USA > Kansas > A standard history of Kansas and Kansans, Volume II > Part 29
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The experience of my tenure of office emphasizes to me the neces- sity of a change in the departments of state to proeure that which the publie desires-greater efficiency and more economy. The short- ened ballot and a legislature consisting of one body of a small num- ber of legislators, will be a step in the dircetion of a solution of the problem. The same recommendation applies with equal foree to county officials.
The prohibition laws of our State have been enforced equally as well if not better than ever in the history of Kansas.
In looking back over the efforts of the various departments of this administration the past two years, I commend myself upon having appointed loyal, efficient Kansans, who have placed their state obliga- tions above personal desire or politics. I have given this state my best
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efforts and I feel more than satisfied with the results accomplished, and while it perhaps may be presumptuous to prophesy, but I doubt very much whether there will be a single law of moment passed by the last legislature that will be repealed, or that a single policy of moment now in effect in any of the state departments will be changed. Minor details may be changed, as is always the case, as we correct by the ben- efits of experience.
I bespeak for my successors from the Democratic papers of this state, that which has been denied me by the Republican press-the truth. I earnestly hope that the citizenship of Kansas, irrespective of poli- tics, will co-operate with the governor of this State in each and every righteous endeavor that he may attempt. I earnestly wish for him a successful administration. Our love for our great commonwealth and our loyalty to Kansas, not only inspires me, but should inspire every Kansan, irrespective of politics, to be ready to assist in any and every manner whatsoever for the continued growth, prosperity and upbuild- ing of the great Sunflower state.
CHAPTER LXVI ARTHUR CAPPER
BY CECIL HOWES
Arthur Capper was the first native Kansan to be elevated to the high- est office in the gift of the people of his State. He came into office under a severe handicap, and the first few months of his term was marked by two outstanding achievements.
He found the upper branch of the Legislature entirely out of sym- pathy with his plans, and that the State Institutions were managed by his political opponents. He compelled the Democratic Boards to give the State real service without polities as the controlling factor.
He proved to the voters of the State that he meant what he said when he made his campaign speeches promising certain things. He regarded these promises as notes, to be paid, "according to the bond."
Without any other matters of State this record alone would probably have given Governor Capper a second term, but there were so many things of real value accomplished during the administration that he was re-elected by a plurality of 162,000, the largest ever given a candidate for a State office in Kansas.
The Governor had promised an economical administration. The at- tempt of the opposition to load down the appropriation bills, was broken up by the Governor himself ; he vetoed bills and parts of bills that carried appropriations he believed unnecessary. During the entire two years he has been in office, the Governor has kept close watch of all the financial affairs of the State. While it could not be expected that a growing State could reduce expenditures, he has been able to prove that a growing State could get a real dollar's worth of service or goods for every dollar it spent. In working over the financial affairs of Kansas, Governor Capper discovered many faults of the old systems, and he has asked the Legis- lature to give the State a budget system as a means of preventing much waste which cannot be prevented under the present plan.
As the result of the Governor's efforts, the Legislature named an Efficiency and Economy Commission, which spent nearly two years in- vestigating all the State institutions and departments. It has urged a radical change in the administrative affairs of the State, consolidating boards, reducing the number of administrative officers and providing for the hiring of experts in different lines to handle the business of the differ- ent departments outside of those of the constitutional officers. Just be- Vol. 11-18
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HON. ARTHUR CAPPER, GOVERNOR OF KANSAS [ Photograph by Willard, Topeka]
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fore the Legislature was to convene at the opening of his second term, the Governor ealled one hundred business men from all parts of the State, to Topeka. They submitted recommendations for revising the systems of eity and county governments to make the administration of local affairs much more economieal and efficient by centralizing the power of adminis- tration and fixing the responsibility of the officers.
The first term of Governor Capper really put several milestones in the path of Kansas achievement. Here are some of the things Kansas is proud of discussing :
Provision for pensions for mothers who are deprived of adequate support, and who must break up their homes unless they can have help from the eounties where they live. The law, being the first one drafted, is, of course, defeetive in some respects, and the Governor has urged some important changes that will widen the seope and possibilities of this humanitarian Statute.
