Wyandotte County Kansas in the Civil War

Practically an entire regiment of soldiers from the smallest county in the then newest state in the Union! A proportion such as no other county of a corresponding population ever gave to war. But this was not all. There were the Home Guards.  A little band of brave and loyal men who stayed to guard the homes and families of the soldiers who went to the front.

FIRST REGIMENT KANSAS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY

Sixty-seven men from Wyandotte county were mustered into this, the first Kansas regiment. William Y. Roberts was first captain, then a major, then a colonel. George H. Chapin and Avery G. Norman served as regimental quartermasters, and Dr. George E. Boddington and Dr. Joseph Speck were regimental surgeons. Sylvester T. Smith was promoted from lieutenant to captain. Lieutenants in the different companies from Wyandotte county were John P. Alden and John W. Dyer. The latter was killed in the battle at Wilson Creek. Hubbard H. Sawyer was first a sergeant, afterwards a lieutenant. Aaron W. Merrill also was promoted while in service from sergeant to lieutenant.

Others serving as sergeants were Jason Morse, Philip H. Knoblock, Theodore Bartles, Thomas Grady, Orson Bartlett. George C. Brown and Velmoor C. Clemmons were promoted from corporals to sergeants. The corporals were George Ingersoll, John Warren, George W. Garno, Dennis Costello, William Lloyd, John O'Donnell, Patrick Collins, John 0 'Flaherty, John Johnson, Richard Burland, and Henry J. Fairbanks.

John Farrall, a corporal, died at Vicksburg of wounds received in battle. Valentine Reichnecker and John Moody were musicians. The privates from Wyandotte county were Jacob Arnold, Joel Armes, Henry Boyle, Cyrus Bowman, William S. Camps, William J. Carlisle, Daniel Collius, Henry Cooper, Joy Casey, Dewitt C. Dennison, Daniel Donahue, Daniel Emmons, David Flemming, Hugh Gibbons, Robert Good, Joseph Guilford, Jacob Heiter, Brian Henry, Leopald llipp, John Killen, August Kreiger, Martin Lawler, William H. Nichols, Joseph Muenzen mayer, William Ridler, John Reheis, Adam Reinochle, John Roeser, Gustav Sells, Fred W. Smith, Francis Tracy, John Van Fossen, John Wilson, Charles Wilstoff and Ely L. Zane.

Lieutenant John W. Dyer was killed in battle at Wilson creek. John Farrall died at Vicksburg of wounds received in action. Daniel Donahue died at Trenton, Tennessee. Martin bawler, Joel Armes and Adam Reinochle either were killed outright, or died of wounds in the battle at Wilson Creek. Francis Tracy died at Natchez, Mississippi and John Roeser was drowned in the Missouri river. Eleven of the soldiers from Wyandotte in this regiment were discharged from the service on account of wounds and disabilities.

OUR BOYS IN THE SECOND

The Second Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry contained twenty two men from Wyandotte county. Dr. Joseph P. Root, Dr. George B. Wood and Dr. Ivan D. Heath were regimental surgeons; Joseph Sanger and John Burke, sergeants; Theodore Praun, a corporal. The privates in the regiment from Wyandotte were: William T. Ainsworth, Wesley Boyles, Squire Boyles, Elias Boyles, James Boyles, Pembrook Harris, Dionysius Harris, Wendelin Krumm, Jacob Hammelman, Augustus Luke, John Myers, Michael Mebain, Engelhardt Noll, Joseph Praun and John Rusk.

William T. Ainsworth was a prisoner of war, captured near Fort Gibson. Dr. George B. Wood resigned because his health failed him. Joseph Praun was mustered out from the general hospital in Little Rock, while ill, and four others were discharged for disability. Two were deserters.

INDIANS IN THE FIFTH CAVALRY

Wyandotte county had twenty-one representatives in the Fifth Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. Alfred Gray was quartermaster. The privates were as follows: Riley Alley, Linneus T. Bancroft, Rusha Chaplog, Tally Beverly, Moses Denna, Richardson Hill, Simon Hill, William II. Jones, Zacharai Longhouse, Harrison Love, Four Miles, John Moonshine, Philip Mature, Little Shaughai, Thomas Punch, Thompson Smith, Christian Snake, James Thomas, George Williams and James Wilson.

Of these twenty-one Wyandotte soldiers, most of whom were Indians, eleven were transferred to other regiments and eight deserted, one was dishonorably discharged, and of one there is no record when he was discharged, transferred or mustered out.

