USA > Kansas > The Seventh Kansas calvary: its service in the civil war. An address before the State historical society, December 2, 1902 > Part 3
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mustered into the United States service on November 12.3 The officers at the original muster were:
Captain John Brown, jr.
First lieutenant. Burr H. Bostwick.
Second lieutenant .. George H. Hoyt.
Captain Brown was the son of John Brown of heroic fame. He was with the company very little, on account of ill health; he soon found that he could not perform the service, and re- signed May 27, 1862. Second Lieut. George H. Hoyt was made captain to fill the vacancy; he was jumped over a man better qualified in every respect for the command of the com- pany. Hoyt had the good taste to resign on September 3, 1862, and Bostwick was given his deserved promotion. He commanded the company during the remainder of its term of service. The vacancy in the grade of second lieutenant was filled by the appointment of Fred W. Emery from civil life, May 27, 1862. Emery was promoted first lieutenant and ad- jutant October 30 of same year, and Sergt. Thomas J. Wood- burn was promoted to fill the vacancy in the company. Lieu- tenant Woodburn was killed in action at Coffeyville, Miss., on November 5, 1862. Sergt. William W. Crane was ap- pointed second lieutenant August 15, 1863, and first lieutenant September 30 of same year, the vacancy in the grade of sec- ond lieutenant remaining unfilled.
. As may be supposed, company K was made up of abolition- ists of the intense sort. I believe that it was this company that brought the John Brown song to Kansas; at least, I had never heard it until they sang it, immediately after their ar- rival. For a while after the company joined the regiment the men would assemble near the captain's tent in the dusk after "retreat" and listen to the deep utterances of some impas- sioned orator ; the voice was always low and did not reach far beyond the immediate circle of the company, who stood with heads bent, drinking in every word. The speaker always closed with "Do you swear to avenge the death of John Brown?" and the answer always came back low and deep, "We will, we will"; then would follow the John Brown hymn,
3. A dispatch from Washington tells of the death of Frederick C. Peck, January 24. 190%, in his sixty-eighth year. He had been a chief in the pension bureau for twenty years. Frederick C. Peck came to Kansas from Ohio with Capt. John Brown. jr .. in company K. His residence is given as Riceville, Ohio. He enlisted September 6. 1961. and was discharged for disability November 6. 1862. He en- listed as a private, was promoted sergeant November 12. 1861. which rank he held until his discharge.
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sung in the same repressed manner, but after the last verse of the original song was sung it would be followed by a verse in accelerated time, beginning with "Then three cheers for John Brown, jr." This almost lively wind-up of these nightly exercises had the same effect on me as the quickstep that the music plays immediately on leaving the enclosure after a soldier's burial. At first the whole regiment used to gather just outside of the sacred precincts and listen, but soon it ceased to attract, and the company itself became too busy avenging to hold their regular meetings.
Of the officers, Bostwick, Woodburn, Emery and Crane were all efficient. Captain Brown never had the opportunity to show the stuff he was made of, his broken health forcing him to resign very soon. Lieut. Tom Woodburn was a brave, dashing fellow, with a clean-cut, attractive face; he went gal- lantly to his death leading his company at Coffeyville. Lieut. Fred Emery was a man of unusual ability, and had a strong personality that would even override the regimental com- mander if his opinions went counter to the adjutant's idea of matters in question. He was promoted to the staff department as assistant adjutant general June 30, 1863. Captain Bost- wick was an energetic officer and fearless of danger. He was quick to execute a command, and in case of a sudden attack his company was under arms and out to the defense before any other. Captain George H. Hoyt was a combination of ambition and cruelty ; posing as a defender of John Brown at his trial at Harper's Ferry, he went after and secured a com- mission as an officer of the young John Brown's company. He did nothing to deserve the promotion that he received over a better and more deserving man. The company and regiment were well rid of him when he resigned.
These ten companies as described made up the Seventh Kan- sas cavalry. At the beginning of the civil war the cavalry regiment of the United States army was a ten-company organ- ization, and it was only after the war had progressed a year or two that the twelve-squadron organization was adopted. The Seventh Kansas, although making repeated efforts, was never able to secure the privilege accorded to the other cavalry regiments from the state, of recruiting the two additional squadrons. The numbering of the regiment as the "Seventh" was not done until in the spring of 1862; previous to that time
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the regiment designated itself as the "First Kansas cavalry." In December, 1861, the governor, in making his report to the War Department, designated it as "1st Calvary or 6th Regi- ment," and he designated Judson's regiment, which became finally the Sixth Kansas cavalry, as the "Seventh regiment." Some time during the spring of 1862 the numbering was definitely fixed and Jennison's regiment became the Seventh and retained that designation thereafter.
