickets had been 
 discovered and the whereabouts of the rebel force 
 ascertained ; and, at two o'clock in the morning, a 
 portion of the Second Colorado on the left and 
 the Fourth Iowa on the right, moved forward as 
 skirmishers to dislodge the enemy from the brow 
 of the hill of which they had taken possession. 
 In the early part of the night, Companies E, I and 
 K, of the Second, under the command of Captain 
 Kingsbury, had been reconnoitering in the 
 advance and under cover of the darkness of the 
 night, suddenly came upon the rebel pickets 
 and succeeded in killing six of them and wound 
 ing several. Forming in line, the Battalion 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. Ill 
 
 awaited reinforcements before moving forward, 
 and in the meantime Captain Kingsbury dis 
 patched, at different intervals, four messengers 
 back to the commanding General informing him 
 that the enemy were near and in force. 
 
 After awaiting near by two hours, Captain Hin- 
 ton rode up and informed Kingsbury that Blunt' s 
 Division, which had been in the advance of the col 
 umn the preceding day, had been ordered to halt, 
 to allow Pleasanton's Division to take the 
 advance, and, in consequence of the necessary 
 delay, the column was five or six miles back. 
 Upon the strength of this information, Captain 
 Kingsbury, realizing the imprudence of attempt 
 ing to hold the line unsupported, faced the Battal- 
 lion about and fell back a considerable distance, 
 when they were met by the Eighth Missouri, who, 
 owing to the change in the Divisions, mistook our 
 men for the rebels, supposing themselves to be in 
 advance of the column. The order to unsling 
 carbines was given and the rattle of arms was 
 distinctly heard by Kingsbury 's Battalion when 
 the Captain halted the command and riding for 
 ward alone, succeeded after some time in impres 
 sing the incredulous Colonel of the Eighth, with 
 the true nature of the circumstances and the 
 identity of our force ; and equally as difficult was 
 it to convince him of the fact that the pickets had 
 been driven in and the whereabouts of the enemy's 
 advance line ; in order to satisfy his inquisitive- 
 ness and incredulity, Captain Kingsbury ordered 
 
112 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 his Orderly-Sergeant, Ferree, to take four men and 
 approach near enough to draw the fire of the 
 enemy and at the same time not expose them 
 selves unnecessarily. Ferree approached the out 
 posts and was hailed by a sentinel: "Who goes 
 there ?" which question was answered, Yankee- 
 like, by Ferree's response: "Who are you?" 
 " Confederate soldiers," was the reply and the 
 sound of his voice had scarcely died away when 
 the vivid flash and sharp report of the carbines of 
 the brave Sergeant and his daring comrades drew 
 upon them the concentrated fire of a number of 
 the enemy, causing quite a shower of leaden hail 
 to fall around our boys, who having obeyed 
 orders and accomplished the desired object, retired 
 and joined their command, the Colonel having 
 expressed himself fully satisfied 'that if he had 
 been doubtful all was removed as it was certain 
 there was an enemy in the front. Resuming his 
 march to the rear in order to regain the regiment, 
 Captain Kingsbury was met by Major Hunt of 
 General Curtiss' staff, with orders to proceed to 
 the front and in connection with the Eighth 
 Missouri and Second Arkansas in the centre, the 
 Fourth Iowa on the right and the Colorado Battal 
 ion on the left, to advance upon the enemy's line 
 and open the ball, which order was promptly 
 obeyed just before daybreak, and notwithstand 
 ing the fall of a cold rain and the darkness of 
 the night our troops silently advanced amid a 
 shower of musket-balls from the enemy, the flash 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 113 
 
 of their guns distinctly visible at every dis 
 charge. 
 
 It was the hour just before day, which is said to 
 be the darkest which assertion was literally true 
 in the present instance the darkness, increased 
 by over-clouded sky and the pouring rain, rend 
 ered it so great that it was with difficulty that our 
 line was discernible at the distance of a few paces ; 
 the rebels aware of our coming by the tramp of 
 our horses, kept up a continuous line of fire from 
 their carbines, aimed at random, which accounted 
 for the slight execution done. It was a grand 
 and somewhat exciting scene our line steadily 
 advancing to drive the rebels and gain possession of 
 the hill on which they were posted ; their presence 
 made known only by the vivid and incessant flash 
 and sharp, ringing report of their rifles ; the con 
 stant whirring sound of the little leaden messen 
 gers of death that fell around them resembling in 
 sound the sudden rushing of a bee past one's ear, 
 although not so pleasant to a nervous person 
 made sensibly aware of the dangerous mission of 
 the former. In the meantime day began to break 
 in the east, dimly discovering the position of the 
 enemy, and simultaneously with its dawn the 
 deep welcome thunder tones of our cannon, 
 planted two miles in the rear, broke upon our 
 ears, and presently the whizzing, whirring, howl 
 ing shell came rushing over our heads, and falling 
 rather short of its mark exploded in rather un 
 comfortably close proximity to our line, having 
 
114 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 the effect to make our men feel nervous and 
 anxious as to their own safety ; the experienced 
 gunners discovered their shortcomings and ele 
 vating their pieces the next shells burst directly 
 among the enemy, creating considerable con 
 sternation in their ranks and causing great 
 confusion, when they broke and fled over the 
 brow of the hill pursued by our eager and exult 
 ant forces, who made the welkin ring with their 
 prolonged shouts and cheering hurras. 
 
 The hill gained by our forces, the rebels were 
 discovered drawn up in line, about three thousand 
 strong, three hundred yards on the other side, 
 awaiting our appearance. Placing a battery of 
 two guns in position, they saluted our troops with 
 a few rounds of shot and shell and breaking 
 ranks crossed the Marias des Cygnes at the ford, 
 when General Sanborn was heard to say, " Send 
 out that Colorado Battalion to clear the ford, 
 they'll fight." 
 
 Upon receiving the order, Captain Kingsbury's 
 Battalion of the Second Colorado, charged and 
 carried the ford without loss, very unceremoni 
 ously interrupting the strenuous efforts of the 
 enemy to blockade the crossing by felling trees 
 into it, for the purpose of delaying our advance. 
 The trees were soon removed and Sanborn' s Bri 
 gade crossed over and found the enemy drawn up 
 in line a few hundred yards in advance, with a 
 battery of two guns in position. Instantly forming 
 line of battle, with the Eighth Missouri on the left, 
 
SECOND COLOR ADOS. 115 
 
 the Second Arkansas on the right, and the Colo 
 rado Battalion, under Kingsbury, in the center; our 
 advance moved forward out of the woods, along 
 and on both sides of the road, when the enemy 
 opened his battery and throwing a few shells in 
 the ranks of the Eighth Missouri, they hastily fell 
 back under cover of the woods, and a few well-di 
 rected shots had the same effect upon the Second 
 Arkansas, leaving the Colorado Battalion alone 
 and still advancing under a galling fire from the 
 battery, the enemy expecting that a similar experi- 
 .ment with it would be productive of a similar 
 result. Captain Kingsbury said his orders were to 
 advance and he intended to obey them, although 
 he was positively forbidden to charge the enemy. 
 Presently the rebel line gave way and hauling 
 off their battery left our forces masters of the 
 field. 
 
 At this juncture Major Hunt rode up, and re 
 marking to Kingsbury that his Battalion had done 
 sufficient for that day, ordered him to halt and re 
 join his regiment when it came up. The Battalion 
 was dismounted and the horses fed from an ad 
 jacent corn-field, while the advance of the com 
 mand pushed on in pursuit of the retreating army. 
 At five miles distance from the crossing of the 
 Marias des Cygnes, the enemy again formed line 
 of battle to contest the impetuous advance of our 
 troops ; a sharp skirmish fight lasted for a f ew 
 minutes, when Colonel Benteen's Brigade made a 
 brilliant charge, resulting in the capture of Gen- 
 
116 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 erals Marmaduke and Cobbell, five hundred other 
 prisoners and six pieces of cannon. 
 
 The rebels fought well, and their resistance was 
 determined, but they were not prepared to with 
 stand nor repel a charge from our forces, being 
 armed only with carbines or rifles, while a great 
 portion of our men were armed with sabres 
 and revolvers, and one regiment, the Fourth Iowa 
 Cavalry, carried Spencer's Carbines, a seven- 
 shooter, and considered a very effective weapon. 
 
 The charge and capture occupied but a few 
 minutes, the enemy convinced of the uselessness 
 of resistance to the confident and determined 
 onset of our forces. 
 
 Had the suggestions of General Blunt been fol 
 lowed, the result would doubtless have been the 
 capture of a large portion if not the entire rebel 
 army. His plan was to continue the pursuit that 
 morning with the main body, but to throw a 
 strong force across the Marias des Cygnes, at a 
 ford three miles above and to the right, and 
 strike the rebels on their right flank and thereby 
 cutting their army in two, when the rear portion, 
 being completely surrounded, would have been 
 compelled to surrender at discretion, and it would 
 have required no strenuous exertion on our part 
 to have succeeded in capturing the remainder of 
 the already discouraged and dispirited enemy. 
 And the long, tedious and expensive pursuit would 
 have been avoided ; but his plan was not adopted, 
 and hence the result. After the battle which was 
 
SECOND COLOR ADOS. 117 
 
 on the prairie, the ground was strewn with the 
 dead and wounded ; particularly at the crossing 
 of Mine Creek, a small stream near the scene of 
 the charge, where the rebels were closely pursued 
 by our men, while in their hurried attempts to 
 cross over and escape many threw away their 
 guns without attempting to discharge them, so 
 great was their desire to escape being taken pris 
 oners ; although those who fell into our hands 
 seemed well satisfied with the exchange effected, 
 and some of them were disposed to be jocular 
 over the event, indulging in humorous allusions 
 to their condition ; to the inquiry as to where he 
 belonged, one of them replied : " To the whipped 
 Confederacy." Another, to the same inquiry, 
 said he was " One of Price's ' purps !' ' 
 
 During the charge, a private soldier rode to 
 General Marmaduke with an imperative demand 
 for his surrender ; disdaining to become the pris 
 oner of one so far beneath his rank. Marmaduke 
 demurred haughtily against complying, saying 
 something about his not being the proper person 
 to surrender to, when the cavalry man's carbine 
 was quickly brought to a level with his eye, and 
 the " Duke" was glad to acknowledge its power, 
 and submitted to be taken captive, by "a private," 
 without another murmur, glad to have escaped a 
 worse fate. The youthful soldier who captured 
 him was rewarded for his bravery by being pre 
 sented with Marmaduke' s belt and revolvers, by 
 General Curtis. 
 
118 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 The rebel General was a large man, of stout 
 muscular form and rather portly ; he wore a 
 light jeans coat and pants of the same material, 
 and altogether his general appearance and style of 
 dress was calculated to impress one with the idea 
 that an old Pennsylvania farmer stood before him, 
 instead of the shrewd, cunning and able officer 
 that he had proved himself to be on more than 
 one occasion. 
 
 Sterling Price considered him as the most able 
 and responsible officer of his command, and hence 
 entrusted to him the protection of the rear of the 
 rebel army and holding in check the pursuing 
 forces. Another stand was made by the enemy 
 at Little Osage, a small stream of that name, but 
 our forces succeeded in driving them as before, 
 with little or no loss on our side. 
 
 Almost destitute of rations, our regiment was 
 ordered to proceed to Fort Scott, where they 
 arrived at ten o'clock that night, having ridden 
 sixty miles that day without food and but little 
 rest. The regiment joined in the pursuit almost 
 entirely unprovided with rations, some of the 
 companies having no more than a ration of hard 
 tack ; consequently, a large proportion of the men 
 were without food for over thirty hours, during 
 which time they were almost constantly in the 
 saddle. For two hours previously to the arrival 
 of the command at the Fort, it was with tha 
 greatest difficulty that the men kept their seats in 
 the saddles, on account of having been deprived 
 
SECOND COLORAbOS. 119 
 
 of sleep for so long a period ; requiring constant 
 exertion to maintain an upright position. So 
 exhausted were they, that on coming into camp 
 at the Fort, many of them were able merely to 
 dismount, ungirth the saddle, and laying it down 
 threw themselves beside it and were almost 
 immediately wrapped in a sound slumber. On 
 the morning of the twenty-sixth, the pursuit was 
 resumed, all the men with worn-out horses having 
 been sent back to Kansas City, under command 
 of Captain Evans, of Company A, Second Colo 
 rado. The rebels had been too closely pursued to 
 allow them to take Fort Scott, which would have 
 been an easy matter for them to have accom 
 plished had they not been so strongly pressed by 
 our forces in the rear. But their safety was in 
 rapid retreat, and every effort on their part was 
 made to accelerate their movements; a large 
 number of their wagons were burned, ammunition 
 destroyed and arms thrown away ; in fact the 
 route of their retreat was literally strewn with 
 abandoned property of every description. 
 
120 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 On the twenty-seventh, the army reached Car 
 thage, Missouri, a village that had been partially 
 destroyed with fire by a band of bushwhackers, 
 some five weeks previous. 
 