Civil Service has been adopted in the State Institutions and depart- ments.
A bureau for the education of mothers in the eare of the babies- potential citizens-was established. The activities of this bureau ean be easily followed by the reduction in the death rate of babies wherever the bureau opened its campaigns.
The most crooked election ring in the State was broken up, and the last eleetion in Kansas City, Kansas, is said by the citizens there to have been the eleanest election held in the eity for fifteen years.
The worst politieal and judicial seandal in the history of the State, the natural gas litigation and receivership, with its thousands of dollars in fees to political lawyers, was given an airing that is eertain to bring remedial legislation which will prevent a reeurrence of such bold and shameless looting.
The establishment of an Industrial Commission to investigate and give relief to the women-workers in stores and factories and with author- ity to limit the hours of labor, fix the wages and determine the conditions under which women may work in Kansas.
While Arthur Capper was campaigning there had been a pardon granted a banker who had defrauded the depositors of a bank. In a speech the Governor declared that he was in favor of the prison for big as well as little thieves. During his first term as Governor, not a single pardon was granted except for final discharges of prisoners and then only conditional upon good behavior and although extreme pressure was brought, the Governor refused to even parole some of the big thieves in the Kansas prison.
The big printing establishment of Arthur Capper is often spoken of as the "best oiled" machine of its size in the country. It works so smoothly that one hardly knows there is a guiding hand. This is done by the employment of thoroughly competent people for handling each de- partment. It is the Governor's idea that a State could be run in just about the same way,-no fuss nor feathers, and no brass band. That is the way Arthur Capper has tried to run Kansas in the past two years, and
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will continue to run it for the next two. He hires the most competent men and women he can find for the State positions, and holds them directly responsible for the proper performance of their duties. There has been less friction, less political opposition and more correlation of the State departments and institutions, resulting in greater economy and efficiency in the administration of affairs than Kansas has ever known, and it has been done so unobtrusively that many do not realize the tre- mendous happenings in State business that have taken place in the past two years.
CHAPTER LXVII
MILITARY HISTORY
No state ever made a better military record than has the State of Kan- sas. The disorders of the Territorial days developed the military spirit of the Kansas pioneers. The Territorial period was, in fact, part of the Civil War,-the preliminary struggle. The Free-State men were nearly all under arms during the conflict with the Border-Ruffians. That train- ing counted mueh for the Kansas regiments in the field in the Rebel- lion. There is no record of any Kansas regiment in the Civil War, Indian wars, or Spanish American War, Border wars, or any other conflict, where the Kansas troops in any way failed to meet the highest require- ments of military service. There are innumerable instances of extraordi- nary achievement by Kansas troops in these wars. The records show that Kansas always furnished more men than the requisition of the Government ealled for. The Kansas people are peace-loving and prefer to till the soil and engage in other pursuits required to develop the in- dustries of the State. But if they have to fight, they know how. No more patriotic people ever lived than those of Kansas. When called on to ren- der military duty, they have promptly responded, and, as above said, in larger numbers than requisitioned. In the Civil War Kansas furnished more enlisted men than she had voters, a record which is not approached by any other State. If any proof were needed of the intense loyalty of Kansas people, this might be presented as the strongest evidence.
It is much regretted by this author that the limits of this work pre- vents an exhaustive review of the splendid service of every military organization ever produced by Kansas.
Following is presented a brief account of the service of each regiment.
The military tables quoted herein are from the Andreas History of Kansas.
FIRST REGIMENT KANSAS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The First Regiment of Kansas Volunteer Infantry was raised under the call for troops made by President Lincoln May 8, 1861. The regiment had its rendezvous at ('amp Lincoln, near Fort Leavenworth, and was recruited between the 20th of May and June 3rd, on which day it was mustered into the United States service.
The following officers, commissioned by Governor Charles Robinson, constituted the Field and Staff :
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George W. Deitzler, Lawrence, Colonel; Oscar E. Learnard, Burling- ton, Lieutenant-Colonel; John A. IIalderman, Leavenworth, Major; Ed- win S. Nash, Olathe, Adjutant ; George H. Chapin, Quindaro, Quarter- master; George Buddington, Quindaro, Surgeon: Ephraim Nute, Law- renee, Chaplain.
