15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The Kansas 15th Cavalry Regiment dates its origin with the Lawrence Massacre. Some time prior to that heartrending atrocity, Gov. Carney had received authority from the War Department to organize a cavalry force, to be devoted to the protection of the then exposed border of Kansas. Town after town had been sacked and burned; hundreds of Kansas men robbed and murdered; whole communities in the border tier of counties had been, day and night, subject to the most fearful and startling seasons of unrest; until, without adequate protection, it became evident that the rich counties of eastern Kansas would become depopulated. This condition of things culminated, August 21st, 1863, in the Quantrell raid upon the unarmed and unsuspecting people of the city of Lawrence, of whom one hundred and forth-three were murdered in cold blood, and the business portion of the town laid in ashes.

Gov. Carney at once commissioned Col. C. R. Jennison to recruit a regiment of Cavalry. Col. Jennison forthwith opened a general rendezvous at Leavenworth, and enlisting Capt. Geo. H. Hoyt, formerly of Co. K, of the Seventh, and at that time better known as the “chief Kansas Red Leg,” made a hasty recruiting tour through the State, speaking with success at Wyandotte, Olathe, Paola, Osawatomie, Mound City, Fort Scott, Garnett, Prairie City, Lawrence, Topeka, Oskaloosa, Atchison, Elwood and Saint Joseph, Mo.

The regiment was filled, and a surplus battalion turned over as the nucleus of the 16th regiment, within one month. Two companies each from Iowa and Illinois were declined, the Executives of those State refusing to allow them to enter organizations outside those raised by them respectively.

OFFICERS:
Colonel–C. R. Jennison
Lieutenant Colonel–Geo. H. Hoyt.
Majors– R. H. Hunt, John M. Laing, H. C. Haas.
Surgeon– A. E. Deming.
Assistant Surgeon–E. Twiss.
Chaplain–B. L. Reed.
Adjutant–Joseph Mackle.
Quartermaster–Geo. W. Carpeter.
Commissary–John Francis.
ASSIGNMENTS:
The 15th Kansas Cavalry was organized at Leavenworth, Kansas, on October 17, 1863. It mustered in for three years under the command of Colonel Charles R. Jennison. The regiment was attached to District of the Border, Department of Missouri, to January 1864. Department of Kansas to June 1864. Districts of North and South Kansas, Department of Missouri, to October 1865. The majority of the regiment mustered out of service on October 19, 1865. Company H mustered out of service on December 7, 1865. SERVICE:
Assigned to duty at Leavenworth and at various points in southern Kansas, at Olathe, Paola, Coldwater Grove, Trading Post, Fort Scott, Osage Mission and Humboldt by detachments (Company H at Fort Riley) until October 1864. Skirmish at Clear Creek, Mo., May 16, 1864 (detachments of Companies D and L). Scout from Fort Leavenworth to Weston, Mo., June 13–16, 1864. Expedition into Missouri June 16–20 (Companies B, C, and G). Price's Raid in Missouri and Kansas September to November. Lexington October 19. Little Blue October 21. Independence, Big Blue and State Line October 22. Westport October 23. Coldwater Grove, Osage, October 24. Mine Creek, Little Osage River, and battle of Charlot October 25. Newtonia October 28. Duty in Dept. of Kansas and Dept. of the Missouri until October 1865. The majority of the regiment mustered out of service on October 19, 1865. Company H joined the middle column of the Powder River Expedition under Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker in July, 1865 and marched from Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory to the Powder River then to Fort Connor, July 11 - September 20. Actions with Indians September 1–11 on Powder River, Montana Territory. Company H mustered out December 6, 1865. ROSTERS:
The composite rosters of this unit contains the names of 2023 men.

Company A.–Mustered into the service early in September, and officered by Captain John A. Wanless; 1st Lieut. James Wilson, of Johnson County; 2d Lieut. D. Wallingford, of Leavenworth county. The men were enlisted in Franklin and Johnson counties, and among them were a number of Shawnees, who proved to be good and brave soldiers.

Company B.–Mustered with the following officers: Capt. Jno. L. Thompson; 1st Lieut., John Murphy; 2d Lieut. J. R. Wood. A large proportion of this company were veterans of the regular army.

Company C.– Recruited in Leavenworth, Jefferson and Miami counties, and entered the service with the following officers: Captain, B. F. Simpson; 1st Lieut., J. H. Phillips; 2d Lieut., Jason Smith. Lieut Smith subsequently resigned, and Q. M. Sergeant Farnsworth was promoted to the vacancy.

Company D.–Recruited at large through the State, and mustered with the following officers: Captain, T. J. Hurd; 1st Lieut., N. Ellis; 2d Lieut., L. J. Beam.

Company E.–Principally recruited in Wyandotte county, and officered as follows; Captain, Curtis Johnson; 1st Lieut., John T. Smith; 2d Lieut., W. H. Bisbee.

Company F.–Recruited in Shawnee, Jefferson and Leavenworth counties. Its officers were as follows: Captain, O. A. Curtis; 1st Lieut., T. J. Bragg; 2d Lieut., R. F. Bowman.

Company G.–Part of a battalion originally recruited by Major R. H. Hunt for the 2d Kansas. Its officers were: Captain, C. O. Smith; 1st Lieut., F. M. Hall; 2d Lieut., H. L. Barker. Many of these men were enlisted in Buchanan county, Mo.

Company H.–Like Co. G, it was recruited in Northern Kansas and Missouri, and mustered with the following officers: Captain, O. F. Dunlap; 1st Lieut., R. M. Fisk; 2d Lieut., F. E. Smith. This company never served with the balance of the regiment until 1865.

Company I.–Recruited in Leavenworth county. Its officers were: Capt., S. W. Greer; 1st Lieut., S. S. Nichols; 2d Lieut., W. H. Morris.

Company K.–Recruited in Leavenworth and Johnson counties. Its officers were as follows: Captain, Joseph B. Swain; 1st Lieut., Geo. W. Roberts; 2d Lieut., John H. Roberts.

Company L.–Recruited at large in the State, and organized with the following officers: Captain, D. D. Rooks; 1st Lieutenant A. Donavan; 2d Lieutenant, Orloff Norton.

Company M.–Recruited in Linn, county Kansas, and Jackson county, Mo. Its officers were: Captain, E. B. Metz; 1st Lieut., Emmett Goss; 2d Lieut., W. A. Johnson.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. Davenport, IA Eastern Digital Resources.

U. S. Government Printing Office. Official Records of the American Civil War Davenport, IA. Eastern Digital Resources.

Kansas

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Kansas Civil War Soldiers Index

Military Units Formed in Kansas

Kansas Records on Line

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