 Here they found the ambulance that contained 
 the medicines belonging to the rebel army almost 
 entirely consumed by fire ; together with aban 
 doned arms, horses, saddles and camp equipage ; 
 everything indicating a panic in the rebel ranks, 
 and extreme haste in their endeavor to outstrip 
 their pursuers. On the twenty-eighth, the near 
 presence of the foe became distinct. 
 
 Therefore Colonel Ford, commanding the Brig 
 ade, ordered Captain Holloway's Company (L) to 
 proceed as skirmishers, and hard and desperate 
 encounters took place, resulting in the entire 
 routing of Price's army ; throwing death and dis 
 may through his whole command. Many deeds 
 of valor and bravery could be recited of the 
 Second Colorado and their brave companions in 
 arms on that eventful compaign : very much is 
 lost to history, as those who were witness rest in 
 their graves. Private Karr, of Company H, 
 whose horse, in the battle, had been shot through 
 the head and was bleeding profusely, when told 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 121 
 
 by his company commander that he had better go 
 to the rear, took a parting fire at the enemy and 
 fell back a few paces, reloading his carbine as he 
 went and when completed wheeled about and 
 rejoining the ranks gave the foe the benefit of 
 "one more round," repeating the act several 
 times, momentarily expecting his horse to fall, 
 but loath to quit the field coolly remarking 
 that all he wanted was to "give the rascals one 
 more shot." 
 
 Private Click, of Company C, who was a consid 
 erable distance in the rear when the battle com 
 menced, in charge of a mule team, drove up to 
 the lines, while the guns were thundering away 
 and shot falling thick around him, deliberately 
 stopped and, with the coolness of a man about 
 taking a small contract, shouted, "Halloo, here ! 
 what do you want done with this team ? " causing 
 considerable merriment along the line where his 
 voice was heard. The remarkable degree of cool 
 courage exhibited by the men, had the effect of 
 daunting the enemy, they not daring to " charge" 
 where the opposing forces were apparantly deter 
 mined to maintain their ground at all hazards. 
 Particularly did they evince a wholesome dread of 
 the "White Horse Kegiment," as they were wont to 
 term the Second Colorado Cavalry ; two companies 
 of which, E and K, were mounted upon white 
 chargers. Nor was their fear based upon ground 
 less reasons, for upon several occasions they had 
 suffered greatly under their galling fire, which 
 
122 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 told severely upon their numbers by thinning 
 their ranks, and whenever the "Second" came 
 into an engagement, the dismayed rebels would 
 remark, " There goes that White Horse Regi 
 ment." And well they might so exclaim, for in 
 every perilous place they were to be found ; their 
 powers of indurance seemed to exceed all others. 
 The night succeeding the battle of Newtonia, a 
 courier arrived from Fort Scott with a telegraphic 
 dispatch from General Rosecranz, containing 
 orders for the immediate abandonment of the 
 pursuit, the disbanding of the army, and the 
 return of the troops to their respective places of 
 rendezvous. Inopportune as the receipt of this 
 order was at the time, General Curtis felt bound 
 to obey its requirements, and the next day the 
 army was disbanded and the various organiza 
 tions started on the return home. When the 
 dispatch reached Fort Scott, it was evident to the 
 commanding officers that Rosecranz was igno 
 rant of the true state of the campaign and a 
 dispatch was immediately forwarded to Wash 
 ington in regard to the matter, apprising the 
 authorities of the movements of the two armies 
 and notifying them of General Rosecranz' s order. 
 In reply, a telegram was received from General 
 Grant countermanding Rosecranz's orders, and 
 ordering the pursuit continued until the rebel 
 army were captured or driven across the Arkan 
 sas River. The dispatch reached General Cur 
 tis the next day, in the evening, he having 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 123 
 
 already marched ten miles from Newtonia on 
 the return. 
 
 The command was halted for the night, and on 
 the morning of the thirtieth resumed the pursuit, 
 and arriving at Newtonia the same evening, 
 camped in the town over-night. On the morning 
 of the thirty-first, in accordance with orders from 
 the commanding General, the troops were mus 
 tered. The sparse supply of rations on hand 
 consisting of "hard tack," bacon and coffee, 
 with the addition of a barrel of molasses that the 
 enterprising boys succeeded in "gobbling" was 
 distributed, and at ten o'clock the remnant of the 
 army, mustering, all told, less than four thousand 
 men, continued the pursuit of the retreating foe in 
 the direction of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Through 
 an egregious blunder somewhere, the unfaltering 
 band had lost the advantage gained, giving the 
 enemy time to collect their terror-stricken troops, 
 and not only that, but reduced our own force and 
 started them on the return with little or no 
 provision, through a section of country already 
 stripped by the enemy ; yet our little army 
 marched twenty -two miles on that day, in a 
 south-east direction, for the purpose of striking the 
 Lexington and Fayetteville Road, which, there was 
 good reason to believe, the enemy had taken with 
 the intention of reaching and crossing the Arkan 
 sas Eiver at the nearest practicable point. Early 
 on the morning of the first of November, the 
 command was visited by a heavy rain that 
 
124: HISTORY OF THE 
 
 thoroughly soaked their bedding and wearing 
 apparel and roused them from a sound slumber. 
 Just before daylight the rain slackened up and 
 taking advantage of its cessation numerous camp- 
 fires sprang into existence throughout the encamp 
 ment, fed by rails from the fences of which the 
 men were not sparing, in their efforts to dry their 
 clothes and warm their thoroughly chilled and 
 benumbed bodies. By the time that day had 
 fully made its appearance, the brisk fires and the 
 double rations of corn essence that was ordered to 
 be issued had the effect of dispelling the chilly 
 sensations and ere long general good humor 
 prevailed ; each one in his turn laughingly 
 relating the mishaps that befell him during the 
 night. How refreshingly they were slumbering, 
 and how the water came down upon them from 
 the hillside and damming up against their bodies, 
 the thick blankets and great-coat repelling and 
 holding it at bay for a time, but how it eventually 
 found its way through completely saturating the 
 the bed and deluging the already chilled body 
 with an almost icy bath, causing the recipient to 
 very suddenly assume an upright attitude to 
 avoid an embrace so unrefreshing, while the lips 
 would shape the exclamations they uttered into 
 anything but a prayer. When the rest had given 
 in their experience, our Colonel of the "Second, " 
 who had during the entire campaign shared in the 
 danger, toils and privations with the common 
 soldier eating the same fare and contenting 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 125 
 
 himself with the camp-life, rough as it was 
 came up and good-humoredly remarked: "Well 
 boys, I suppose you are all wet through, so am I. 
 I spread my blankets down between the corn-rows, 
 with my overcoat for a pillow, and being consider 
 ably fatigued was soon in a sound sleep, from 
 which I did not awake until a few minutes ago, 
 my blanket serving to keep the rain off effectual 
 ly. I was congratulating myself upon my 
 comfortable quarters, when raising my head to 
 look about me my pillow, which served as a dam 
 for about fifty gallons of water which had collect 
 ed above me, suddenly gave way and the entire 
 flood most unceremoniously deluged myself and 
 bed rendering my quarters so uncomfortable that 
 I determined to abandon the spot, which I instant 
 ly did, viewing the action in the light of a military 
 necessity ; but, boys," continued the Colonel, 
 drying himself by the fire and still shivering from 
 the effects of his cold bath, "I'm as wet as a 
 drowned rat !" The boys had a hearty laugh at 
 the Colonel's mishap, which was as heartily joined 
 in by the Colonel himself, who could always relish 
 a joke even though at his own expense. At eight 
 o'clock the army moved forward and in the 
 afternoon reached the Lexington and Fayetteville 
 road, and went into camp three miles from the 
 scene of the memorable battle of the "Pea 
 Ridge, " having marched fifteen miles through the 
 rain and mud. The ground was now thoroughly 
 soaked and the water lay in pools, rendering it 
 
HISTORY OF THE 
 
 difficult for the men to obtain a spot on which to 
 rest comfortably for the long, dreary night. 
 
 Rain fell for the greater part of the night 
 and the entire following day ; the command 
 remaining in camp awaiting its cessation. 
 The Brigade, under Colonel Benteen, that was 
 some distance in the rear, arrived during 
 the afternoon, together with the ambulance- 
 train that had not been with the command since 
 the charge at Marias des Cygnes. Another dis 
 agreeable night was passed by the troops, who 
 resorted to all sorts of expedients to remedy their 
 unpleasant situation, rendered more so by the 
 great scarcity of provisions in camp and the 
 almost barren prospect of soon obtaining a sup 
 ply adequate to the requirements of so large a 
 number in the country through which we passed ; 
 the rebel army having stripped the inhabitants on 
 their line of retreat of almost everything that 
 was eatable, with the exception of beef, of which 
 a plentiful supply was obtained and heartily par 
 taken off by the men ; with the scant allowance of 
 hard bread on hand, a meal was prepared that 
 was eaten with a keen relish, to appease appetites 
 that were sharpened by the cold, chilly atmos 
 phere, the falling rain and the fatiguing march. 
 
 That night, as the one preceding, it rained 
 almost incessantly, flooding the ground to such 
 an extent as to render it almost impossible to 
 escape the water either from overhead or from 
 beneath. Some of the men who crowded into a 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 127 
 
 few log cabins that were near, fared compara 
 tively well ; but many were compelled to remain 
 up the greater part of the night ; others mak 
 ing a foundation of rails and sticks of wood, 
 spread their wet blankets upon it and slept as 
 well as could be expected under the circum 
 stances. On the morning of the third of Novem 
 ber, the command again took up the line of 
 march, in spite of the falling rain and muddy 
 road, and at about eight o'clock, we passed over 
 the battle ground of " Pea Ridge," the furrowed 
 ground and the scarred and torn trees giving 
 evidence of the fierce struggle between the Union 
 and the Eebel forces in the year 1861. At ten 
 o'clock it commenced snowing and continued 
 throughout the balance of the day. A march of 
 eighteen miles was accomplished and the army 
 went into camp on the left of the road, among a 
 dense growth of underbrush, which served the 
 double purpose of a barrier to the cold, chilling 
 wind and a partial protection from the storm of 
 snow and sleet. Abundance of wood was at 
 hand and soon huge fires were built throughout 
 the camp, and the now thoroughly hungry men 
 were soon busy frying, roasting and broiling beef, 
 of which a plentiful supply was obtained on the 
 road and driven into camp. At three o'clock on 
 the morning of the fourth, the camp was aroused 
 by the shrill notes of the bugle sounding the 
 assembly, and in one hour's time, the command 
 was moving forward in the direction of Fayette- 
 
128 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ville, Arkansas, where a portion of the rebel army, 
 under the notorious Fagan, was laying siege to 
 that post ; which was defended by the First Arkan 
 sas Infantry regiment, with two small howitzers. 
 The storm had now abated, although it was yet 
 stinging cold, and the command pushed forward 
 as fast as the condition of the roads and the jaded 
 stock would admit of, to relieve the heroic garri 
 son from the attack of five times their number, 
 assisted by two pieces of artillery. The thunder 
 of the cannon was distinctly heard, and our 
 troops eagerly pushed forward with the almost 
 certain expectation of having an engagement with 
 the enemy ; but Fagan had his scouts out, and 
 being made aware of our approach raised the 
 siege and fled in the direction of Cane Hill, where 
 the main body of Price's army was camped. The 
 command reached Fayetteville at eleven o'clock, 
 the rebels having abandoned the siege, three 
 hours' previous. The garrison and the citizens of 
 the town were necessarily frightened at the unex 
 pected appearance of such a large force of the 
 enemy, and were greatly relieved upon witnessing 
 our approach. The siege had lasted some four 
 hours, resulting in the killing of a rebel Lieu 
 tenant and two privates ; the garrison suffering 
 no loss further than the wounding of one man, 
 and the damaging of a few houses with rebel shot 
 and shell. One conspicious house, into the cellar 
 of which was congregated fifty or sixty women 
 and children, was completely riddled ; five shells 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 129 
 
 having passed directly through it, and one of 
 them exploding in the kitchen shattered the 
 walls in a frightful manner. A solid shot fired at 
 this house, passed through the hewed-log walls 
 and striking a mule killed it instantly. On arriv 
 ing at the Post, the command immediately went 
 into camp and remained during the day to rest 
 the jaded stock. At twelve the next day, they 
 were again in motion, pursuing the route taken 
 by the retreating enemy, through the Ozark 
 Mountains, in a south-west direction toward Cane 
 Hill, a little village nearly twenty miles distant 
 from Fayetteville. That night our troops camped 
 at Prairie Grove. Here the men feasted on the 
 abundance of apples that were found in the neigh 
 boring orchards, affording a luxury that was alto 
 gether unexpected and consequently all the more 
 welcome. These together with plenty of beef, 
 pork and Sorghum molasses, that was discovered 
 hidden away, afforded a living that was very 
 heartily partaken off and very highly appreciated 
 by the men. 
 