This regiment was recruited, organized, drilled and mustered into service in practically two weeks' time. And within but little more than a week from the day its soldiers first responded to their names on the muster roll they were ordered into active service. On June 13th seven companies of the First Kansas left Leavenworth for Kansas City, and on the 20th the remainder of the regiment followed. Their objective was Springfield, Mo., where they were to join the army of General Nathaniel Lyon. At Kansas City the regiment was reinforced by a battalion of United States Infantry and two companies of United States Cavalry commanded by Major Sturgis, U. S. A., and together they moved south- east, joining General Lyon at Grand River on the 7th of July. On July 10th the entire command reached Springfield, already beenpied by the forees of General Sigel. Here the First Kansas tasted some of the priva- tions of real war. for supplies were practically exhausted and fresh beef. without salt, was the only luxury the commissary afforded.
The regiment received its "baptism of fire" at Dug Springs, whither Lyon had gone to intereept a confederate force advancing from Cassville. This eneonnter was sueeessful, the detachment from MeCulloch's division being speedily dispersed by Lyon's command. The Dug Springs skir- mish was but a preliminary to the battle of Wilson's Creek, which occurred some days later, and in which the First and Second Kansas, "raw regiments," were to have their first experience of desperate confliet.
Lyon had moved his army as far as Dug Springs to test the strength of the enemy, and having foreed them to retreat, he returned to Spring- field. He was fully aware that the rebels were concentrating their forces on Wilson's Creek, twelve miles southwest of Springfield, and that his own position was becoming daily more dangerous. The strategy of this movement was plain to him and he made repeated attempts to "draw" the Confederates. In these he failed, and realizing the impossibility of any retrograde movement, pressed upon as he would be, by such superior numbers, Lyon determined to force a battle by attacking the enemy in their eamp.
He called a conneil of his Field Officers on the evening of August 8th and made the following statement to them :
Gentlemen, there is no prospeet of our being reinforced at this point ; our supply of provisions is running short : there is a superior foree of the enemy in front, and it is reported that Hardee is marehing with nine thousand men to eut our line of communication. It is evident that we must retreat. The question arises, what is the best method of doing it ? Shall we endeavor to retreat without giving the enemy battle beforehand and run the risk of having to fight every ineh along our line of retreat ? Or shall we attack him in his position and endeavor to hurt him so that he cannot follow ? I am decidedly in favor of the latter plan. I propose to march this evening with all our available force, leaving only a small
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guard to protect the property which will be left behind, and, marching up the Fayetteville road, throw our whole force upon him at once and endeavor to rout him before he recovers from his surprise.
For some reason Lyon's plan, which was both bold and skillful, was not carried into effect on the evening of the 8th, as first proposed, but was postponed for a day. To carry out his plans he divided his army into two divisions, the main body of about 3.000 men he commanded himself, the other of some 1,500 was under General Sigel.
Early in the morning of August 10th, moving as pre-arranged, Lyon's command reached the left rear of the enemy. Here he placed his batter- ies in position and opened fire almost simultaneously with Sigel, who had moved by the Fayetteville road to a position also in the rear of the enemy, but on their right. Lyon's hope through this maneuver was to demoralize the Confederate force quiekly by throwing it upon its own center.
The First Kansas came onto the battlefield following the First Mis- souri and the First lowa. and with the First Missouri, occupied the center of the field. The Second Kansas was held in reserve during the early part of the engagement and did not go into action until shortly before General Lyon was killed. Owing to the advanced position held by the First Kansas it contended. from the moment of entering the fight, with most fearful odds. Andreas' History of Kansas says :
The rebels led battalion after battalion against the determined little band (the First Kansas and the First Missouri) only to be repeatedly driven back in confusion, and from the beginning to the close of the struggle, in the language of the official report "all the officers and men of this command fought with a courage and heroism rarely, if ever equaled."