In the beginning I gave the field and staff as first organized. Many changes occurred during the career of the regiment. Colonel Jennison performed some acts worthy of commenda- tion, conspicuous among which was his resignation. Jennison was succeeded by Col. Albert L. Lee, advanced from major. Some trouble arose at the time of Colonel Lee's appointment, from an act of Lieutenant-governor Root, who, assuming that he was governor in the absence of Governor Robinson, who had gone beyond the limits of the state, issued a commission to Charles W. Blair, as colonel of the Seventh. Governor Robinson himself. immediately after his return, issued a simi- lar commission to Colonel Lee. Colonel Blair appeared at Fort Riley, where the regiment had been stationed, one morn- ing just as the command was forming for its march to Fort Leavenworth, preparatory to moving south. He assumed command of the regiment, put it in motion toward the Mis- souri river, and promptly disappeared. The day following Colonel Lee met the regiment and assumed command also; he rode with it a short distance and finally ordered it into camp. He had "assembly" sounded, and, after he had a made a speech to the men, vanished also. Colonel Lee went directly to Washington and submitted his case to Attorney-general Bates, who decided the contention a few weeks later in his favor.
Colonel Lee ranked from May 17, 1862; he was promoted a brigadier-general November 29 of the same year. He won his star at Lamar, Miss., where the Seventh Kansas alone, al- though two miles from any supports, attacked Colonel Jack- son's Confederate cavalry division over 4000 strong, and routed them with great loss. Colonel Lee was succeeded by Col. Thomas P. Herrick, who had passed through the successive grades of captain, major, and lieutenant-colonel. Colonel Her- rick was not an officer as impetuous as Lee, but he was brave, and a safe and judicious commander and an excellent disciplin-
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arian. He was a lawyer of fine ability, and was in demand when a detail for court-martial service was required. He died of cholera not long after his discharge from the military serv- ice. After Colonel Herrick left the service, the regiment was commanded by Lieut .- col. Francis M. Malone until the final discharge of the command.
Lieut .- col. Daniel R. Anthony commanded the regiment dur- ing its early service; Colonel Jennison was nominally in com- mand part of the time, but he was too busy playing poker over at Squiresville, or elsewhere, to find time to take the field in person. Colonel Anthony was equal to the occasion, and the regiment led the strenuous life while he exercised his au- thority. He resigned September 3, 1862. The succeeding lieutenant-colonel was David W. Houston, who retired from the service on account of disability February 1, 1864. Maj. . William S. Jenkins was promoted lieutenant-colonel March 27, 1863, and resigned November 14, 1864. Lieut .- col. Francis M. Malone was next in succession, and held the grade until the regiment was discharged.
The majors who served with the Seventh Kansas were, Daniel R. Anthony, Thomas P. Herrick, and Albert L. Lee, accounted for above. Maj. John T. Snoddy followed next; he was promoted from adjutant July 22, 1862, and resigned March 6, 1863, on account of ill health. He died April 24, 1864. Next in succession was Clark S. Merriman, promoted from captain of company D; he resigned July 13, 1863, and was succeeded by William S. Jenkins, who was promoted to lieutenant-colonel March 21, 1864. Maj. Francis M. Malone came next; he became lieutenant-colonel November 19, 1864. Majs. Charles H. Gregory and Levi H. Utt were the last, and were mustered out with the regiment. Gregory was an officer of especial brilliancy and dash, and performed many acts of distinguished bravery. He had splendid judgment, and never failed of success when he made an attack. It was to his dash the regiment owes much for its victory over Jackson at Lamar. Major Utt was also brave to a fault; he had no conception of what fear was, and yet was watchful and a safe officer. He lost a leg at Leighton, Ala.