 The ground exhibited abundant evidence of 
 the hardly contested battle fought here in 1862. 
 The prairie, containing some two hundred acres, 
 was entirely surrounded by a grove of small 
 timber, inside of which the Union army was 
 camped, and hundreds of tent stakes were still 
 protruding from the ground ; grape-shot, percus 
 sion shells and musket balls were strewn about ; 
 trees were scarred and torn, and in some instances 
 
130 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 entirely severed by a passing shot. On the morn 
 ing of the sixth, the pursuit was renewed ; about 
 noon, the command reached Cane Hill and found 
 it had been evacuated by the rebel forces in the 
 greatest haste and alarm having been informed 
 by their scouts that a Federal force, thirty thou 
 sand strong, was rapidly approaching to capture 
 or annihilate the entire rebel army. On receiving 
 this information, the greatest consternation pre 
 vailed and, although it was late in the evening, 
 orders were issued to march immediately ; and 
 disencumbering themselves of every thing that 
 could cause them any delay, they fled percipitately 
 in the direction of the Arkansas Eiver, in the 
 hope of reaching and crossing it before being over 
 taken. All of their sick, who were unable to pro 
 ceed without the aid of ambulances, were left 
 here in charge of one of their surgeons, who fled 
 that morning, telling the poor fellows that he 
 could do nothing for them and that he would be 
 killed if he was captured. The men had been 
 impressed with the same idea, and at the approach 
 of our army, those who were able, left the rude, 
 uncomfortable buildings in which they were 
 placed and took to the woods, some crawling 
 upon their hands and knees. Several of these 
 were found by our men and brought back and 
 supplied with rations and medicine of which they 
 were entirely destitute. Their gratitude for the 
 acts of humanity practiced by our troops was 
 almost without bounds, tears of joy streaming 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 131 
 
 from their eyes, at the unexpected kindness ; 
 knowing well the brutality with which our troops 
 were treated in the South by their men, they 
 feared a retaliation on their part of ours if taken 
 by them. 
 
 The rebels, dead and wounded, were picked up 
 all along the road and placed in our ambulances 
 to be taken care of. 
 
 The rebel army was driven to the line of Texas, 
 when the pursuit was given up and our troops 
 returned back weary and worn ; some of their 
 horses dying under them from sheer exhaustion. 
 A portion of several companies of the regiment 
 were detailed to escort General Fisk, who had 
 charge of the prisoners ; with orders to take them 
 to the nearest shipping point to be exchanged ; this 
 done, the different Divisions were marched back 
 to headquarters. 
 
 For gross mismanagement and short-sighted 
 ness, coupled with an extreme degree of audacity 
 and daring, this campaign had few parallels. 
 
132 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 While the rebel army occupied Independence, 
 it was completely surrounded by our forces. On 
 the east, by Pleasanton with nearly sixteen thou 
 sand men ; on the west, by Generals Curtis and 
 Blunt with a force of at least eight thousand ; 
 while on the north, egress was blocked up by the 
 Missouri River; and on the south, by the "Little 
 Blue," whose mirv, bottom and steep banks ren 
 dered it impassable for cavalry and artillery, 
 while the timber and heavy growth of underbush 
 was so dense as to prevent the approach of a 
 body of troops to the streams, except by the roads 
 leading to the fords. General Curtis had the 
 advantage of the strong, natural defense afforded 
 by the " Big Blue," running directly between the 
 Union and Rebel forces, and forming a line of 
 complete breastworks, and which could only be 
 crossed at three points : At its mouth on the 
 Missouri River, where the stream was hardly 
 fordable and where the timber was so dense that 
 it was rendered difficult of access except by small 
 parties, consequently offering no inducements for 
 the passage of an army ; at the ford on the 
 Kansas City and Independance Road, commanded 
 by high bluffs on the west bank where a battery 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 133 
 
 could command the approach to the crossing and 
 sweep the narrow canon through which the road 
 passed on emerging from the stream ; and at 
 what was known as " Byron's" Ford,, a few miles 
 south and on Curtis' extreme left, and the most 
 practicable passage for the rebel army, and the 
 one through which the rebels would attempt to 
 force their way on discovering the precarious 
 situation in which they were placed by the Union 
 forces aided by the natural barriers to their farther 
 progress ; but either through a culpable neglect 
 on the part of the Commanding-General, or the 
 lack of proper confidence in his own force and the 
 strength of his position, this point was very lightly 
 guarded, and the rebel army escaped from a 
 position in which to use a correct expression in 
 reference to the matter at the time, they were 
 " completely corralled." The next blunder was 
 committed at the Marias Des Cygnes, when Gen 
 eral Blunt' s practicable proposition was unheeded : 
 to cross the stream with a portion of the army, 
 and strike the enemy on his right flank thereby 
 dividing his forces and completely surrounding 
 the rear Divisions, compelling their surrender and 
 the consequent surrender of Price's entire army. 
 Another manifest display of bad generalship 
 exhibited itself through the entire campaign : 
 With the exception of but a single instance our 
 army never marched in more than single columns, 
 and varying in length from five to fifteen miles ; 
 while the enemy proceeded in from two to four 
 
134 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 columns abreast and were at all times enabled to 
 present a solid front, well supported, when at 
 tacked in the rear by a part of our scattered 
 forces. The exceptional instance alludes to 
 Colonel Moonlight's Regiment which left the 
 command after the battle of Westport, and 
 proceeded along the border by way of Olathe, 
 Paola and Fort Scott, rejoining the command at 
 the latter mentioned place. During the charge at 
 Marias Des Cygnes, although on the open prairie, 
 but one Division participated, while another 
 halted in the immediate vicinity to feed their 
 horses. At the battle of Newtonia only nine 
 hundred of our men were engaged, and they 
 stood there, gallantly and heroically contesting 
 the field against ten times their number for nearly 
 three hours before the next Division arrived, 
 although they came up at the gallop on receiving 
 the dispatch announcing the opening of the 
 engagement by Blunt' s forces. After going into 
 camp the following general order was issued by 
 the General commanding : 
 
 "HEADQUARTERS, CAMP ARKANSAS, Nov. 8. 
 
 "The object of this organization and campaign 
 is accomplished. The rebel army under General 
 Sterling Price has been confronted, beaten in 
 several conflicts and pursued and driven over 
 three hundred and fifty miles, from the Missouri 
 to the Arkansas. 
 
 "This has been the work of fourteen days. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 135 
 
 Your marches have been incessant, sometimes for 
 days and nights in rain and snow, and generally 
 on short rations gathered from the herds lost by 
 the enemy. Your privations, toil and gallantry 
 deserve the highest commendation, and the suc 
 cess of the campaign in which you have so 
 gloriously participated, most of you from the 
 beginning to the end, must entitle you to the 
 thanks of your Government and the gratitude of 
 the loyal people of your country. 
 
 "Your losses are considerable, but nothing in 
 comparison with those of the enemy, who admits 
 a loss in killed, wounded and missing of eight or 
 ten thousand. 
 
 " All of his cannon but two, a large portion of 
 his small arms, his vast wagon-train loaded with 
 spoils and herds of cattle and horses have been 
 left, burned and scattered in the way of your 
 pursuit. But the greatest achievements of this 
 campaign are the driving of a desperate class of 
 vagrant associates of the rebels so far from your 
 homes and the States you defend. Beside this, 
 your stern resistance and close pursuit saved the 
 towns and garrisons of Kansas City, Olathe, 
 Paola, Fort Scott, Fayetteville, Fort Gibson and 
 Fort Smith, and the valuable public stores of these 
 places ; besides checking ulterior purposes of 
 slaughter and desolation contemplated by the 
 invasion in Kansas. But it would tarnish the 
 brilliancy of your achievements to claim this for 
 yourselves alone, without acknowledging with 
 
136 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 gratitude the share borne in the brunt of the 
 contest by the troops of Missouri, of Iowa, of 
 Wisconsin, and the militia of Kansas, who shared 
 the dangers, and because of their greater numbers 
 especially deserve more of the honors due the 
 conflicts of the twenty -fourth, twenty-fifth and 
 twenty-eight of October. But to you, including 
 the Brigade of Colonel Benteen, who have shared 
 in most of these battles and continued throughout 
 the long, weary pursuit to the dark and turpid 
 waters of the Arkansas, where your guns thun 
 dered in the rear of the starving, terrified enemy, 
 must be accorded the special commendation of the 
 Commanding- General and the generous approval 
 of your country. The special honor due to dis 
 tinguished comrades in the campaign will be 
 carefully presented by the Commanding-General 
 in his report to Headquarters, at Washington, and 
 to secure the most exact justice to so many 
 deserving commendation, Commanders of divi 
 sions, brigades, detachments and staff-officers will 
 make full reports, directed to Headquarters, Fort 
 Leavenworth, at their earliest convenience." 
 
 In parting the General tendered his thanks to 
 the officers and soldiers for their generous support 
 and prompt obedience to orders, and to his staff 
 for their unceasing efforts to share the toil, 
 incident to the campaign. The pursuit of Price 
 in 1864, and the battles of Lexington, Little Blue, 
 Big Blue, Westport, Marias Des Cygnes, Osage, 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 
 
 Chariot, and Newtonia, will be borne on the 
 banners of regiments who shared in them ; 
 and the States of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, 
 Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and 
 Arkansas may glory in the achievements of 
 their sons in this short but eventful campaign. 
 By the Commanding-General at least the soldiers 
 of Colorado received the credit they deserved ; 
 yet in many of the official reports we find but 
 little credit given them for their endurance," 
 especially in their hard campaigns through 
 Mexico. 
 
 The Confederate army being driven from the 
 States of Missouri and Kansas, and the haunts of 
 the bushwhackers being broken up, there was no 
 longer work for such a force, and much to the dis 
 may of the citizens of the State where our troops 
 had been staying the Second Colorado was 
 ordered to leave and report at Fort Leavenworth, 
 Kansas. 
 
 The State of Missouri during our stay had 
 changed very much in appearance, instead of the 
 fields lying uncultivated as before, our men at 
 every opportunity had helped the feeble men and 
 women, to put their fences in order and get in 
 crops, and the result was a bountiful yield of 
 every thing such as they had not gathered in years, 
 hence their sorrow at the removal of our regi 
 ment. During the Price raid our Quartermaster 
 with the sick and all regimental property, spare 
 horses and such like, had been camped on Cedar 
 
138 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Creek, in Kansas, within sound of the fight ; 
 scouts coming in every little while to apprize him 
 of how the battle was getting on. The mules 
 were kept for a number of hours hitched to the 
 ' wagons expecting every minute to hear the order 
 to forward march ; as the enemy outnumbered 
 our forces so much it seemed almost impossible for 
 them to stand their ground, but the God of Battles 
 decided in our favor and we were recalled and 
 with the rest of the regiment concentrated at 
 Kansas City, marching from there to Fort Leaven- 
 worth where we were ordered to the field, to 
 await further developments and camped on a bot 
 tom near the garrison ; the men doing camp and 
 other duties such as was from time to time 
 assigned them ; scouting, escorting and such like 
 active service. It was but a few weeks ere 
 reports kept coming of Indian depredations on the 
 plains, and the result was the Second Colorado 
 was ordered to Fort Riley for the purpose of stop 
 ping the Indian trouble and to chastise the guilty 
 ones. Here a difficulty arose. Companies A and 
 B, whose time was virtually up just about the 
 time of the Price raid, did not like the idea of 
 passing another winter on the plains. Some of 
 the men had gone from the States at the first cry 
 of Pike's Peak, and had left their families behind 
 hoping to get some of the golden treasure. The 
 great uprising in the South fired every patriot 
 heart and commending their dear ones to 
 God's mercy, they threw down the miner's 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 139 
 
 tools and marched valiantly at the sound of the 
 drum. 
 
 As the war, was prolonged beyond their expec 
 tations they kept on and 011 hoping for the end 
 that they could soon go to their loved ones ; thus 
 time sped on and many of them had been absent 
 for several years ; and when the order came for 
 them to go on the plains again it looked like great 
 injustice after such a faithful servitude. 
 
 A request was made that they should have their 
 discharge, which was forwarded" to Washington, 
 by their commanding officer, Colonel Jas. H. Ford ; 
 marching orders meanwhile had been issued to 
 the regiment and the Colonel was absent on fur 
 lough, therefore Major Pritchard took command 
 and all left Fort Leaven worth together, but orders 
 were sent after the command to the effect that 
 Companies A and B return next day to Fort 
 Leavenworth preparatory to being mustered out, 
 which order was cheerfully obeyed and bidding 
 good-bye to the rest of the regiment the two com 
 panies returned to Fort Leavenworth and going 
 into camp again awaited the coming of the pay 
 master, who on the twenty-first day of December, 
 1864, paid off and discharged from the Army, 
 Companies A and B of the second Colorado, who, 
 bidding farewell to their comrades, myself and 
 children, went on their way with hopeful hearts. 
 The regiments of Colorado were unlike those of 
 other States ; in this way the men who volun 
 teered in that Territory had gathered there to the 
 
140 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 mines from every part of the globe, and in those 
 regiments every State and almost all Nations were 
 represented ; therefore, when discharged, they were 
 scattered again to the four winds with small hope 
 of ever being together again. 
 
