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History of the 11th
Cavalry Regiment, Kansas
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Eleventh Cavalry This regiment was recruited, organized, mounted and equipped for active service in less than a month after recruiting began in Aug., 1862. It was raised under the call of July 2, 1862, for three years' volunteers, and the rapidity with which it was formed is due to the energetic efforts and admirable recruiting organization perfected by Col. Ewing, who left his position of chief justice of the supreme court of the state to assume the work. The members of the regiment were recruited from the counties of Leavenworth, Jefferson, Jackson, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie, Riley, Davis, Morris, Lyon, Greenwood, Franklin and Anderson; rendezvoused at Camp Lyon near Fort Leavenworth, and were there mustered into the U. S. service Sept. 15, 1862, for a three years' term. A large proportion of the officers had seen previous military service and Lieut.-Col. Moonlight had been a soldier in the regular army, commanding a battery of artillery. At the time the regiment was formed he was serving on the staff of Gen. Blunt. On Oct. 4 the regiment moved on its first campaign, proceeding to Pea Ridge, Ark., where it joined the Army of the Frontier under Gen. Schofield and was assigned to Cloud's (3d) brigade, Blunt's (1st) division, serving as infantry. The first fight of its division at Old Fort Wayne, Ind. Ter., was won by the cavalry, though the 11th arrived too late to participate in the action. It next moved to Little Osage with its division, thence to Flint Creek on the western border of Arkansas, where it remained for two weeks. Late in November it made a forced march of 40 miles south and engaged in its first fight with the forces of Gen. Marmaduke at Cane Hill, where it led the infantry advance and had a few men wounded. It was again engaged with Hindman's and Marmaduke's forces at Prairie Grove and sustained its full share of losses in that bloody and indecisive battle. Returning to Cane Hill after the fight, it moved on Dec. 27 to Van Buren on the Arkansas River, 50 miles south. This was a hard march through a gorge of the Boston Mountains and many men died from exposure. On the 31st it returned with the army to Elm Springs, remained there two weeks and then moved to the vicinity of Springfield, where it spent the remainder of the winter. In the latter part of March, all the Kansas troops were ordered to Fort Scott, whence most of them went home on 30 days' furlough. On the expiration of this leave the regiment rejoined the Army of the Frontier at Salem, Mo. On March 13, 1863, Col. Ewing was appointed brigadier- general and assigned to the command of the 1st division. Shortly afterward the Army of the Frontier was broken up and scattered, and Ewing was sent to command the District of the Border, with headquarters at Kansas City, where the 11th moved in April. It had now been in service nine months, had lost over 300 men, and was
reduced below the minimum standard of an infantry In the latter part of September most of the regiment was engaged in the pursuit and expulsion of Shelby's forces from central Missouri. In December a detachment under Maj. Plumb was sent to the southern border of Kansas, to resist a threatened raid by the Cherokee Stand Watie, and was there employed until Aug., 1864, escorting trains to Fort Gibson, etc. The regiment, over 1,200 strong, was stationed in Kansas in the spring and summer of 1864, still serving by detachments. Col. Moonlight had command of a sub-district with headquarters at Paola. The regiment took a prominent and honorable part in all the marches and battles incident to the Price raid in the fall of 1864, Lieut.-Col. Plumb commanding the regiment and Col. Moonlight the 2nd brigade. After Price had been driven across the Arkansas, the 11th returned to Paola, and not long after was ordered to Fort Riley to outfit and recruit. Cos. C and E were thence ordered to Fort Larned and the rest of the regiment to Fort Kearny, whence, after a halt of only two days, they marched to Fort Laramie, where news of the successes around Petersburg was received. From Fort Laramie the regiment marched 150 miles farther west to Platte bridge and remained in that vicinity for four months, guarding the overland telegraph and campaigning against hostile Indians. From their distant station, 1,000 miles away, the 11th was ordered to Fort Leavenworth for muster out. This took place from Aug. 19 to Sept. 26, 1865. The loss of the 11th by death during its term of service was 65 men killed and died of wounds; 2 officers and 101 men died from disease, accident and other causes. It received 498 recruits and had an aggregate strength during service of 1,414. Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 213 Battles Fought Fought at Walnut Creek, KS. |