Lieut. John T. Snoddy was the first adjutant. He was suc- ceeded by Lieut. Fred W. Emery, who was promoted to the staff department. The vacancy was not regularly filled, but Lieut. Harmon D. Hunt acted until the promotion of Sergt .-
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maj. Simeon M. Fox to the position, which he filled until the regiment was discharged. Lieut. William O. Osgood was bat- talion adjutant for a time, but was mustered out by order of the War Department in the fall of 1862.
The quartermasters of the regiment were, Robert W. Hamer, Ebenezer Snyder, and James Smith, who filled the position successively in the order named.
Lucius Whitney was the original commissary, and held the position during the full term of service.
Maj. Joseph L. Wever was the first regular surgeon; he re- signed June 7, 1864, and was succeeded by Maj. Joseph S. Martin, promoted from assistant surgeon. Martin was the original assistant surgeon, and, on promotion, July 18, 1864, was succeeded by Lieut. Joel J. Crook.
The chaplains were Samuel Ayers, who resigned August 31, 1862, and Charles H. Lovejoy, appointed April 19, 1863, and discharged with the regiment.
When Price moved north to the capture of Lexington Mo., all available troops were pushed forward to the defense of Kansas City. Companies A, B and C being organized, were hurried to Kansas City from Fort Leavenworth and remained there until all danger had passed; they were later joined by company E and, I believe, by some of the other companies as rapidly as organized. After Price had begun his retreat these companies were returned to Fort Leavenworth by river trans- port. October 28, 1861, all companies having been recruited, the regiment was regularly organized. Company K was not present, but was on its way from Ohio; it arrived November 7 and was assigned its designating letter. The regiment was mounted and equipped at once; the equipment was disappoint- ing, however, as pertains to carbines; companies A, B and H received the Sharp's carbine, but the other companies had at first to content themselves with nondescript weapons that ranged from the obsolete horse-pistol mounted on a tempo- rary stock to the Belgian musket. Later the Colt's revolving rifle was issued to the seven companies, and it was not until the last year of the war that the regiment was uniformly outfitted with the Spencer carbine. The Seventh Kansas, as soon as the equipment was completed, marched south and went into camp near Kansas City, companies A, B and H on
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the Majors farm, located about four miles southeast of West- port, and the rest of the regiment on O. K. creek.
On the evening of November 10 Colonel Anthony received information that the rebel colonel, Upton Hayes, was in camp on the Little Blue, about thirteen miles out. He at once moved, with parts of companies A, B and H, and surprised the camp early on the morning of the 11th. The enemy was driven out and the camp captured, with all the tents, horses, and wagons. The rebels, however, retreated to an impregnable position among the rocks beyond and made a stand; they numbered nearly 300 and Colonel Anthony had but 110 men. The at- tempt to drive the enemy from the rocks cost the jayhawkers nine men killed and thirty-two wounded. The camp was de- stroyed and our boys retreated, bringing off the captured prop- erty. The fighting was most desperate and lasted several hours, and although not entirely successful caused Up. Hayes to retire from the neighborhood, and, moreover, showed the fighting qualities of the regiment to be all that could be de- sired.
From Kansas City the regiment marched back towards Leavenworth and went into camp at a point about nine miles south of the city. This camp was named "Camp Herrick," after the major. Here the first pay was received. Camp was broken soon after, and the regiment returned to the vicinity of Kansas City and went into camp on the Westport road, just north of the old McGee tavern, and scouted the country in that section. Independence was raided and the citizens were given a little touch of the misfortunes of war. Colonel Anthony made a characteristic speech to the citizens, who had been rounded up and corraled in the public square." The secession spirit, which had been rampant in Independence since Price's raid on Lexington, was much subdued after this expedition. The regiment moved from Kansas City and was camped at In- dependence, Pleasant Hill, and West Point, in the order named, scouting and making it uncomfortable for the guerillas in the vicinity. On December 24 the command moved from West
4. Britton, in his "Civil War on the Border," attempts to give an account of this raid on Independence. He fixes the date as the latter part of September, and places the command of the expedition under Colonel Jennison, whom he accredits with the speech at the court-house square. The facts were that the Seventh Kansas was not organized at that time. The raid was towards the middle of November, and under the command of Col. D. R. Anthony. Colonel Anthony made the speech at Independence. Colonel Jennison was not present, nor was he in personal command of the Seventh Kansas for First Kansas cavalry. as then known) while doing active service in Mis- souri at any time while he was colonel of the regiment.