 As here my travels with the regiment ended I 
 must depend on such information as I gained from 
 time to time by letter. The remainder of the regi 
 ment went to Fort Eiley and as the Indians were 
 very troublesome it was actively employed in try 
 ing to hold them in subjection, and where stationed 
 at Fort Riley, Fort Zarah, Fort Ellsworth, Fort 
 Larned, and other camps. In a communication 
 from Fort Larned it reads, " We have been visited 
 with a storm the most severe I ever witnessed and 
 I shall never see such another. A scout arrived 
 here on Saturday evening and reported a train 
 which left here on the eighteenth for Fort Eiley, 
 with an escort of forty-two men, was attacked by 
 three hundred Indians, when seventy miles out ; 
 lost one man killed ; private Joseph Fields, of 
 Company F, private Donahue, of Company M, 
 and one man named Cole, belonging to the first 
 Colorado Cavalry, wounded ; the former seriously. 
 They all suffered severely from cold ; were obliged 
 to burn a portion of the train to keep from freez 
 ing. The boys were somewhat scattered at the 
 time of the attack chasing buffalo ; the Indians 
 got between them and the main party, and when 
 the rest came up the Indians betook to flight." 
 
 Another letter from Larned says : " We have 
 
SECOND COLORADO^. 141 
 
 quite a number of sick here and no one to attend 
 them properly. Lost one man of our squadron 
 since coming here, Rosson of Company M." One 
 from Fort Ellsworth, January twenty-third, reads, 
 ' ' Company L left Fort Riley on the sixteenth and 
 arrived on the nineteenth ult. Distance traveled, 
 ninety miles. We shall proceed to erect huts, or 
 f burrows' in the ground, which ever way is 
 deemed most expedient. If the kind of weather 
 we have been having for three days past con 
 tinues, underground apartment will suit us best." 
 Miles Jain, Sergeant of Company I, writes from 
 Fort Scott: " There are four of us here within 
 the walls of the hospital, three of Company L 
 and one of Company I, all severely wounded. 
 We are waiting for fine weather, to rejoin our 
 regiment. I sometimes console myself, that we 
 escape the suffering you endure with the bad 
 weather, but when I think of the hole through 
 my breast I try to think it is all right as it is." 
 
 Such was the fortitude with which they were 
 bearing their sufferings, and trying through it all 
 to encourage each other. 
 
 From Fort Zarah, February second, one says: 
 " A small party of men were detailed to cut and 
 haul some dry wood from an Island in the Arkansas 
 River, about the distance of a mile from the Post. 
 They had been on the Island but a short time 
 before the report of fire-arms were heard, and 
 much to the surprise of all, one of their number 
 came running toward the wagons, not reaching 
 
142 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 them, however, before he fell to the ground. But 
 very few of the party were armed, and supposing 
 there were Indians in the vicinity and not know 
 ing their numbers they concluded to hasten to the 
 Post and give the alarm. Lieutenant Coy was 
 immediately sent out with a party of men, and, 
 on arriving at the spot, found Private Dutton, of 
 Company C, Second Colorado Cavalry, severely 
 wounded in several places ; the wounded man 
 was removed to the Post hospital, and slight 
 hopes were entertained of his recovery. It was 
 supposed there was no more than three Indians 
 on the ground as there was no trail to warrant a 
 different opinion. The four squadrons ordered to 
 this Post, composed of C, E, G and K Companies, 
 arrived on Wednesday evening, the twenty-fifth, 
 ult. We had a hard time in making the trip. 
 At Salina we encountered a very severe snow 
 storm which continued for one day and night. 
 
 " The boys as a general thing suffered to a great 
 extent, more especially K Company, who were 
 without tents. The idea of soldiers marching on 
 the plains at this season of the year should never 
 have been entertained, unless actual necessity re 
 quired it. On arriving here we relieved several 
 companies of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, who 
 started for Leavenworth next day. 
 
 " We took possession of their i quarters' consist 
 ing of holes dug in the ground and covered with 
 brush and dirt. There is nothing tasty nor fan 
 ciful about them, but they are comfortable. The 
 
SECOND COLOftADOS. 143 
 
 duty of this Post is very heavy for the amount of 
 men stationed here. We escort the mail-coach 
 from here to the Smoky Crossing, between this 
 Post and Fort Larned, and about twenty-five miles 
 of the road to Council Grove ; also, all Government 
 trains passing by the Post in either direction. 
 The guard details call for four and five men also 
 per day from each Company." 
 
 Fort Zarah is situated on Walnut Creek, about 
 one mile above its entrance into the Arkansas 
 Kiver. It is one hundred and thirty miles west 
 of Fort Eiley and thirty-five miles east of Fort 
 Larned. The site is a beautiful one and the only 
 objection to be made to it is the scarcity of tim 
 ber. On the fifteenth of March, the information 
 reaches us of the sick left behind at Fort Leaven- 
 worth, thus : "Private Lowe, of Company K, is on 
 duty at Attache camp ; George Dickerson, of K, 
 is on furlough ; Hicks is lame with the rheuma 
 tism; W. W. Jones, Company H, is discharged 
 the service on account of sore eyes ; Drullard, of 
 H, went home on furlough, re-enlisted, and got a 
 big bounty in a veteran corps in Illinois ; A. Lum- 
 bert, of Company C, got discharged and is gone 
 home ; D. A. Conklin and Alexander Hamilton 
 are at their usual avocation ; D. B. Sweep is at 
 the Post Hospital yet." 
 
 March the twenty-first, Company H, of the Sec 
 ond, reached Fort Zarah on their way from Fort 
 Ellsworth to Fort Larned, Lieutenant Albert L. 
 Gooding in command ; resuming their march next 
 
144 HISTORY OF THE , 
 
 day accompanied by Companies C and G, of the 
 same regiment, under the command of Lieuten 
 ants Spencer and Hennion. 
 
 A few days later General Ford passed by on his 
 way to Fort Larned, making the trip from Fort 
 Kiley to Fort Zarah in about forty-eight hours, a 
 distance of one hundred and sixty-five miles. 
 
 Company K received marching orders to go 
 forward to Fort Larned, from which point Gen 
 eral Ford, accompanied by one hundred men, pro 
 ceeded to the Cimmerone Crossing. Thus it was 
 the sabre of the Second Colorado had no chance 
 to rust in its scabbard, after the redskins here as 
 they had been after the bushwhackers before, 
 scarcely could they breathe a sigh of menace ere 
 it was borne on the wings of the wind to the sol 
 diers of the Second Colorado and they were after 
 them pell-mell. 
 
SECOND COLORDOS. 145 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 In the early part of May, General Ford with a 
 command of about five hundred men and four 
 howitzers, supplying his troops with twenty days' 
 rations, proceeded south of the Arkansas River to 
 a place known as the Salt Plains, where fifteen 
 hundred warriors were reported to be encamped 
 and refused to be peaceable. From that direction 
 they had been for some time sending out their 
 bands to murder and steal. On the twentieth of 
 May, Joseph Kuhn, Company H, of the Second 
 Colorado Cavalry, and Johnson, of the same regi 
 ment, left Fort Larned to hunt stray horses. A 
 few miles west of Fort Zarah they were pursued 
 by five Indians. Endeavoring to make their es 
 cape Kuhn's horse was shot and fell, leaving 
 Kuhn dismounted and at the mercy of the Ind 
 ians, and he was killed and scalped by them after 
 discharging two shots from his revolver. John 
 son's horse becoming frightened and unmanage 
 able he was unable to stop him to render assist 
 ance, and returned to report as quickly as possi 
 ble. An ambulance was sent after the body, 
 which was brought in and buried at Fort Zarah. 
 A party went in pursuit of the Indians, but with 
 out success. About the same time a party of fif- 
 
146 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 teen Indians attacked a train at Ash Creek, eight 
 miles east of Lamed, and drove off all the mules 
 but two and made their escape, although there 
 were twenty infantry along. It was reported the 
 officer in charge would not allow them to fire. 
 General Ford and command arrived at Fort Larned 
 the same evening. 
 
 In the early part of May, Corporal John Harper, 
 of Company K, Second Colorado Cavalry, who 
 was wounded in the arm at the battle of New- 
 tonia and subsequently discharged the service, 
 was killed by bushwhackers near Pleasant Hill, 
 Missouri. At last giving his life for the Union 
 cause. 
 
 On the twelfth of June, while escorting the 
 U. S. Mail-coach from Cow Creek to Fort Zarah, 
 Lieutenant Jenkins, of the Second, and six men, 
 were attacked about four miles from the former 
 place by about one hundred Indians. Ordering 
 the coach back Lieutenant Jenkins and his little 
 party heroically stood their ground and fought 
 the bloodthirsty savages, who charged up within 
 ten feet, slightly wounding two men belonging to 
 Company G, Seventh Iowa Cavalry ; in the fight 
 one Indian and one pony were killed. On the 
 arrival of the coach at Cow Creek, Captain Ham 
 mer, of the Seventh Iowa, immediately started 
 with fifty-five men to the scene of action. The 
 Indians had moved in a south-west direction ; 
 chase was then given and, although they had two 
 miles the advance, our force succeeded in overtak- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 147 
 
 ing them as they were crossing the Arkansas 
 River, killing and wounding at least fifteen 
 Indians. Leaving a Sergeant and twenty men to 
 guard the crossing, the pursuit was continued 
 three miles on the south side of the river, but 
 being unable to overtake them they were obliged 
 to abandon it. About the same time Sergeant 
 Cronk, Company I, Second Colorado Cavalry, 
 with twenty men, while escorting a train, were 
 attacked by nearly one hundred Indians at the 
 Plum Butes, fifteen miles from Fort Zarah, on 
 the Council Grove Road: our men drove the 
 Indians. Patrick Sullivan got separated from the 
 command and was supposed to have been killed. 
 Sergeant Doud, of Company G, Seventh Iowa 
 Cavalry, with twenty men, drove thirty Indians 
 across the Arkansas River. 
 
 Lieutenant Hennion, Second Colorado Cavalry, 
 escorting a train with twenty men, on the elev 
 enth of June, was attacked while in corrall near 
 Pawnee Rock by over one hundred Indians, but 
 succeeded in dispersing them without loss. On 
 the same day Corporal Hicks and Private Huestis, 
 Company K, of the Second Colorado, while bear 
 ing dispatches from Larned to Riley were am 
 bushed, killed and scalped. The body of Hicks 
 was horribly mutilated, his head, hands and feet 
 being entirely severed. 
 
 The messengers for Fort Dodge, on the tenth, 
 were driven back by eleven Indians. On the 
 twelfth, Fort Dodge was attacked by between 
 
148 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 three and four hundred Indians and all the mules 
 and horses, except eight, were driven off. Three 
 men were wounded and two killed or captured, 
 their bodies were not found. A heavy fog pre 
 vented the discovery of the enemy until they were 
 between the pickets and the Fort. William W. 
 Colburn, of Company I, Second Colorado, was 
 struck by lightning and instantly killed on the 
 fifteenth, at Cow Creek, eighteen miles east of 
 Fort Zarah. He was allowing his horse to graze, 
 holding the lariat in his hand at the time of the 
 casualty. The horse was killed at the same in 
 stant. 
 
 On the eleventh of June, Lieutenant Eichard 
 W. Jenkins, Second Colorado Cavalry, with seven 
 men of the Second Colorado and Seventh Iowa 
 Cavalry, while escorting the Mail-coach from Cow 
 Creek Station to Fort Zarah, Kansas, when about 
 four miles from the former station, was attacked 
 by more than one hundred Indians, who rushed 
 in upon him from all sides, wounding two of his 
 men with their lances. With his small force 
 Lieutenant Jenkins succeeded in keeping the Ind 
 ians at bay until the coach returned to Cow Creek 
 Station and re-inforcements arrived, with whom 
 Lieutenant Jenkins gave chase to the Indians, fol 
 lowing them for twenty miles, crossing the Ar 
 kansas River and pursuing them for five miles on 
 the south side. Two of the Indians were killed 
 when the attack was first made on the coach and 
 fifteen at the crossing of the river, besides a num- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 149 
 
 her killed and wounded whom the Indians suc 
 ceeded in carrying away with them. A large 
 number of ponies were killed or captured, also a 
 large amount of blankets; robes", etc., and the 
 enemy's camp with all its equipage. 
 
 Lieutenant Jenkins' entire loss was two men 
 wounded. The names of the men who so valiant 
 ly held their ground were as follows : Lieutenant 
 Jenkins' Quartermaster, Sergeant True, Privates 
 Chaffee, Daly and Heycus, Company I, Second 
 Colorado Cavalry, and Cudding, Platte and 
 Coburn, Company G, Seventh Iowa Cavalry. 
 Great credit was due Lieutenant Jenkins and 
 these seven men, who displayed such coolness 
 and bravery when attacked by such unequal 
 odds. 
 
 The Indians all the summer were very persis 
 tent in their attempts to harrass the troops and 
 murder and plunder at every opportunity ; some 
 times in small bands and then large ones. In 
 the early Spring ineffectual attempts had been 
 made to break up and punish them, but it 
 seemed to quell them only for a short time. 
 Several scouts were made in force for the 
 purpose of coming in contact with them, but the 
 efforts proved unsuccessful for some time in 
 stopping their depredations. 
 