THOSE WHO JOINED THE SIXTH

The Sixth Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was a popular regiment for Wyandotte county men. Many of the sixty-four volunteers from this county were Wyandotte and Delaware Indians. John P. Parsons, David Ernhout, Charles E. Armour and Richard P. Powell.

Three men deserted and Colonel Weir was dismissed from Service by General Order No.123, dated at St. Louis August 20, 1864.

THE ILL-FATED TWELFTH

Wyandotte county gave to the Twelfth Regiment Volunteer Cavalry many of the bravest and best men who fought with the command in Arkansas. Among these were many Wyandot and Delaware Indians.

Of the regimental officers, William Sellers was for a time chaplain.

The roster of Wyandotte men who served as officers in this regiment follows: Orlando S. Bartlett and James D. Chestnut, captains; Fletcher Redding and Samuel M. Stephens, sergeants; Gustav Tauber commissarv sergeant; Thomas H. Gahagan, William llazlett and George W. Newell, musicians; James Summerwell, Rufus W. Foster, William Selers, James P. Killen, Silas Adams, John S. Heald and John E. Marutzky, corporals. The privates were William Armstrong, Orrin Baldwin, Isaac Bigtree, Christian F. Bowen, William C. Blue, Chad. Brostwick, Louis Bigknife, Frederick Britton, Jacob Carhead, Joseph Charloe, Cornelius H. Creeden, Edward Clinton, David Charloe, Henry Chrysler, Sebastian 0. Downey, Peter Donnika, Peter Dailey, William Day, Moses Dougherty, Abraham Demerest, Charles Edwards, William Ellis, Conrad Grespacher, Jessie Giaury, Jeremiah Harrison, Edward Hollevet, George A. Horning, William Hazlett, George Hanford, William Johnson, Thomas Johnson, Austin Kroop, William Johnson. Thomas Jacklin, Thomas A. Kirk, Henry Kersey, William Lewis, Seth A. Leavitt, Isaac Littlechief, William H. Lindsey, Samuel McCowan, Elias B. Myers, James Mature, John McCain, John Murphy, David Matthews, Henry W. Miller, John P. Nickell, Almond Noble, Smith Nicholas, William Nicholas, Edward 0 'Hare, John N. Poe, Gideon B. Parsons, Henry Puckett, John Porcupine, Josiah Puckett, Thomas Payne, Joseph Peacock, William Parker, John A. Randall, John Rodgers, James Smith, Joseph Streatmater, Christian Santer, Rudolph Wiltz, William Whitefeather, Jacob Whitewing, Sebastian Wailer, Lewis Wengartuer, Frank Whitewing, William Walker, Patrick Whalen, and Michael Youngman.

This was a regiment that suffered by exposure in the Ozarks and by hard fighting. Of the eighty-eight men from Wyandotte sixteen died of disease, three were killed, fourteen were discharged for disability and twelve deserted. Those who died from disease were George W. Newell, Fletcher Hedding, Silas Adams, Elias A. Myers, Gideon B. Parsons, Henry Puckett, John A. Randall, Joseph Steatmater, James Whitewing, Edward Clinton, Isaac Littlechief, James Peacock, Henry W. Miller, William Parker and James Smith. An accident caused the death of George Hanford, musician, at Fort Smith, guerrillas killed William Whitefeather, and William Johnson died of wounds.

A FIGHTING CAVALRY

The call for volunteers for the Fifteenth Regiment Kansas Cavalry was responded to by a body of seventy-three Wyandotte county patriots.

The list follows: John T. Smith and William H. H. Grinter, first lieutenants; John W. R. Lucas, quartermaster sergeant; Alexander Zane, William H. Worrell, John Jordan, Erasmus Riley, Dennis F Lucas and William A. Long, sergeants; John Kanally, James M. Thorp Adam Wilson, Carroll S. Evans, Timothy H. Carlton, Eldridge I. Brown and Josiah Thorp, corporals; David Thomas, Henry Runne, John Hohenstenner and Richard L. Warrell, buglers; Gilbert Lewis, wagoner; James M. Long, saddler; David N. Baker, furrier.

