WELCOME TO 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry
Page was created on 15 Nov 97 - Last update 3 De 07
This is "PIP"
She was the first, (and only), horse in The 7th Kansas, reenactment unit. She loved children, and showing off.
She was my best friend. On 2 Apr 1993, while standing in the pasture during a thunder storm, she was next to another horse who took a lighting strike. She got part of the strike. The right side of her mouth was paralized and she was blinded in the right eye.
I lost her in Aug of 1993. It is to PIP I dedicate this page.
The 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was formed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas on 28 Oct., 1861 with 902 officers and men. Charles R. Jennison was appointed Col.
For the first 7 months the 7th was known as “Jennison’s Regiment".
The 7th was formed as the 1st Kansas Volunteer Cavalry. The first weapons issued from Fort Leavenworth was Belgian muskets, Austrian carbines whose hammers were prone to break when fired, and the cartridges that were available were too small. Also obsolete Dragoon pistols mounted on temporary stocks and other make shifts weapons.
On 19 October ‘61 complete uniforms were issued. A few days later horses were issued, and sorted by color.
Companies A, B, H, were issued Sharps Carbines, Navy revolvers & sabers.
The others companies had to make do with what they had.
It wasn’t until the end of 1863 that Gen. Rosecrans personal intervention gave the 7th Colt Revolving Rifles for the remaining 7 companies.
It took till November of ‘64 for the regiment to be issued Spencer Carbines.
The good weapons very seldom got issued to the Western troops. The Eastern troops got them first!
The 7th became a full-fledged regiment of cavalry in October ‘61.
On October 28th it was mustered in US service.
And on the 8th of November ‘61 the 7th became a fighting regiment.
The standard strength for a Civil War Cavalry Regiment was 12 companies.
The 7th was mustered in with only 10.
The following is a list of each company, who commanded it, and a little about it.
A Company
Mustered in 27 August 61
Thomas Herrick
Lei Utt
Best company in the regiment - made up of plainsman
& frontiersman. This company had the best marksman.
It was recruited mainly in Doniphan county. “A” company was the best drilled unit in the regiment, and always remained the most efficient and reliable unit in the regiment.
Henery A. Laverentz of Wolf River, Ks was the best of soldier in “A” company, and the regiment!
B Company
Mustered in October ‘61
Captain Fred Swayer of Levenworth
William S. Moorehouse
Made up of 30 men from Chicago, IL
C Company
Captain William S. Jenkings
Made up of from Leavenworth, Brown, & Doniphan counties, in Kansas.
This company had the first man killed in action. James McNamara was shot & killed by the provost guard at Fort Leavenworth, on 25 September.
D Company
Captain Clark S. Merriman of Wayanet, IL
Isaiah J. Hughes
Made up of mostly farm boys from Waynet, IL in Bureau county.
The regimental poet was 1st Lieutenant Andrew Dowing - wrote under the
name “Curley Q ESQ.”
William Wilson was the first man to take sick.
E Company
Captain George I. Yeager from Chicago, IL
Charles H. Gregory
Members came from Chicago, IL
F Company
Captain Francis M Malone - IL
Members came from Chicago, IL
This company had the oldest soldier in the regiment, 70 year old Private Daniel Ellsworth. He survived the war and was mustered out on 23 November’ 64.
G Company
Captain Edward Thorton - Mound City, KS
A few men came from Levenworth. Most were Jenisson’s friends from Mound City. This company had the youngest soldier - 14 year old George H. T. Springer of Mound City. He mustered out at wars end - a combat veteran at 18.
G company had 46 deserters.
H Company
Captain Marchall Cleveland
James L. Raferty
David W. Houston
Amos Hodgman
Horace Pardee
Every member was a former Kanasan. They had some of the toughest and best soldiers of the regiment.
The regimental jokester was Ira B. Cole.
There was an 18 year old recruit. He was a ne’r - do -well, he would later become a pony express rider. He was a horse thief, and Leavenworth saloon though.
His name was William F. Cody. Later to be known as Buffalo Bill.
This company led with the most desertions with 58.
I Company
Captain John Merrick - Elwood, Kansas
Jacob Anthony
These members were recurited in Doniphan County, Ks and St. Joseph, Mo.
K Company
Captain John Brown Jr.
George H. Hoyt
These members came from Ohio - Before they joined the 7th they were know as “The Mound City Sharps Rifle Guards”.
They brought the song “John Brown’s Body” to Kansas. They were known as John Brown’s Boys”.
The mission of the 7th was to protect the Kansas Missouri border from border ruffians and guerilla bands operating in that area. Keeping the border open and the Indians form joining the Confederate cause, was a full time job. The 7th also garissoned several towns on both sides of the border.
The 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry was known as Jennison’s Red Legs. This regiment had a reputaion that was feared. Just tell border ruffians that the 7th was coming - and most would leave.
Before the 7th was formed Jennisson had a small group of men that raided both sides of the border. They burned buildings, hung who ever they caught, and burned crops, this was called “Jayhawking.”