 During these scouts the men sometimes suffered 
 severely from cold and the lack of proper food 
 and sufficient quantity of rations, and being 
 compelled to endure fatiguing marches and the 
 
150 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 inclement weather to which the plains are subject 
 in the Spring season. From the time of their 
 enlistment the Second Colorado had been almost 
 constantly in the field, their duties had been very 
 arduous, and always hardest in the Winter season, 
 and according to the wording and intent of the 
 agreement, under which they entered the service 
 of the United States, they thought themselves held 
 illegally, as the Eebel army had surrendered or 
 been captured almost entirely. The troops in the 
 east and south were returning home and being 
 mustered out; in numerous instances troops, 
 that had only served a small portion of their term, 
 were discharged as not being considered a neces 
 sity, or under any further obligations to the 
 Government as soldiers, the war being ended. 
 These considerations in connection with the fact 
 that they who enlisted under the one hundred 
 dollars bounty act, and had nearly filled their 
 contract by hard service, were still retained, 
 while other troops were receiving three hundred 
 dollars bounty and being discharged the service 
 ere their term was completed, created a dissatis 
 faction among the men that was augmented by 
 the fruitlessness of their hard campaign against 
 the Indians. The men, without an exception, 
 believed themselves entitled to their discharge ; 
 and numerous contradictory and countermanding 
 orders, by which they were obliged to be governed, 
 engendered the belief in the minds of the men 
 and great dissatisfaction was the result. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 151 
 
 The following lines were sent to the regiment 
 at that time by the author : 
 
 TO THE GALLANT SECOND COLORADO. 
 
 Chafe not, brave boys, though harsh it seems 
 
 To keep thine armor on, 
 When thinking of loved friends and home, 
 
 That ye have left so long. 
 
 Thy fame which bears no darkening spot 
 
 Ne'er let it tarnish now ! 
 No overt act commit, to tear 
 
 A laurel from thy brow. 
 
 Thy honored dead, thy living brave, 
 
 O ! sully not their name ! 
 By bright keen blades, thy ready arms 
 
 Have won the wreath of fame. 
 
 A fame, a fame, which ne'er will die, 
 
 Though each brave heart may sleep 
 Beneath the blooming flowers of earth, 
 
 In a cold bed and deep. 
 
 Tire not ! with patience bide thy time, 
 
 Thy heavy task is o'er ; 
 And thou may'st, by thine own fireside, 
 
 Know all is peace once more. 
 
 Thy countless acts of gallant worth 
 
 The glorious scars ye wear 
 Oh ! mar not the escutcheon bright 
 
 Ye well may proudly bear. 
 
 Aye, proud ! for as time leaves its stamp 
 
 Upon each war-worn brow ; 
 So will thy valor brighter shine 
 
 More luminous will grow, 
 
152 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Chafe not, for soon thy march will be 
 
 Home to the loved and dear ; 
 The trophies of thy hard campaigns, 
 
 Thou, too, wilt carry there. 
 
 Then bear them yet a little while, 
 
 Nor mar thy glories won 
 THE GALLANT " SECOND" NEVER LEFT 
 
 THEIR WORK, TILL FAIRLY DONE. 
 
 Some of the officers and men put forth every 
 effort to settle the vexed question and have the 
 regiment mustered out of the service. The matter 
 was represented at Department Headquarters and 
 also reached Washington, and, about the first of 
 May, an Order was promulgated for the discharge 
 of "Cavalrymen whose term of service expired 
 prior to the first of October, 1865." 
 
 This had the effect to partially quiet the agita 
 tion for the time, but induced dissatisfaction in 
 regard to the exceptions in favor of those whose 
 term of service extended but a few days, in many 
 instances, beyond the period mentioned in the 
 order. 
 
 On the twentieth of May, to the deep disap 
 pointment and increased unrest of the men the 
 order was countermanded by General Dodge, De 
 partment Commander. 
 
 Shortly after the Order was re-promulgated, a 
 District mustering rendezvous established at Fort 
 Eiley, and the Assistant Commissaiy of Musters 
 (Captain U. B. Holloway) proceeded to discharge 
 troops in accordance with instructions received ; 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 153 
 
 but it was not until the first of September that 
 orders for mustering out the entire regiment were 
 received, and, on the eighth, the regiment left Fort 
 Riley for Leavenworth and was mustered out of 
 service, in which it faithfully and honorably served, 
 on the twenty- third of September, 1865. 
 
 Weary, battle-scarred and worn they clasped 
 hands and bade farewell, some never to meet again 
 on earth. The tear drop trembled on the eyelid 
 of many ; wounds on the battle-field, days of suf 
 fering in the hospital, and hair-breadth escapes, 
 had bound them together as brothers. Although 
 going home to see father, mother, wife or chosen 
 ones, yet a sadness hung over that parting. 
 
154 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 LINES WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR, AT THE REQUEST OF Co. "A, 
 
 ON THE DEATH OF A COMRADE AT FORT CRAIGGE, MEXICO. 
 
 He sleeps ; his brow is cold in death, 
 We've laid his lifeless form to rest, 
 
 In grave clothes he is laid away, 
 
 The last kind hand his own hath press'd. 
 
 He sleeps, and who will bear the news, 
 The tidings sad, to friends at home, 
 
 Or will he sleep forever there, 
 Unmourned, in that cold lonely tomb. 
 
 A stranger in a stranger land, 
 His kindred, will they never hoar, 
 
 How he hath fought, and sickening died 
 Or how he filled a soldiers bier. 
 
 Oh, cruel thought, no father dear, 
 No mother's kiss upon that brow, 
 
 No brother, sister, loved ones near, 
 And hath he died uncared for now. 
 
 Unwept, our comrade tried and true, 
 Proved in the battles dismal roar, 
 
 Ah ! no a soldier's heart is kind 
 As brother's love, they love and more. 
 
 Not one dry eye gazed on that tomb, 
 We loved him he was true and kind, 
 
 It cast a shadow o'er the camp, 
 
 Each heart in sadness then wil't find. 
 
 He sleeps, our brother soldier rests, 
 The trump of God he next will hear, 
 
 And may we answer to that call 
 And meet our loving comrade there, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 155 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 
 I have endeavored in writing this history to be 
 impartial, and that my readers may not think 
 I have gone beyond the truth in flattering the 
 Second Regiment, of Colorado, I will add the re 
 cord as it appeared in The Conservative, a paper 
 published in Leavenworth City, in the Fall of 
 1864, it was headed "A Gallant Regiment" and 
 read thus : 
 
 "Amid the many, it seems almost invidious 
 to select the one where all done so well, it seems 
 unjust to make an exemplar of a portion. But 
 every officer and soldier of the Kansas Divi 
 sion of the Army accord the highest meed of 
 praise for all soldierly qualities to the gallant 
 Second Colorado Cavalry, to its able and valiant 
 officers and its capable commander, Colonel 
 James H. Ford. Our citizens were gratified by 
 the appearance of these Veteran Soldiers. Eight 
 companies of the Second Colorado arrived here 
 from Fort Scott and were received by Colonel 
 James H. Ford, Majors Pritchard and Curtis and 
 other gallant gentlemen. They marched through 
 the streets of our city, a pageant more imposing 
 to the thoughtful observer than if, in all the 
 fresh pomp and brightness of the camp or ren- 
 
156 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 dezvous, they were starting fresh for the field of 
 duty. 
 
 " Weapons soiled and battered, garments stained 
 and torn, horses broken down and lean ; with 
 their guidons draggled, rent and stained ; not in 
 dishonor, but proudly bringing in their tattered 
 folds the scars of triumphal contest ; but, above 
 all, with the proof of valor in the wounded heroes 
 who, in the ambulance train, brought up the 
 rear ; all these things gilded the show and aided 
 in making the scene noteworthy. The Second 
 Colorado Cavalry has from the first been in the 
 front and borne the brunt of the fight. We as 
 Kansans will gratefully treasure its name. With 
 our own gallant boys it largely contributed to 
 preserve the State from devastation and to keep 
 unstained its proud record. As Americans we 
 owe it even more. No body of men deserve a 
 prouder place in the Pantheon which nations rear 
 over its heroes. In its ranks are men from all 
 States, who, isolated among the mountains seek 
 ing wealth and carrying civilization with them, 
 at the first gun of the Eebellion sprang to arms, 
 throwing away the golden prize, and musket in 
 hand seeking their country's foe. That brilliant 
 campaign in New Mexico bears the names of 
 a portion of the Second. Under Colonel Ford and 
 Lieutenant- Colonel Dodd (their Captains) two 
 companies, A and B, participated in the whole 
 of that vigorous conflict with the Texans. An 
 other portion, under Colonel Dodd, Lieutenant- 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 157 
 
 Colonel Curtis and the lamented Major Smith, 
 constituting what was then known as the Second 
 Colorado Infantry, participated in that other 
 brilliant campaign in the Indian Territory during 
 the summer of 1863. 
 
 " They were at Cabin Creek and afterwards at 
 Honey Springs, where Captain Green with his 
 command captured the Flag of the Twenty-ninth 
 Texas. They marched to Perryville and after 
 wards occupied Fort Smith, on the thirty-first of 
 August, 1863. The Second and Third Eegiments 
 were then consolidated into a Cavalry organization. 
 
 " Shortly afterward it was placed on duty in 
 Western Missouri, with headquarters at Kansas 
 City. Its history is well known for the past year. 
 Our border has been kept free from marauders by 
 its activity and valor, while the murderous bush 
 whackers have had abundant reason to dread the 
 Second Colorado. Through the past Summer it 
 has had numberless fights and lost many gallant 
 officers and men. 
 
 " During the Paw Paw Kebellion, Colonel Ford 
 was in command of the pursuing force. At Cam- 
 den Point and elsewhere the rebel Thornton felt 
 their power. 
 
 " When the invasion of Price aroused the border 
 to impending danger, the Second Colorado had 
 just been ordered to report to this Department. 
 The Indian War had caused this change. A por 
 tion of the regiment was at Fort Leavenworth 
 when, on the eighteenth ult. , the proclamation of 
 
158 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 martial law was prepared. It took the field im 
 mediately, and for some days before General Blunt 
 moved toward Lexington, Colonel Ford, from In 
 dependence, was scouring the country thoroughly. 
 Major Smith entered and left Lexington the day 
 before General Blunt' s reconnoitering column. 
 From the commencement of the campaign to the 
 wearying homeward march at its triumphant 
 close, the history of the Second Colorado is writ 
 ten in light. In every fight, battle and skirmish 
 the regiment, or some portion thereof, has been 
 engaged. 
 
 " At Little Blue, where fell the gallant Smith, to 
 the stormy three hours, at Newtonia, they have 
 borne themselves patiently and heroically, like 
 the gallant soldiers and true patriots they are. 
 On the Big Blue, Captain Green with his famous 
 gray -horse squadron was engaged with a body of 
 rebel cavalry that had taken the main Kansas 
 City Road instead of the one at Byron's Ford, by 
 which our position was flanked. It was Captain 
 Green, with the Second Colorado, who opened 
 the ball on Sunday morning at Westport a day 
 ever memorable to Kansas, as its glorious results 
 saved our State. 
 
 " At the Trading Post its gray -horse squadron 
 with one other (the Battalion under Captain 
 Kingsbury) as the advance, fired the last shot 
 on the evening of the twenty-fourth, and the first 
 one which, long before dawn, welcomed in that 
 victorious twenty-fifth of October. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 159 
 
 " Companies E, I and K, led by Captain Kings- 
 bury, under the direction of Major Hunt and 
 Captain Hinton, staff-officers of Generals Curtis 
 and Blunt, opened the ball at the Trading Post 
 at four A. M., of October the twenty-fifth, by 
 driving in the enemy's picket. It was this early 
 movement that saved Fort Scott, for had not the 
 advance of the first Division thus driven in the 
 enemy's rear guard the battle would not have 
 been opened by General Sanborn for two hours 
 later and the enemy would have reached Fort 
 Scott. The same gallant squadrons were fore 
 most in the charge upon the enemy's guns in the 
 bottom beyond the Trading Post, the second of a 
 series of fights that marked that day on the 
 Marias des Cygnes and Osage.. They participated 
 in the brilliant cavalry charge at Mine Creek, 
 which resulted in the capture of Marmaduke, 
 Cabell, seven guns and a large body of prisoners. 
 At Newtonia the Second Colorado, under Major 
 Pritchard, with the Sixteenth Kansas, under 
 Major Ketner, were first in the fight. In that 
 battle, so brilliantly audacious, they largely 
 contributed to the splendid result. 
 
 " Forming a part of the nine hundred, who faced 
 ten times their number, they stubbornly flung 
 themselves against the foe, and for hours stood 
 like a rock unyielding against the storm of 
 bullets and the hurling tide of battle which 
 fiercely dashed against our meagre lines, until the 
 arrival of General Sanborn made certain the 
 
160 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 victory which had already gleamed about us. 
 All honor to the gallant Colorado Volunteers, 
 say we. We welcome them to our city, scarred 
 and battle-worn heroes, as they are, and are only 
 too proud to, in the same slight manner, acknowl 
 edge the great service we owe them." 
 