Sigel's assault on the enemy's right had been disastrous to his com- mand : the rebels had returned his attack, dispersed his men, captured his guns and sent him flying back to Springfield, thus leaving Lyon's divi- sion to bear the brunt of the battle. Counting on reinforcements from Sigel, the Second Kansas was brought into action as the enemy, moving under the protection of the stars and stripes captured from Sigel's divi- sion, had attained a desired position, and as the battery aiding in the de- ception, poured charge after charge of shrapnel and canister into the Union ranks. This devastating fire raked the Second as it moved to its position, severely wounding its Colonel, Robert B. Mitchell. General Lyon, taking Mitchell's place received his death wound, as he led the Second in its charge. Major Sturgis in his official report of the battle says of this crisis :
After the death of Gen. Lyon, when the enemy fled, and left the field clear so far as we could see, an almost total silence reigned for a space of twenty minutes.
Our brave little army was scattered and broken; over 20,000 foes were still in our front, and our men had had no water since five o'clock the evening before, and could hope for none short of Springfield, twelve miles distant. If we should go forward, our success would prove our certain ruin in the end; if we retreated, disaster stared us in the face; our ammunition was well-nigh exhausted, and should the enemy make
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this discovery, through a slackening of our fire, total annihilation was all we could expect.
So sanguinary was this battle that the Confederate reports refer to the ridge where it was fought as "Bloody Hill." Of the close of the en- gagement Andreas has this to say :
When the struggle was fiercest, and the combatants were literally fighting muzzle to muzzle, three companies of the First Kansas, with a remnant of the First Missouri and First Iowa, took possession of an eminence on the right flank of the enemy, which commanded the position they were endeavoring to gain, and as the rebels charged up the bluff, they encountered such a fearful storm of lead, both from the front and right, that they fell back appalled, nor even attempted to rally their flying disorganized forces. This rout practically ended the battle. For six hours it had raged almost without respite. The troops, many of them hardly long enough in the service to have grown familiar with their own names on the muster-roll, passed the ordeal of their first battle in a manner that no veteran need have scorned. The first gun broke the stillness of the early morning at about 5 o'clock. The last was fired at half past eleven. Then the order was given by General Sturgis to retire, and the exhausted and broken column preceded by the ambulances con- taining their wounded, left the field, and fell back to Springfield.
Official reports give the numbers engaged in the battle of Wilson's Creek as 20,000 Confederates and 5,000 Union soldiers.
From Springfield a forced march was made by the Union troops to Rolla, and from that point the First Kansas was ordered to St. Louis and thence to Hannibal. They were employed until January, 1862, in guard- ing different posts on the Hannibal & St. Joseph, and Missouri Pacific railways. In January the regiment was ordered to Lexington, Mo., and from there was sent to Fort Leavenworth and granted a furlough of ten days.
At the expiration of this time it joined the army of General Curtis, which was destined for New Mexico. The rendezvous was Fort Riley and there the regiment remained during the winter. In the meantime the "New Mexico expedition" was abandoned and in May the First Kansas was ordered south. Its destination was changed from Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., to Columbus, Ky., which place it reached in June. And from then until late in September it was again used in guard duty, guarding the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, with headquarters at Trenton, Tenn.
In October the First Kansas became a part of McPherson's Brigade, and was ordered to reinforce Gen. Rosecrans at Corinth. Under his command it took part in the pursuit of Van Dorn, going as far as Rip- ley, Miss. The regiment was then transferred to Col. Deitzler's Brigade and with Gen. Grant's forces was to be sent to Jackson and Vicksburg. But further pursuit of Van Dorn's army being engaged in, the brigade returned from Oxford, Miss., and occupied Holly Springs, and from this point was ordered to Salem, Miss., to intercept Van Dorn's retreat. Dur- ing the month of December the regiment was quartered in Memphis, and from January, 1863, to July, participated in the operations before Vicks-
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burg, being employed chiefly in scout and picket duty. During the win- ter of 1863 and 1864 it was stationed at Black River Bridge, taking part in General McArthur's Yazoo River expedition. In the spring it was once more on scout and picket duty about Vicksburg, but its term of en- listment was drawing to a close. On June 1st, under command of Lieu- tenant-Colonel Spicer, the regiment embarked on the "Arthur" bound for Fort Leavenworth-and home. On the 17th of June the men were mustered out. Two companies of veterans, New Company B and New Company D. remained in the United States service until the close of the 'war, when they were honorably discharged at Little Rock, Ark., August 30th, 1865. During its service the regiment took part in thirty battles and skirmishes, a detailed account of which would occupy more space than can be allotted here.