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Point to Morristown, arriving there after night. It was a bitter cold day, and the march was made in the face of a blinding storm. Camp was made in the snow and an uncom- fortable night was passed. The winter of 1861-'62 was spent in tents. New Year's day was devoted to a raid out into the vicinity of Rose Hill and Dayton. The latter town was burned.
On January 5, 1862, a foray was made into Johnson county, Missouri, by a battalion under command of Major Herrick. His force was composed of companies A, B, D and F. The battalion went into camp at Holden and detachments were sent out to scout the country in different directions. Com- pany A went to Columbus and camped for the night; a con- siderable force of the enemy was in the neighborhood, but as Captain Utt was on the alert they did not attempt to attack. After company A had moved out company D came up and occupied the town. As Captain Merriam was leaving the vil-
lage his company was fired on from ambush and five men killed, and he was compelled to retreat. Soon after, Captain Utt, learning of the disaster, returned to Columbus, buried the dead, and burned the town. He remained in the vicinity until nightfall, but the rebels failing to attack, he moved with his company back to Holden. Two days later the entire de- tachment returned to Morristown.
On January 31 the Seventh Kansas marched to Humboldt, Kan., where camp was established until March 25. On this date the regiment broke camp and moved to Lawrence, re- maining there until April 22. From Lawrence the command proceeded, via Topeka and route south of the Kaw, to Fort Riley, where it was joined by Mitchell's brigade of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The orders were to remove to New Mexico as soon as grass had started sufficient for grazing. On May 18, however, this order was countermanded and the en- tire brigade ordered to march to Fort Leavenworth and from thence to move by river transports to Pittsburg Landing, Tenn. The command embarked at Fort Leavenworth on May 27 and 28, and was carried as rapidly as possible to its desti- nation. The landing was made at the Shiloh battle-ground and the boys were permitted to see the wreck and desolation that resulted from the great battle recently fought.
A pleasant incident occurred here that will always cling to my memory. While at Morristown, Mo., the regiment had been brigaded with a battalion of the Seventh Missouri in-
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fantry, under Major Oliver. While coming up the Tennessee river our leading transport, "The New Sam. Gaty," had joined in a race with another river steamboat, and our boys in their zeal had burned up all their "sow-belly" to assist in getting up steam. When we arrived at Pittsburg Landing we were hungry and out of rations. An infantry soldier on the levee, who was of the Seventh Missouri and one of cur old comrades, discovered this condition and immediately ran down the levee yelling that the jayhawkers were there hungry and out of grub. In half an hour a formal invitation to dinner came, and the entire boat load was fed. The Seventh Missouri had divided their rations and I have no doubt went hungry in con- sequence.
As our army had occupied Corinth on May 30, the pressing need for cavalry had passed and the regiment was once more ordered on board transports and carried down the river and around to Columbus, Ky. From Columbus it moved south on June 7, as a guard for the working parties occupied in re- pairing the Ohio & Mobile railroad to Corinth. While per- forming this duty the regiment was camped for a time at Union City, and while there Colonel Anthony, in the absence of Gen. R. B. Mitchell, was in temporary command of the brigade. During this time he took the opportunity to issue his celebrated order, dated June 18, 1862, and containing the following language: "Any officer or soldier of this command who shall arrest and deliver to his master a fugitive slave shall be summarily and severely punished according to the laws rela- tive to such crimes."
General Mitchell, on returning, ordered Colonel Anthony to rescind this order. Colonel Anthony refused, stating that as he had been relieved from command he had no authority to countermand a brigade order. General. Mitchell then said hotly, "I will place you in command long enough for you to rescind it." Anthony then asked, "Am I in command of the brigade?" General Mitchell replied, "Yes." Then, said Colonel Anthony, "You, as an officer without command, have no au- thority to instruct me as to my duties." If this order was ever rescinded it was not Colonel Anthony who did it. It will be remembered that the government was handling the ques- tion of slavery very gingerly in the early part of the war, and every encouragement was being given Kentucky to maintain her attitude of non-secession. Colonel Anthony was deprived
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from command, but remained with the regiment until Sep- tember 3, 1862, when his resignation was accepted. Major Herrick succeeded Colonel Anthony and commanded the regi- ment until Colonel Lee returned to relieve him.