 There is very much, no doubt, that could have 
 been told of the different encounters between the 
 Second and the enemy, but as it was impossible 
 to follow in their circuitous track at all times, 
 I have endeavored to make this history as inter 
 esting as I could with such information as I could 
 gain from time to time in my travels, therewith 
 trusting it will give pleasure to any one who may 
 deem it worth perusal. 
 
 More especially so to any Colorado soldier or 
 their offspring. I will here add the rosters of the 
 different companies as it may be interesting to 
 the readers at some time or in some place, bring 
 ing to mind the name of a comrade when perhaps 
 forgotten. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 161 
 
 LIST OF OFFICERS OF THE REGIMENT. 
 Field and Staff. 
 
 Colonel 
 
 James H. Ford. 
 
 Lieutenant- Colonel 
 
 Theo. H. Dodd. 
 First Major 
 
 S. S. Curtis. 
 Second Major 
 
 J. N. Smith. 
 
 Third Major 
 
 J. L. Pritchard. 
 
 Surgeon 
 
 I. J. Pollok. 
 Assistant Surgeons 
 
 Geo. S. Aiken, 
 
 D. M. Vance. 
 
 Adjutant 
 
 R. S. Roe. 
 Quartermaster 
 
 G. C. Manville. 
 Commissary 
 
 James Burrell. 
 Chaplain 
 
 L. Hamilton. 
 Captains 
 
 Co. B J. C. W. Hall, 
 E W. H. Green, 
 " F George West, 
 " G E. D. Boyd, 
 
 Captains 
 
 Co. I E. W. Kingsbury, 
 " K E. P. Elmer, 
 " L G. G. Norton, 
 " M Thomas Moses, 
 " H Charles Holly, 
 " C Cyrus DeForest, 
 " A I. F. Evans, 
 " D E. L. Berthuod. 
 
 First Lieutenants 
 
 Co. C J. F. Seymour, 
 " G F. A. Spencer, 
 " D William Wise, 
 *" H J. F.Bennet, 
 " I R. W. Jenkins, 
 " L U. R Hollo way, 
 " K George F. Crocker, 
 " M Win. H. Pierce, 
 " A A. G. Clark, 
 F W. H. Keith, 
 " B Jas. Parsons, 
 " E R. O. Rizer. 
 
 Second Lieutenants 
 
 Co. F G. M. Richardson, 
 " G J. E. Tappan, 
 " K I. J. Stanton, 
 " L J. Cleaveland, 
 " M G. C. Bo wen, 
 " B H. D. Jaynes, 
 " H A. L. Gooding, 
 " C M. Hennion, 
 " I C. A. Allen, 
 " E G. W. Culver, 
 " D F. M. Gravitt, 
 " A P. A. Ducey. 
 
162 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Roster of Company "A. : 
 
 Captain 
 
 Isaac F. Evans. 
 
 First Lieutenant- 
 Albert G. Clark, 
 
 Second Lieutenant- 
 Patrick A. Ducey. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 Evan Jones. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant- 
 George W. Howard. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 Alex H. Reed. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 William Cook, 
 Jacob Sinex, 
 Alex M. Staley, 
 John Bay. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Steven H. Warner, 
 James Bremner, 
 S. S. Kempton, 
 Geo. W. Hardwick, 
 JohnM. Gavran. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 Charles Williams, 
 J. W. Shiffler. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Luther C. Britton. 
 
 Blacksmith- 
 John C. Dewitt. 
 
 Saddler- 
 Joseph K. Fedrick. 
 
 Privates 
 
 William A. Aurner. 
 Fayett Alferd, 
 Joshua Armstrong", 
 
 Privates 
 
 Francis H. Bengley, 
 Levi Benedict, 
 John Burns, 
 Wilson P. Burgasen, 
 Charles Bernard, 
 William Cox, 
 Augustus R. Cox, 
 Benjamin F. Carter, 
 
 Lewis Chesser, 
 
 Thomas Carroll, 
 
 Thomas Connelly, 
 
 John Dwyre, 
 
 Willis Ellis, 
 
 Lewis Ellis, 
 
 Bartlet N. Fox, 
 
 John Freel, 
 
 William Gibbs, 
 
 David Gharky, 
 
 Benjamin Graham, 
 
 Joseph Gerish, 
 
 Henry Gillapp, 
 
 Thomas Hodges, 
 
 Chislian Herbacker, 
 
 William Hayes, 
 
 William C. Hadleig-h, 
 
 John H. Haskins, 
 
 John Hall, 
 Adolphus Ingham, 
 
 John Kerrins, 
 
 Thomas Kollar, 
 John Kaineron, 
 
 Ezra Lamb, 
 Robert V. Lauder, 
 Daniel Maher, 
 Nelson McNeil, 
 Alexander Maxwell, 
 Thomas McFadden, 
 Lindsay Mullinex, 
 Patrick McGinnis, 
 Bartholemew McDonough 
 William Murphy, 
 Andrew Ohler, 
 John O'Brien, 
 John Pillow, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 163 
 
 Privates 
 
 George W. Prosser, 
 Thomas Ramsay, 
 Michael J. Rogers, 
 William H. Rosson, 
 John Rosson. 
 Alfred G. Romine, 
 William W. Sugg, 
 David A. Stevens, 
 Abraham Sh idler, 
 Thomas J. Sherod, 
 William H. Shaw, 
 
 Privates 
 
 John C. Scott, 
 William S. Trow, 
 Dennis Tierney, 
 Joshua Taylor, 
 James F. Ulm, 
 Thomas J. Walls, 
 John Worrald, 
 George W. Wicks, 
 Peter Wells, 
 George L. Yant, 
 John K. Zoutsler. 
 
 Eoster of Company "B. 
 
 Captain 
 
 J. C. W. Hall, 
 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 James Parsons. 
 Second Lieutenant 
 
 Henry D. Jaynes. 
 First Sergeant 
 
 William F. Kenton. 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 
 Sydenham Mills. 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 
 Andrew H. Grover. 
 Sergeants 
 
 William H. Anderson, 
 
 Nathan H. Hopkins, 
 
 Martin D. Prentiss, 
 
 William Glasgow, 
 
 Garrett Feinan. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Edwin H. Sanford, 
 William W. Hodges, 
 Samuel Westerfield, 
 Joseph Mackrell, 
 Edwin P. Robinson, 
 Archibald Cribbs, 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Uriah Simpson, 
 Michael Beacom. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Horatio Allen, 
 Thomas Anderson, 
 Chauncey W. Amey, 
 John W. Ames, 
 Charles Arnold, 
 Comadore S. Brown, 
 Alexander Brown, 
 Harrison Berry, 
 John Branch, 
 Thomas Briggs, 
 Marcus T. Basset, 
 Alden G. Gate, 
 William H. Conklin, 
 James H. Custard, 
 Elisha Dewes, 
 Josiah M. Day, 
 Abram R. Daman, 
 William Emihizer, 
 Sylvester Gilson, 
 Simeon Haynes, 
 Charles Hitchburn, 
 Hiram Hawkins, 
 Alonzo F. Ickis, 
 William W. Johnson, 
 Justis B. Lloyd, 
 James H. Lykins, 
 
164 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Privates Privates 
 
 Ezra J. Lee, William D. Withington, 
 
 Josiah P. Lesher, Robert D. Alexander, 
 
 Curtis Moore, Robert Badley, 
 
 Simon Motz, John C. Bo wen, 
 
 John Morrison, Georg'e Bryan, 
 
 Hugh Marshall, Lafayette Coi'man, 
 
 Samuel Pickler, George A. Cook, 
 
 Thomas Payne, William Carley, 
 
 Josiah Porter, Samuel Gastland, 
 
 Ludlo H. Pruden, William Emans, 
 
 George Simpson, Henry Estes, 
 
 Joseph M. W. Smith, William Fulbright, 
 
 Amos N. Sylvester, Giles Gadard, 
 
 David Speilman. James A. Holmes, 
 
 Andrew Thomson, Jacob Martin, 
 
 John G. Thompson, Henry Mateson, 
 
 Harvey W. Thomas, Benjamin F. Nicholas, 
 
 Joseph J. Thomas, Abijah H. Norris, 
 
 Seymour S. Vaughn, Charles L. Richardson, 
 
 George Williams, James K. Scott, 
 
 James B. Wasson, Evan P. Shrivel, 
 
 Jerome B. Wright, Joseph Wizer, 
 
 John M. Weaver, William H. Wilson. 
 
 Eoster of Company "C." 
 
 Captain Sergeants 
 
 Cyrus H. DeForest. Charles E. Holder, 
 
 First Lieutenant- Benjamin F. Chesrown. 
 
 J. Fenton Seymour. Corporals 
 
 Second Lieutenant- 3SSS 
 
 Martin Hennion. Charles H. Zuther, 
 
 First Sergeant J ames T E - McNaughton, 
 
 James M. Grove, &^SSBr. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant- Blacksmith- 
 Chiles W. Burdsal. Thomas E. Ragsdale. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant Saddler 
 
 William Ogden. Daniel McDonnald. 
 
 Sergeants Privates 
 
 Samuel Peppard, George Ashworth, 
 
 Delos. W. Babcock, Thomas Brown, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 165 
 
 Privates 
 
 Privates- 
 
 Noah F. Brown, 
 Edward Bard, 
 John Brooks, 
 James A. Caldvvell, 
 James T. Cully, 
 William Chase, 
 And. Clark, 
 Francis Cooper, 
 Bernard C. Click, 
 William Dilley, 
 Dennis M. Dickenow, 
 Oliver E. Dalton, 
 James. H. Dagner, 
 Silas N. Button, 
 Richard W. Evans, 
 Henry A. Evans, 
 William Fredericks, 
 Le Grande Gould, 
 Daniel M. Goodley, 
 William A. Hunter, 
 James A. Humphrey, 
 Alfred N. Henry, 
 Thomas C. Haller, 
 William Howard, 
 Georg-e W. Hill, 
 Andrew L. Ingerson, 
 Edward Johnson, 
 Joseph Kenestrick, 
 John C. Kelly, 
 David La Belle, 
 Napoleon La Belle, 
 
 Abel Lumbert, 
 Allen P. Leggitt, 
 John W. Long, 
 Thomas McDermott, 
 John S. Mount, 
 John W. Mattock, 
 John McNight, 
 William B. Ogg, 
 John Oberon, 
 George Putnam, 
 Theophilos C. Power, 
 Joseph Richardson, 
 Charles Robinson, 
 James B. Rice, 
 William P. Records, 
 Daniel Sullivan, 
 Albert H. Smart, 
 Gordon C. Smart, 
 William Smith, 
 John Smith, 
 Edward Tracey, 
 William Terney, 
 Ulysses E. Thurmond, 
 James W. Thomas, 
 John A. Wagner, 
 James R. White, 
 William Wolf, 
 Tabor Wilcox, 
 Jacob A. Woodmancy, 
 Daniel J. Zent. 
 
 Roster of Company "D." 
 
 Captain 
 
 Edward L. Berthand. 
 
 First Lieutenant 
 William Wise. 
 
 Second Lieutenant 
 Francis M. Gravit. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 Anton Freeze. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant- 
 William G. Pell. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 Henry H. Lyon. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 William J. Phillips, 
 Henry J. Tibbitts, 
 Morgan Knight, 
 John T. Phillips. 
 
166 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Walter H. Shade, 
 William H. Latshaw, 
 Francis M. Gordon, 
 Henry Ernst, 
 William C. Teas, 
 Alvin S. Carpenter, 
 Michael B. Greaff. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 George W. Hobbs, 
 James Garrison. 
 
 Clerk- 
 John C. Northrup. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 William Garlach. 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Jackson Newkirk. 
 
 Saddler 
 
 James Douglass. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Joseph P. Abert, 
 Philip Achey, 
 Isaac W. Bailey, 
 William H. Butch, 
 George S. Bronson, 
 Josiah Bacher, 
 Nathaniel Brooks, 
 Talbot J. Bullock, 
 Eben Baird, 
 John W. Bowen, 
 Thomas Older, 
 George M. Chase, 
 Thomas Conley. 
 George B. Cooley, 
 Horace C. Cartwright, 
 Algernon S. Button, 
 George M. Douglass, 
 Abel F. Douglass, 
 Charles Elder, 
 David M. Emery, 
 William H. Easly, 
 William Irwin, 
 Abraham Foust, 
 Albert O. Griggs, 
 John Geil, 
 
 Privates 
 
 Aaron Humphrey, 
 John C. Hicks, 
 James W. Hicks, 
 Aquila Hicks, 
 John Hotchkiss, 
 Cyrus Hiltibidle, 
 Charles Hedinger, 
 Charles R. Jones, 
 Alva A. Keeler, 
 Irvin Knowlton, 
 Christian Lange, 
 Alphonse H. Lawrence, 
 Otto Lamprecht, 
 William H. Ma thews, 
 Patrick H. Mills, 
 Thomas Morton, 
 John Morris, 
 David Mclntosh, 
 Wm. M. McConnell, 
 Robert McCorkill, 
 Isaiah McDowell, 
 James Mclsaacs, 
 Morton O. Marvin, 
 Nathaniel E. Nobles, 
 Andrew J. Phillips, 
 Robert Pointer, 
 Leonard H. Randall, 
 George W. Ross, 
 Homer E. Ramsbury, 
 En os South wick, 
 Anson B. South wick, 
 Andrew M. Smith, 
 Alfred P. Smith, 
 Samuel Siloy, 
 William H. Snider, 
 Charles M. Sprague, 
 James R. Spencer, 
 Isaac D. Sibley, 
 David Shanks, 
 Lewis Trimble, 
 Charles C. Toomer, 
 Thomas F. Weaver, 
 Lewis A. Waif, 
 Jasper M. Wagner, 
 Andrew J. West, 
 Isaiah A. White, 
 Frank C. Wright. 
 