In closing this brief account of the First Regiment of Kansas Volun- teers the tribute paid them by Prentis in his Battle Corners should have a place.
The field will always be of interest to Kansans, for of the four full volunteer infantry regiments who fought here, two were from Kansas, and they were the First and Second; here, too, Iowa had her First, and loyal Missouri her First. These were the "first-fruits" offered by Kansas on the altar of our common country. These were the "boys" who went into the war before the days of calculation ; before drafts or bounties had been heard of. The Kansas "boys" went into the battle raw volunteers, they came out of it veterans. They fought beside regular soldiers of the United States army, and they fought as long and as well. The battle was a field of honor to all concerned. From it came seven Major Generals and thirteen Brigadier Generals of the Union army, and of these the two Kansas regiments furnished their quota, when it is remembered that with Lyon's column there were three battalions of regular infantry and two light batteries, the officers of which were more naturally in the line of promotion.
The great figure of the battle was Gen. Lyon; his death sanetified the field. If every other event that occurred there were forgotten, it would still be remembered that Lyon died there. Kansas in her proud sorrow remembers that it was as he led the Second Kansas to one more desperate charge that he fell.
SECOND REGIMENT KANSAS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
The Second Regiment of Kansas Volunteer Infantry was raised in response to the first call for troops made by President Lincoln, April 15, 1861. This call was for 75,000 men to serve for three months. Dur- ing May and early June the regiment was recruited and rendezvoused at Lawrence, where it was organized June 11th. It was mustered into the United States service June 20th, at Kansas City, Mo.
Gov. Charles Robinson commissioned the following officers for Field and Staff :
Robert B. Mitchell, Mansfield, Colonel; Charles W. Blair, Fort Scott, Lieutenant-Colonel ; William F. Cloud, Emporia, Major; Edward Thompson, Lawrence, Adjutant; Shaler W. Eldridge, Lawrence, Quar- termaster; Aquila B. Massey, Lawrence, Surgeon ; Randolph C. Brant, Lawrence, Chaplain.
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Like the First Kansas, the Second was destined to become a part of Lyon's army. The regiment left Kansas City on the 26th of June to join the brigade of Major Sturgis at Clinton, Mo., and from there proceeded to Lyon's Division, which it joined near the Osage river, in St. Clair county. From there the entire Division marehed to a point near Springfield where eamp was established and the work of drilling troops was commenced. The First and Second Kansas Volunteers formed a brigade commanded by Col. Deitzler of the First Kansas regiment.
On July 22nd a portion of the Second was in the engagement at Forsythe, that being their first experience under fire. The regiment was also in the skirmish at Dug Springs and a few days later distin- guished itself at the battle of Wilson's Creek. This battle was per- haps one of the bloodiest of the Civil War, and was fought against such terrifie odds that utter annihilation was the only thing expected. The Colonel of the Second, Mitchell, was seriously wounded and the gallant Lyon, bleeding from wounds already received, was killed as he was preparing to lead the Second in a bayonet charge.
After Wilson's Creek the Second, or what was left of it, with the remainder of Lyon's little army, fell back to Rolla and from there went on to Ilannibal, en route for Kansas. At Hannibal, Col. Williams of the Third Iowa took a portion of the Second on an expedition to Paris, Mo., to aid in driving rebel troops from that town. and to remove to a place of safety money that was there in the bank. On their return, at Shelbina, they encountered a considerable force of Confederates but managed to escape them and reach Macon City. From this point the Second was sent to Bloomfield and from there came on to St. Joseph, by rail, arriving in the night and surprising the Confederates who held that post. They succeeded in routing the rebels and held the post until the arrival of troops to permanently garrison it. At St. Joseph the Second took boat for Leavenworth, and stopping at latan, attacked and dispersed a small rebel force. Soon after its arrival at Leavenworth the regiment was ordered to Wyandotte to defend the town against threatened invasion by Price. Price retreated and the Second returned to Leavenworth where, having finished its term of serviee, it was mustered out October 31, 1861.
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