There was an incident consequent on this order of Colonel Anthony's that should not be lost to history. The regiment was marching towards Corinth when, on July 3, late in the afternoon, tired and dusty, it entered Jackson, Tenn. Gen. John A. Logan was just convalescing from wounds received at Shiloh, and was in command of this post. While the regi- ment was halted in a shady spot at the south part of town waiting for details to fill canteens at a well near by, an aide- de-camp rode up and said, "General Logan orders this regi- ment moved immediately outside his lines," and rode away. The regiment did not move with any great degree of alacrity, and was standing to horse, waiting for the canteens to be filled, some twenty minutes later, when the same aide-de-camp dashed up in great wrath and said: "General Logan orders this d -- abolition regiment outside his lines or he will order out a battery and drive it out." The men at once passed along the word and were in the saddle instantly, and the answer came promptly back, "Go and tell Gen. John A. Logan to bring out his battery and we will show him how quick this d- abolition regiment will take it." The officers tried to move the regiment, but the men sat grim and silent and would not stir. No battery appeared, and finally a compromise was made; the regiment was moved around General Logan's head- quarters by a street to the rear, and marched back past his front door with the band playing "John Brown." The com- mand moved out and camped on a stream just south of town, but inside of General Logan's lines. .
General Logan was no doubt incensed over Colonel Anthony's order, and other conditions were irritating to him. As soon as the jayhawkers arrived in the South it became the immediate custom for all depredations committed by other troops to be done in their name, and in consequence the Seventh Kansas was compelled to bear opprobrium largely undeserved. The men averaged with the men of other regiments, and were no better or worse as far as honesty went, but at this time they were bearing the aggregated transgressions of regiments from other states. A day or so previous the Second Illinois cavalry had broken into the railway station at Trenton, Tenn., and
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had appropriated a considerable quantity of sugar ; company A of the Seventh Kansas came up later and also augmented their supply of sweetness. Really not $100 worth of sugar was taken all together, but the owner made a great outcry, and complained through General Logan to General Grant. In September, when the paymaster came to pay the troops, the Seventh Kansas was informed by a messenger from General Grant that if the men would voluntarily consent to the stop- page of two dollars against the pay of each man, to reimburse for this sugar, the men would receive their money; otherwise they would not be paid. It was disrespectful, but word went back by the messenger for "General Grant to go to hell." The stoppage would have amounted to over $1500, and no claim had been made on the Second Illinois cavalry, who were the principal aggressors. The regiment finally received its pay, but it was nearly nine months later when the paymaster made the disbursement.
The First Kansas infantry served with the Seventh in the sixteenth army corps for some time and, of course, sympa- thized with us, but we never knew how far this sympathy extended until late in the year. While General Grant was making his attempted move toward Vicksburg by way of the Mississippi Central railroad, one morning, as the infantry col- umn was moving south out of Oxford, Miss., the line of march carried it by General Grant's headquarters, and the general himself was sitting on the front veranda smoking and viewing the troops as they passed. Each regiment as it came up was wheeled into line and gave three cheers for the "hero of Don- elson." As the First Kansas passed the same program was attempted. The evolution was made all right, but when the cheers were ordered not a sound followed; the men looked up at the sky or away towards the distant landscape, but never at the general, and their lips remained closed. However, as they broke into column and were being led away by their dis- comfited commander, an old ram in an adjacent corner lot lifted up his voice in a characteristic bleat; the men took it up, and as they marched away down the street plaintive "baas" came back to the ears of the great general.
The regiment arrived at Corinth, Miss., on June 10, and went into camp to the eastward of the town, at Camp Clear Creek. The line of march to camp led by the extensive in- fantry camps, and the usual interest was manifested. The
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jayhawkers were something of a curiosity, and as soon as it became known what this passing cavalry regiment was the road was lined by infantry soldiers. The usual badinage was attempted by the lookers-on, but no response was elicited- the Seventh Kansas rode by with their faces set straight to the front, apparently oblivious to the surroundings; they might have been passing through the desert, as far as any expression of their countenances indicated. The jokes grew fewer and finally ceased entirely, and the infantry men be- came only silent lookers on. As the rear of the regiment passed one big sergeant said, "I'll be d -. " That was the only remark that came to our ears. I mention this, for it was a characteristic of the regiment to ignore surroundings of this nature.
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