SECOND COLOR ADOS. 
 
 167 
 
 Roster of Company "E" 
 
 Captain 
 
 W. H. Green. 
 
 First Lieutenant 
 Robert O. Rizer. 
 
 Second Lieutenant 
 George W. Culver. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 Ezra Hoag. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant- 
 John R. Adams. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 John L. Keutner. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 Wm. Lockstone, 
 David C. Nettleton, 
 Wm. P. Shockley, 
 Henry Clark, 
 Henry Coy. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Oliver Howard 
 James Fulsom, 
 Philip Hayes, 
 Charles Pickard, 
 William G. Dunn. 
 
 Saddler 
 
 Lewis Hoffman. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 Henry Neymeyer, 
 Thomas Willey. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Isaac Hannah. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Elisha Andrews, 
 William H. Ashton, 
 Thomas Asquith, 
 William Brown, 
 
 Privates 
 
 John Baker, 
 Horatio Banning, 
 Charles W. Chealey, 
 Stephen Culbertson, 
 Stephen Conroy, 
 Daniel M. Clark, 
 Joseph Creely, 
 Aureu L. Crane, 
 John Cain, 
 William Cummins, 
 Oscar F. Eddy, 
 John E. Finney, 
 Eugene Flint, 
 Joseph P. Gard, 
 A. L. Glen, 
 Julius Garranflo, 
 Thomas Gray, 
 Lyman Graves, 
 Marshall T. Hayward, 
 Thomas Harrington, 
 Mathias D. Huston, 
 Charles H. Hannam, 
 John Hegitswheler, 
 John H. G. Holmes, 
 George F. Havens, 
 Daniel V. Hubbard, 
 Luther C. Horr, 
 Jonathan Ingram, 
 James Iker, 
 John Jennings, 
 James T. Kelso, 
 John Kessinger, 
 Edward Kyle, 
 Frank Lusher, 
 Justus Leslie, 
 Henry Leis, 
 James H. Morrison, 
 Patrick McDonough, 
 Daniel McCleery, 
 John McDonald, 
 Jacob L. Nickam, 
 John W. Olingemach, 
 Robert Riley, 
 Norman Reynolds, 
 
168 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Privates 
 
 Peter Robertson, 
 Geo. W. Richardson, 
 James B. Ross, 
 John Stone, 
 George Spencer, 
 Benjamin F. Sherod, 
 Samuel E. Smith, 
 William Simpson, 
 John Simpson, 
 John M. Shore, 
 F. J. Smith, 
 Walter B. Tillotson, 
 John Walker, 
 
 Privates 
 
 William Walker, 
 Charles B. Withrow, 
 George Wett, 
 John W. Bailey, 
 Israel Eaton, 
 John S. Graham, 
 Stephen Higley, 
 George A. Putnam, 
 Palmer Tiffany, 
 Charles Turner. 
 
 Regimental Armorer 
 Wm. Weisner. 
 
 Roster of Company "F." 
 
 Captain 
 
 George West. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 M. H. Keith. 
 Second Lieutenant 
 
 George H. Richardson. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 
 N. B. McMannaman. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 William B. Gillispie. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 Luther K. Crane. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 Moses S. Strew, 
 Benjamin E. Gump, 
 Robert S. West, 
 John Saet, 
 William W. Babbit. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 John M. Collier, 
 William Neeley, 
 William Kirabal, 
 Martin V. Wilder, 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Oliver D. Holliday, 
 Levi S. McGrew, 
 Abbott W. Sanderson, 
 William Gorgas. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 John C. Barteolett, 
 John F. McCleery. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Thomas Hunter. 
 Blacksmith 
 
 C. B. Reynolds. 
 Saddler 
 
 William S. Flanegan. 
 Privates 
 
 Roderick Allen, 
 
 John Aull, 
 
 James Beasley, 
 
 Philip Beemer, 
 
 Joseph Bennett, 
 
 Charles Baker, 
 
 Theo. B. Berch, 
 
 Robert P. Bobst, 
 
 Morton Bristol, 
 
 George Brundy, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 169 
 
 Privates 
 
 Privates 
 
 Joseph Bosley, 
 Alexander Campbell, 
 Richard Cheney, 
 Amos Darraw, 
 Andrew H. Dennis, 
 Isaac W. Denton, 
 George Elliott, 
 Charles Elgen, 
 Joseph S. Feilds, 
 Thomas Flemming, 
 Frank Ferrell, 
 Ernest Carl Frank, 
 John E. Greene, 
 John Groce, 
 William Hart, 
 Alexander Hamilton, 
 John B. Huggins, 
 James R. Hunter, 
 Elijah Hurst, 
 Jacob Jarrett, 
 Daniel Keely, 
 John Kieef, 
 Joseph M. Kelly, 
 William Kinner, 
 William H. Kimble, 
 William H. Latham, 
 
 Charles Lochman, 
 James I. Martin,' 
 William Marshall, 
 John McCardle, 
 John H. Mahler, 
 Arthur McClure, 
 George McCrillis, 
 William McMakin, 
 Daniel Muffitt, 
 William Nichols, 
 Henry L. Neimon. 
 George O'Brian, 
 William H. Pruett, 
 William Patterson, 
 Edward Riley, 
 Andrew J. Stacy, 
 Adna Stephens, 
 James Smith, 
 Silas P. Sutton, 
 Henry A. Tortat, 
 John Teeter, 
 John Tummons, 
 Stagg- C. Thompson, 
 Hans Wulff, 
 Edward L. Young, 
 Felders M. Young. 
 
 Roster of Company U 6r." 
 
 Captain 
 
 E. D. Boyd. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 Fred. A. Spencer. 
 Second Lieutenant 
 
 John S. Tappan. 
 First Sergeant 
 
 Enos R. Lee. 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 
 Aylmer Keith. 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 
 Charles M. Lewis. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 William B. Hawk, 
 George W. Lane, 
 Patrick McCristal. 
 Chapin S. Fay, 
 James G. Mygatt. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Joseph A. Shaw, 
 John A. Mulholland, 
 David H. Bradford, 
 David La Rue, 
 Dennis S. Langton, 
 John Lent, 
 George G. Selleg. 
 
170 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Farrier 
 
 John D. James. 
 
 Saddler 
 
 Thomas Gleason. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 Benjamin F. Spillars, 
 Owen O. Johnston. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Henry M. Arnold, 
 Henry F. Atherton, 
 Walter Atkins, 
 Francis M. Brownfield, 
 Dwight A. Ball, 
 John Boyer, 
 Andrew Bradford, 
 John Braithwaite, 
 Joseph M. Butcher, 
 Molden Bledsoe, 
 Jefferson Campbell, 
 Stewart Campbell, 
 Alva Chamberlaine, 
 John Chittick, 
 Joseph Cody, 
 William S. Conner, 
 Frederick Davis, 
 James T. Donohoe, 
 Patrick H. Donohoe, 
 Charles Dougherty, 
 Morton W. Elsworth, 
 August Engleman, 
 David Fowler, 
 Chester F. Fowler. 
 John Freestone, 
 Harry Galbransen, 
 John Grazier, 
 
 Privates 
 
 Jesse Hendricks, 
 Cornelius M. Johnson, 
 Edward A. Jones, 
 James Keen, 
 John La Belle, 
 John Lacy, 
 
 Elyeer S. I. La Fontaine, 
 Samuel H. Lemmon, 
 Henry Livingston, 
 John Loughry, 
 Alexander E. Love, 
 James McDowell, 
 James H. McVay, 
 Moses Miles, 
 James A. Mitchel, 
 William T. Morehead, 
 Henry E. Oates, 
 James Orton, 
 George W. Perkins, 
 Alfred Pyzer, 
 Edward Rhoades. 
 Luther A. Rogers, 
 Jesse Riley, 
 John Rottm aster, 
 Marquis D. Salisbury, 
 Wm. H. Self, 
 Wm. Smith, 
 Charles Sovereign, 
 William Spencer, 
 David Stewart, 
 Mortimer Stone, 
 Caleb G. Thorp, 
 Peter Vandermade, 
 Jefferson Waltea, 
 William White, 
 WiUiam Williams, 
 John D. Young. 
 
 Rosier of Company "H." 
 
 Captain 
 
 Charles F. Holly. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 James F. Bennett. 
 
 Second Lieutenant 
 Albert L. Gooding. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 B. F. Johnston. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 171 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 Augustus Frederick. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 Edward P. Davis. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 George H. Goodwin, 
 John M. Moore, 
 Thomas Hooper, 
 Ebenezer Jones, 
 Daniel R. Wagstaff. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Samuel P. Hatter, 
 Andrew B. Budd, 
 Clark C. Martin, 
 C. A. Schilowsky, 
 Hiram C. Olmstead, 
 Joseph Colt, 
 Levi Hill, 
 John Pendroy. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 John W. Torrence, 
 Levi Allen. 
 
 Saddler 
 
 Eugene B. Palmer. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Jordon Scott. 
 
 Blacksmith 
 Joseph Kuhn, 
 
 Clerk 
 
 C. L. Moore. 
 
 Privates 
 
 George Ammel, 
 William H. Allen, 
 John Bair, 
 William Bentley, 
 William S. Buck waiter, 
 John N. Bond. 
 Fernando L. Bradley, 
 Henry S. Bank, 
 Benjamin B. Bates, 
 John H. Coleman, 
 
 Privates 
 
 John Carrothers, 
 Dyer A. Conklin, 
 Bartholomew Cole, 
 Samuel D. Cowdez, 
 Thomas Carlson, 
 Robert E. Constant, 
 James L. Craft, 
 Joel W. Disbrow, 
 Francis A. Drullard, 
 Noah H. Eaves, 
 John W. Foot, 
 Rensaler Falkner, 
 Friend S. Gale. 
 Alexander Hamilton, 
 William H. Hewitt, 
 Benton S. Harbeur, 
 Levi L. Hughes, 
 William H. Hopkins, 
 Francis G. Havens, 
 William W. Jones, 
 Charles Jirman, 
 John Johnstone, 
 Edward F. King-land, 
 John W. Kelso, 
 Edwin R. Knight, 
 Albert Koenig, 
 James Karr, 
 Orlean H. Lomiss, 
 Henry F. Lentz, 
 Stephen B. Layburn, 
 Edward Metcalf, 
 William McBride, 
 Michael McKinney, 
 Alexander McMasters, 
 Thomas D. McLain, 
 David S. Miller, 
 Jesse H. Northrup, 
 William W. Northrup, 
 William F. Newkirk, 
 Elisha P. Plummer, 
 James W. Purdy, 
 Richard H. Quin, 
 Christian W. Ries, 
 James Ragen, 
 Benjamin F. Rafferty, 
 Henry Steiner, 
 David B. Sweep, 
 
172 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Privates 
 
 John E. Sawyer, 
 John J. Shultz, 
 Henry Schoepile, 
 John Sykes, 
 William E. Stubbs, 
 William Tomkins, 
 
 Privates 
 
 Orville Talbott, 
 Jacob H. Valentine, 
 Oliver V. Wallace, 
 Elisha T. Weaver, 
 Luther C. Woodward. 
 
 Roster of Company "I." 
 
 Captain 
 
 Ezra W. Kingsbury. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 Richard W. Jenkins. 
 
