The Department of Kansas was a

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Army command

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Trans-Mississippi Theater 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 ...

. This department existed in three different forms during the war.

1861

The first "Department of Kansas" was created on November 9, 1861 from the Western Department. It included

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 ...

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska ...

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

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 ...

and the

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the Federal government of the United States, United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans in the United St ...

(present day Oklahoma). On March 11, 1862 the department was absorbed into the

Department of the Mississippi Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

. Brigadier General

David Hunter David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...

was the sole commander during this period. During this interlude a District of Kansas existed under the command of Brigadier General James W. Denver from March 19-April 10, 1862.

1862

Two months later the Department of Kansas was reformed out of the Dept. of Mississippi on May 2, 1862. This form of the department included all previous territories except

Fort Garland Fort Garland (1858–1883), Colorado, United States, was designed to house two companies of soldiers to protect settlers in the San Luis Valley, then in the Territory of New Mexico. It was named for General John Garland, commander of the Military ...

, Colorado. Brigadier General James G. Blunt was appointed commander. On August 16, Blunt created the Army of Kansas which was virtually synonymous with the department. Nebraska and Dakota Territories were detached and transferred to the

Department of the Northwest The Department of the Northwest was an U.S. Army Department created September 6, 1862 to put down the Sioux uprising in Minnesota. Major General John Pope was made commander of the Department. At the end of the Civil War the Department was rede ...

and shortly after on October 11 the Department of Kansas was absorbed into the

Department of the 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 ...

. The structure of the department during 1962 was as follows; *

Fort Kearny Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The fort was named after Col. and later General Stephen Watts Kearny. The outpost was located along the Or ...

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 ...

J A Thompson ** Detachments from;

4th Cavalry Regiment The 4th Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage is traced back to the mid-19th century. It was one of the most effective units of the Army against American Indians on the Texas frontier. Today, the regiment exis ...

6th Cavalry Regiment The 6th Cavalry ("Fighting Sixth'") is a regiment of the United States Army that began as a regiment of cavalry in the American Civil War. It currently is organized into aviation squadrons that are assigned to several different combat aviation ...

, and 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment *

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

R B Mitchell ** 2nd Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment ** 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment ** 1st Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment **

12th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 12th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 12th Wisconsin was raised at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service October 18, 1861. The regim ...

** 13th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment ** Kansas Volunteer Artillery Battery ** 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Artillery Battery *

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 ...

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 ...

E B Alexander ** Detachments from; 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 10th Infantry Regiment *

Fort Larned Fort Larned National Historic Site preserves Fort Larned which operated from 1859 to 1878. It is approximately west of Larned, Kansas, United States. History The Camp on Pawnee Fork was established on October 22, 1859 to protect traffic al ...

J Hayden ** Company from the 2nd Infantry Regiment *

Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

W E Prince ** Detachments from the 1st Infantry Regiment and 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment ** Two batteries of artillery *

Leavenworth, Kansas Leavenworth () is the county seat and largest city of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 37,351. It is located on the west bank of t ...

R H Graham ** 5 Companies from the 8th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment * Fort Scott,

F Salomon ** 2nd Ohio Volunteer Cavalry Regiment ** 10th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment **

9th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 9th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 9th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was raised at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service O ...

** 2nd Indiana Artillery Battery * Fort Wise,

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

J M Warner ** One Company from the 10th Infantry Regiment *

Fort Randall The Fort Randall Military Post was established in 1856 to help keep peace on the frontier. It was located on the south side of the Missouri River in South Dakota, just below the present site of the Fort Randall Dam. History The site for the f ...

B Mahana ** 3 Companies from the 14th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment * Ohio City, Kansas,

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 ...

C S Clark ** 7 Companies from the 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment *

Paola, Kansas Paola is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Kansas, Miami County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,768. History Native Americans in the United States, Nativ ...

W R Judson ** 6th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment * Springfield, Kansas,

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 ...

P Clayton ** 9 Companies from the 5th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment

1864

On January 1, 1864 the third formation of the Department of Kansas was created. It included Kansas, Nebraska Territory, Colorado Territory (except Fort Garland), Indian Territory, and Fort Smith, Arkansas. Major General

Samuel R. Curtis Samuel Ryan Curtis (February 3, 1805 – December 26, 1866) was an American military officer and one of the first Republicans elected to Congress. He was most famous for his role as a Union Army general in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the ...

was appointed command. Fort Smith and the Indian Territory were transferred to the

Department of Arkansas The Department of the Arkansas was a territorial department of the United States Army during the American Civil War. History The Department of the Arkansas was created on January 6, 1864, to consist of Union occupied Arkansas, except Fort Smith. F ...

in April. On October 13 Curtis organized the

Army of the Border The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration. Major Gener ...

, composed of troops from his department to confront

Price's Missouri Raid Price's Missouri Expedition (August 29 – December 2, 1864), also known as Price's Raid or Price's Missouri Raid, was an unsuccessful Confederate cavalry raid through Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas in the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Am ...

. For the first time of the war troops from the Department of Kansas were involved in a major campaign, turning back Price's Confederates at the

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West", was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major General (United States), Major G ...

. The Army of the Border was disbanded on November 9. It was also during this time that Colonel John M. Chivington, commander of the District of Colorado Territory, engaged the Native Americans at the battle of Sand Creek. Shortly after Department of Kansas was merged into the Dept. of Missouri once again.

References

Sources

*Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, .
{{Union Army Formations

Kansas, Department of 1861 establishments in Kansas

1861

1862

1864

See also

References

Sources