The 15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

that served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

and

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, were fought by European governments and colonists in North America, and later by the United States and Canadian governments and American and Canadian settle ...

Service

The 15th Kansas Cavalry was organized at Leavenworth,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

on October 17, 1863. It mustered in for three years under the command of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Charles R. Jennison Charles Rainsford Jennison also known as "Doc" Jennison (June 6, 1834 – June 21, 1884) was a member of the anti-slavery faction during Bleeding Kansas, a famous Jayhawker, and a member of the Kansas State Senate in the 1870s. He later serve ...

. The regiment was attached to District of the Border, Department of Missouri, to January 1864.

Department of Kansas The Department of Kansas was a Union Army command department in the Trans-Mississippi Theater during the American Civil War. This department existed in three different forms during the war. 1861 The first "Department of Kansas" was created on No ...

to June 1864. Districts of North and South Kansas,

Department of Missouri The Department of the Missouri was a command echelon of the United States Army in the 19th century and a sub division of the Military Division of the Missouri that functioned through the Indian Wars. History Background Following the successful ...

, 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.

Detailed service

Assigned to duty at Leavenworth and in November 1863 went into winter quarters at Fort Riley, Kansas. In the Spring, they served at various points in southern Kansas and northern Missouri in frontier garrison duty with headquarters in Humboldt, Kansas. The locations are: Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (Companies A,B,G and H); Emporia, Kansas (Company M); Olathe, Kansas (Company K); Humboldt, Kansas (Company E); Topeka, Kansas (Company F); Paola, Kansas (Company C); along with Kansas City, Missouri (Companies I and L) and West Point, Missouri (Company D). Skirmish at Clear Creek, Missouri, May 16, 1864 (detachments of Companies D and L). Scout from Fort Leavenworth to Weston, Missouri, 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 the Department of Kansas and Department 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 :''This event should not be confused with the Big Horn Expedition during the Black Hills War.'' The Powder River Expedition of 1865 also known as the Powder River War or Powder River Invasion, was a large and far-flung military operation of the U ...

under Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker in July, 1865 and marched from

Fort Laramie Fort Laramie (founded as Fort William and known for a while as Fort John) was a significant 19th-century trading-post, diplomatic site, and military installation located at the confluence of the Laramie and the North Platte rivers. They joined ...

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of No ...

to the Powder River then to Fort Connor, July 11 - September 20. Actions with Indians September 1–11 on Powder River,

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries T ...

. Company H mustered out December 6, 1865.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 100 men during its service, 2 officers and 19 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 2 officers and 77 enlisted men who died of disease.

Commanders

* Colonel Charles R. Jennison *

Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

George Henry Hoyt George Henry Hoyt (November 25, 1837 – February 2, 1877) was an anti-slavery abolitionist who was attorney for John Brown. During the Civil War, he served as a Union cavalry officer and captain of the Kansas Red Leg scouts, rising to the ra ...

Notable members

* Private David Lewis Payne, Company H - "Father" of

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Orloff Norton, Company L - Namesake of

Norton County, Kansas Norton County (standard abbreviation: NT) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,459. The largest city and county seat is Norton. The county was established in 1867 and named for Orl ...

, killed near Cane Hill,

Washington County, Arkansas Washington County is a regional economic, educational, and cultural hub in the Northwest Arkansas region. Created as Arkansas's 17th county on November 30, 1848, Washington County has 13 incorporated municipalities, including Fayetteville, Arka ...

, on November 11, 1864. * 2nd Lieutenant

David John Mosher Wood David John Mosher Wood (March 4, 1840 – August 16, 1918) was an American Indian agent and Methodist minister. He served in the military during the Civil War, was a Methodist minister and Indian agent appointed by President Benjamin Harrison. ...

, Company B - Brother of

Samuel Newitt Wood Samuel Newitt Wood (December 30, 1825 – June 23, 1891) was an American attorney, politician, newspaper publisher-editor, and Free State advocate in Kansas. Wood, who was also an early supporter of Women's Suffrage, was assassinated in 1891 i ...

* Captain Orren Arms Curtis, Company F - Married to a

Kaw Kaw or KAW may refer to: Mythology * Kaw (bull), a legendary bull in Meitei mythology * Johnny Kaw, mythical settler of Kansas, US * Kaw (character), in ''The Chronicles of Prydain'' People * Kaw people, a Native American tribe Places * Kaw, Fr ...

Native American. Their son was

Charles Curtis Charles Curtis (January 25, 1860 – February 8, 1936) was an American attorney and Republican politician from Kansas who served as the 31st vice president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 under Herbert Hoover. He had served as the Sena ...

, 31st Vice President of the United States.

References

* Dyer, Frederick H. ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908. * ''Official Military History of Kansas Regiments During the War for the Suppression of the Great Rebellion'' (Leavenworth, KS: W. S. Burke), 1870. ;Attribution *

External links

History of the 15th Kansas Cavalry by the Museum of the Kansas National Guard
{{Kansas in the Civil War Military units and formations established in 1863 Military units and formations disestablished in 1865 Units and formations of the Union Army from Kansas 1863 establishments in Kansas