The privates: Henry J. Armstrong, Edward M. Alexander, Peter Brohair William B. Bushman, Doctor Block, Rusha Chaploy, John Coon, Mose Denna, William Cheeley, William Driver, John Freeman, Byron Gannett, Henry Groh, Henry Gibson, John Gillis, Samuel Glass, Andrew B. Hovey, Sylvanus Harless, Jacob Higgins, William H. Jones, Charles W. Ketehum, Charles E. Learned, Daniel Long, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Lewis, John Longbone, Zachariah Loughouse, James Logan, Philip Mature, Big Moccasin, John Martin, James H. MurrQy, James Moody, Elijah Owens, George Pemsey, Winfield Pipe, Thomas Punch, James Rowe, James Roberts, James Shanghai, Wilson Sarcoxie, Thompson Smith, Lamon Scott, Thomas Shields, Joseph Shorter, Beverly Tally,Frederick Vickers, James Wilson, Hiram Young and Ethan L. Zane.

Although the Fifteenth did some hard fighting at the Battle of the Blue, only three of the seventy-three officers and privates from Wyandotte county were fatally wounded. These were John Kannally, John Longbone and Joseph Shorter. Two were discharged for disabilities and six deserted. Those who died of disease were William Driver Henry Gibson, James Logan, John Martin.

THE SIXTEENTH'S ROLL OF HONOR

In the Sixteenth Regiment Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, organized in the winter of 1863-4, Colonel Werter R. Davis of Baldwin City enrolled many volunteers from Wyandotte county.

The list of officers follows: Sergeants, William Sweeney, William McDonald, William McDowell, Morton Wallace, David B. Johnson, Charles S. Williamson, William Brown, James Breunner, Morgan McIntyre, Samuel T. Hannan, Henry Gray, Charles B. Morgan, William Moore, Isaac G. McGibbon, James W. Powell, John E. Renfro, Thomas Maloney, Franklin W. Patterson; corporals, John Hogan, James C. Barnett, Robert Bayles, Thomas Brereton, John S. Waddel, Francis N. Kennedy, Newton J. Myers, Frederick Oltens, Duncan Kieth, John Kyle and John W. Woodman.

The privates: James Abbot, John B. Akers, George Allison, Abraham Arms, William Anderson, James B. Barnett, John F. Beavers, Reuben Brown, Dennis Buckley, John D. Brown, Jr., Newton Butler, John D. Brown, Sr., William Beamish, Samuel S. Beebe, James M. Barnes, Jeremiah Burrus, Ransom Beach, Alfred Briggs, William Bryson, John Coyle, Peter Cunningham, James Cregg, James Cobine, Joseph C. Coakley, Benjamin Crim, John Carr, M. D. S. Collins, William Clary, Oliver Dorris, Arehelaus Doxsee, William B. Duncan, Nicholas Dedier, Richard Frost, Michael J. Fox, Daniel Fitzgerald, Michael Fitzpatrick, John L. Green, Jacob Hayden, Elias Hampton, Eli Hargis, John W. Hampton, William Hunter, John Harris, Henry Jarvis, John M. Kennedy, Benjamin Keen, James H. Knuckols, James Lewis, Daniel P. Lucas, Milton L. MeAlexander, Dennis Murphy, Bernard McDermott, Ruben Mapes, John Mitchell, William A. McLaughlin, James McTour, Charles H. McLaughlin, Michael McCarthy, John W. Maine, James Noble, Goodlip Oleman, Peter Onnerson, Franklin W. Patterson, John Punch, George W. Patton, Andrew Priddy, Jerome Payne, Henry Perry, Pasehal Poekett, John W. Pearson, William Reed, James R. M. Renfro, George W. Ratliff, Jefferson C. Saylor, George Spicer, William M. Sears, William J. Sears, Luther Shorkman, Thomas Sullivan, John R. Smith, John Thayer, Herman Thayer, Edwin E. Willis, Joseph Whitecrow, Jackson Wiletrout, Alphonse B. Wolf, James C. Wilkinson, Ephraim B. Warren, John Wahlenmeyer and John S Waddel.

Of the one hundred and nineteen officers and men from Wyandotte county who served in the Sixteenth in the two years of its existence nine died from disease, six were discharged for disability, eleven deserted and the remainder were mustered out on December 6, 1865.

Those who died from disease were Edwin E. Willis, George Allison, Henry Gray, James McTour, Luther Shorkman, Jeremiah Burrus, Richard Frost, Elias J. Hampton and John W. Maine.

THE KANSAS COLORED REGIMENTS

The number of volunteer soldiers from Wyandotte county that served in the colored regiments was: 206 in the First Colored Regiment, 102 in the Second, 35 in the Independent Colored Kansas Battery, and 80 in the Eighteenth United States Colored Infantry. The total was 483.