 Second Lieutenant 
 Charles A. Allen. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 
 Samuel S. Ferree. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 Charles C. True. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 
 Edward S. Hoole. 
 Sergeants 
 
 Theophilus Taylor, 
 
 Walter Bown, 
 
 Charles G. Lawrence, 
 
 Miles Jain. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 George Croak, 
 Nathaniel G. Plummer, 
 Uri L. Peck, 
 Freeman Belcher, 
 Hamilton C. Martin, 
 Joseph N. Steward, 
 Joshua H. Cook, 
 Royal P. Haven. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 Godfrey Ulrich, 
 Walter H. Wilson. 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Thoma Mohan. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Jacob Bard, 
 Robert Barr, 
 Andrew Branson, 
 Sylvanus Budd, 
 William Beck, 
 Lafayette Bailey, 
 Milo Brewster, 
 John Barnes, 
 Adolph Black, 
 William H. Cook, 
 David W. Critzer, 
 William W. Colburne, 
 Palmer K. A. Chaffee, 
 Marcus Cooper, 
 Silas Clark, 
 Lester S. Case, 
 John M. Coleman, 
 James H. Coulter, 
 Oscar M. Cady, 
 John Donaldson, 
 Thomas Dunn, 
 Martin P. Daily, 
 Royal Denison, 
 Charles Emmons, 
 John Evans, 
 James M. Eaman, 
 William H. Fee, 
 David C. Frame, 
 James M. Frame, 
 Daniel Gift, 
 William D. Gross, 
 John S. Granger, 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Privates 
 
 George Golden, 
 George F. Greenup, 
 Alexander Harvell, 
 Charles F. Heycus, 
 William H. Heycus, 
 Samuel Holbrook, 
 Charles Hathaway, 
 Jacob S. Kehler, 
 John King, 
 John Kensler, 
 Samuel Knox, 
 David A. Lykins, 
 Charles H. Lewis, 
 William A. Lawrence, 
 Enos McLaughlin, 
 Andrew Moore, 
 Robert W. Moffitt, 
 Andrew Munsch, 
 Joseph Oumer, 
 
 Anson W. Peters, 
 George Palsgraf, 
 Daniel Preffer, 
 Rufus Rice, 
 Aaron Runyan, 
 James F. Rowe, 
 Patrick Sullivan, 
 George Shirley, 
 John W. Taffee, 
 Thomas Taylor, 
 Elliott C. Tuttle, 
 William Templeton, 
 John W. Vaughan, 
 Jame Wood, 
 Henry Whitmore, 
 Cornelius W. Wright, 
 Thomas Webb, 
 Thomas M. Walker. 
 
 Roster of Company "K." 
 
 Captain 
 
 E. P. Elmer. 
 
 First Lieutenant 
 George F. Crocker. 
 
 Second Lieutenant 
 B. F. Johnson. 
 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 James T. Clark. 
 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 Austin H. Weir. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 Jeremiah H. Coney, 
 Jesse Knight, 
 James H. Stocker. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 John S. Harper, 
 Lewis Coleman, 
 Joseph N. Dodson, 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Andrew A. Burk, 
 John M. Wilkerson, 
 William A. Fortune, 
 Charles Edwards, 
 Henry H. Lacy. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Henderson Roy. 
 
 Saddler 
 
 William J. Barnes. 
 
 Bugler 
 
 William H. Carroll. 
 
 Privates 
 
 George W. Black, 
 Squire B. Bosworth, 
 Adoniram J. Bowen. 
 Samuel P. Butler, 
 James Campbell, 
 Wilson Cooley, 
 Peter Cummings, 
 
174 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Privates 
 
 William H. Derickson, 
 George W. Dickerson, 
 Charles W. Dorwin, 
 James M. Duncan, 
 John H. Fortune, 
 Charles W. Gorsuch, 
 Refus H. Heath, 
 Horatio F. Heald, 
 Peter Heintz, 
 William H. Houck, 
 Samuel J. Huestis, 
 Alexander Hughes, 
 Charles H. Hughes, 
 James B. Hayles, 
 William H. Hogan, 
 Joseph Hays, 
 George M. Hicks, 
 Monroe James, 
 Laurens H. Johnston, 
 Williams C. Kellogg, 
 Albert O. Locke, 
 John A. Lowe, 
 Thomas B. Lane, 
 James Loak, 
 Levi McLaughlin, 
 Peter J. McMartin, 
 Gerhard Hermann, 
 
 Privates 
 
 Seth R. Mills, 
 Thomas B. Morton, 
 Joseph Maier, 
 Hans Mundt, 
 William McConnor, 
 Rody McSorley, 
 Horace H. Norton, 
 Horace Norton, 
 Aaron Nyswanger, 
 Asa F. Powers, 
 Morris Peck, 
 Michael H. Reece, 
 John F. Rigney, 
 Alonzo G. Russell, 
 Milford H. Sanders, 
 Erastus B. Smith, 
 Stephen Slaughter, 
 John Straley, 
 Joseph H. Sanborn, 
 Thomas Tracey, 
 William Tabor, 
 John A. Washburn, 
 Joseph Wells, 
 Joseph Wetherill, 
 Thomas B. Williams, 
 John Williams, 
 Walter Weston. 
 
 Eoster of Company " L" 
 
 Captain 
 
 Uriah B. Holloway. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 Irving W. Stanton. 
 Second Lieutenant 
 
 James S. Cleveland. 
 First Sergeant 
 
 Carmi B. Vaughn. 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 
 Alfred A. Waggoner. 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 
 Christopher S. Philipps. 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 John B. Rupe, 
 Henry Brown, 
 Samuel W. Fitzgerald, 
 Norman Parker, 
 Montgomery Wisner. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Allen J. Davis, 
 Robert H. Dunlap, 
 William K. Anthony, 
 William H. Hardy, 
 John Bremner, 
 Rufus B. Edwards, 
 Egbert R. Wills, 
 Charles Thorow. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 175 
 
 Buglei 
 
 George W. Albright, 
 Daniel Welshons. 
 
 Farrier 
 
 Nathaniel Simpson. 
 Blacksmith 
 
 James M. Blam. 
 Saddler 
 
 Willard B. Austin. 
 Armorer 
 
 Peter Duffey. 
 
 Privates 
 
 Robert W. Adams, 
 John Wesley Brown, 
 John F. Blair, 
 Rodney C. Bean, 
 Joachim Borchert, 
 Cyrus G. Byers, 
 Lemuel N. Bradley, 
 Philip Bromler, 
 Archibald Bennett, 
 Henry Bartlett, 
 Gary D. Chapman, 
 John Carpenter, 
 Lewis Dufrain, 
 James Doyle, 
 George W . Davidson, 
 Henry H. French, 
 John Fletcher, 
 John Grubb, 
 Dudley W. Griswold, 
 Abednego Gilmore, 
 
 Privates 
 
 John C Gilispie, 
 John Glide well, 
 Frederick G. Her, 
 James Johnstone, 
 James Kelsay, 
 John Kraft, 
 Charles H. Miller, 
 Mathew McCune, 
 Sullivan McKibbon, 
 Zebulon B. More, 
 Jerry McLaughlin, 
 Henry Neighbours, 
 Wallace Pumphrey, 
 William G. Root, 
 Charles Root, 
 Rafalo Romero, 
 Leonard Sergeant, 
 William Sage, 
 William J. Spencer, 
 Isaac M. Scearce, 
 Charles E. Sullivan, 
 William H. Stone, 
 Columbus Tuttle, 
 George Tuttle, 
 Myron Tuttle, 
 Nathan M. Turk, 
 Joshua Vickroy, 
 Samuel S. Wills, 
 William Welsnhons, 
 Thomas Ward, 
 Charles M. Webster, 
 Oliver Wooley, 
 Joseph Allen, 
 John Warren Brown. 
 
 Roster of Company "M." 
 
 Captain 
 
 Thomas Moses. 
 First Lieutenant 
 
 William Pierce. 
 Second Lieutenant 
 
 George C. Bowan. 
 
 First Sergeant 
 
 Daniel G. W. Whiting. 
 Quartermaster Sergeant 
 
 William J. Lawrence. 
 Commissary Sergeant 
 
 J. Fitz. James Cooper. 
 
176 
 
 HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Sergeants 
 
 Charles Leslie, 
 Joseph Baker, 
 Isaac S. Freeman, 
 James C. Whitall, 
 John H. Sowell. 
 
 Corporals 
 
 Ferdinand Sigel, 
 George M. McDougall, 
 William Linsdale, 
 Daniel T. Mack, 
 Merritt C. Foster, 
 William H. Garlic, 
 Austin W. Means, 
 John W. Peterson. 
 
 Buglers 
 
 John T. Sheppard, 
 William Stewart. 
 
 Farriers 
 
 Henry Seiffert. 
 George E Dorman, 
 
 Saddler- 
 William H. Bobbins, 
 
 Privates 
 
 William Clark, 
 Charles Cole, 
 Joseph F. Cole, 
 Clayton S. Donihue, 
 William J. Doneley 
 Henry Day, 
 William F. Earl, 
 Jaques Fredez, 
 John Fidler, 
 John P. Frederic, 
 Christopher C. Fergeson, 
 William P. Fox, 
 William W. Frame, 
 August Grenneman, 
 . William H. Griffith, 
 
 Privates 
 
 Francis Gqpdwin, 
 Christopher L. Hess, 
 William Hoen, 
 William E. Hill, 
 John Harress, 
 Diego Hernandez, 
 Charles A. Henry, 
 Joseph Houghtaling, 
 Joseph Johnson, 
 James Johnson, 
 Albert Kizer, 
 John C. Kanditer, 
 George W. Lewis, 
 Henry N. Lewis, 
 James J. Ladd, 
 William Laughlin, 
 William H. H. Lowe, 
 William Mavis, 
 William Murray, 
 Asbury McKnight, 
 William McDougal, 
 David F. Needham, 
 Joab B. North, 
 John A. Owens, 
 Garrett Perrine, 
 Nehemiah R. Packard, 
 Andrew P. Phenning, 
 Henry W. Pulver, 
 John Quin, 
 Louis Reynolds, 
 Benford Smith, 
 Isaiah B. Smith, 
 Jackson D. Slaughter, 
 Jesse C. Strickland, 
 Henry C. Scoville, 
 William Sanders, 
 John Thompson, 
 Henry A. Tage, 
 Alec Wray, 
 Lewis M. Watson, 
 Robert Wilkinson. 
 
SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 177 
 
 TABLE OF STATISTICS. 
 
 Alphabetical List of Trades and Nationalities 
 in the Regiment. 
 
 Accountants 2 
 
 Actors 3 
 
 Artists 3 
 
 Ambrotypist 1 
 
 Apothecary 1 
 
 Brewer 1 
 
 Butchers 9 
 
 Brick-makers 2 
 
 Bakers 7 
 
 Barber 1 
 
 Boatmen 11 
 
 Book-keeper 1 
 
 Blacksmiths 25 
 
 Builder 1 
 
 Cabinet-maker 1 
 
 Carpenters 35 
 
 Cooks 3 
 
 Contractor 1 
 
 Clerks 16 
 
 Collier , . 1 
 
 Coopers G 
 
 Drummers 3 
 
 Druggists 5 
 
 Drover 1 
 
 Dentists -. . . . 2 
 
 Dancing Master 1 
 
 Engineers 15 
 
 Engravers 2 
 
 Florists 2 
 
 Freighters 2 
 
 Farmers 235 
 
 Glove-maker 1 
 
 Gunsmiths 10 
 
 Hostler 1 
 
 Harness-makers 2 
 
 Hunters 2 
 
 Joiners 4 
 
 Locksmith 1 
 
 Lawyers 9 
 
 Laborers 73 
 
 Masons 9 
 
 Merchants 9 
 
 Machinists 4 
 
 Music Teacher 1 
 
 Millers 9 
 
 Moulders 3 
 
 Millwrights 9 
 
 Mechanics 15 
 
 Musicians 8 
 
 Miners 462 
 
 Newsdealer 1 
 
 Physicians 6 
 
 Pilots 2 
 
 Printers 17 
 
 Plumber 1 
 
 Plasterers 7 
 
 Ranch men 7 
 
 Silversmith 1 
 
 Stone Cutters 3 
 
 Stone Masons 5 
 
 Salesmen 2 
 
 Sailors 9 
 
 Ship Carpenter 1 
 
 Shoe-makers 14 
 
 Soldiers 8 
 
 Servant 1 
 
 Stage Drivers 3 
 
 Tinker 1 
 
 Traders 2 
 
 Turners 5 
 
 Tailors 4 
 
 Teamsters 35 
 
 Upholsterers 3 
 
 Veterinary Surgeon 1 
 
 Wagon-makers 2 
 
 Watch-maker 1 
 
 Waggoner 1 
 
178 
 
 THE SECOND COLORADOS. 
 
 NATIONALITIES. 
 
 United States. 
 
 Maine 32 
 
 New Hampshire 10 
 
 Vermont 31 
 
 Massachusetts 26 
 
 Rhode Island 4 
 
 Connecticut 17 
 
 New York 163 
 
 New Jersey 17 
 
 Pennsylvania 110 
 
 Delaware 2 
 
 Maryland 10 
 
 Virginia 23 
 
 North Carolina 4 
 
 South Carolina 2 
 
 Alabama 2 
 
 Ohio 202 
 
 Kentucky 38 
 
 Missouri 46 
 
 Indiana 31 
 
 Illinois 65 
 
 Michigan 16 
 
 Iowa 15 
 
 Wisconsin 6 
 
 Minnesota 1 
 
 Tennessee . . .19 
 
 Other Countries. 
 
 New Mexico 22 
 
 Cherokee Nation 1 
 
 Choctaw Nation 1 
 
 Canada 32 
 
 England 36 
 
 Ireland 63 
 
 Scotland.. 15 
 
 Wales 2 
 
 Australia 1 
 
 Prussia 7 
 
 Germany 42 
 
 Poland 4 
 
 Denmark 1 
 
 Sweden 5 
 
 Russia 1 
 
 Norway 4 
 
 France 7 
 
 Bohemia 1 
 
 Saxony 2 
 
 Holland 2 
 
 Bavaria 1 
 
 Switzerland 1 
 
 Born at Sea 3 
 
 Nationality Unknown 1