The term “Jayhawk” meant: Like a hawk swooping down on a blue jay. To hit quick and hard.
Now Jennisson has the power of a U.S. Cavalry regiment.
When the 7th took to the field as a unit. They killed civilians &
prisoners. They burned near by homes and barns where ever they went.
What food they couldn’t carry off was burned. This also meant crops and anything that would aid the enemy. Anyone who shot at them was delt with too. If they weren’t shot, they were hung. This was Jayhawking... and they were very good at it.
The 7th was ordered to stop this policy, from their brigade commanders to Department commanders.
This had little effect, but orders were orders. But jayhawking was jayhawking.
Other military units and some guerilla bands said they were members of the 7th Kansas and Jayhawked on their own. The 7th got blamed, even if they were no where close to where it happened.
However General Grant’s General Order number 60 stated: “Persons acting as guerillas without organization and without uniform to distinguish them from private citizens are not entitled to the treatment of prisoners of war when caught and will not receive such treatment.
Whenever the government sustained loss as a result of guerilla attacks, the loss should be made good by seizure of a sufficient amount of personal property from the immediate neighorhood of the attack".
Doesn’t this sound a lot like jayhawking?
The 7th was about a year and a half ahead of the government in their methods. The government is now doing what it comened the 7th for doing 4 months ago.
The 7th was ordered to form the regiment at Fort Leavenworth. It was then ordered to Fort Riley, Kansas to be assigned to duty in New Mexico with some other units.
However the orders were changed, and the regiment was ordered to the Cornth, Misssissippi area. Where at Rienzi, Miss the regiment was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Division Army of the Mississippi, Philip H. Sheridan commander.
The mission of a cavalry unit on a defensive line is: To scout and picket every road and by way between its own Army and that of the enemy, to learn all it could of the dispositions and numbers of the hostile force, to deny as much as possible of the intervening country to the enemy cavalry, and to give timely notice of any hostil advance.
The regimental command changed often. Like other state units the
commander served at the pleasure of the Governor. Politics were very important.
Jennison was replaced as commander, then came back only to be replaced again. He was promoted to Colonel of the 7th on 4th of September ‘62.
Then acting B/ General on 31 Jan ‘63. He resigned from the 7th and returned to civilian life. He later convinced the govenor he could form another cavlry unit. This became the 15th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry, and on 17 October ‘64. He became Colonel of this regiment.
Commanders of the 7th Ks were:
Charles R. Jennison
Daniel Anthony
Albert Lindley Lee
Thomas P. Herrick
Charles W. Blair
David W. Houston
Ltc William S. Jenkins
Major Francis Malone
On the afternoon of 10th of November Anthony fought the first battle in the history of the 7th Kansas. It was on the little Blue River near West Port, Mo.
In Oct '64 the 7th made its first and only saber charge of the entire war.
Compaines A, B, and H retained the designationed as the saber compaines.
The 7th took part in the Price campaign for 58 days. They marched nearly 1,000 miles, was in several skirmishes and fights, and never lost a single man.
On 31 Nov 64 the 7th moved to St. Louis, Mo, then moved into Benton Barracks. On 31 Nov the unit were issued new clothing to replace the rags they called uniforms, and exchanged thier guns for the seven shot Spencer carbine.
Most of the western cavalry units fought dismounted. They would ride to the battle line, dismount and the horses were taken to the rear. The troopers would fight as infantry using thier weapons, which could fire faster than the muskets used by the infantry. However they could not shoot as far.
The three year enlistment was up for the 7th in the fall of '64. Every man who reenlisted for a new term of three years or the duration of the war was to receive a 30 day furlough at home and a bountry of $400 upon his discharge. If three-fourths or more of the regiment reenlisted, it would retain its organization and identity and the word "veteran" would be added to its name.
The 7th was the first regiment in the 16th Army Corps to reenlist. Nearly every one did reenlist. On 1 Jan the 7th Kansas Veteran Volunteer Cavalry was born.
Each trooper was given a badge of honable distinction, a "service chevron" consisting of a red worsted graid 12 inches long and nearly an inch wide, on which was centered a strip of blue worsted braid of the same length but only a half inch wide.
This was sewen in the shape of a V on the left coat sleave. Those who did not reenlist were called "bobtails and left with the 2nd Iowa Cavalry.
Latter orders were received to travel by steamship to Omaha, Nebraska then overland to Fort Kearny to aid in the campaign against the Planes Indians.
On the march the men picked grapes and added them to sugar and hardtack to form a stew the men called “Platte River Pudding.
Two days after reaching Fort Kearny the unit received orders to return to Fort Leavenworth to be mustered out.
Several of the men were unhappy being sent to fight Indians. Many
deserted along the way.
Upon hearing the regiment was going to be mustered out many rejoined the unit, with no mention of deserting.
On 29th September ‘65 the unit started to be mustered out with 502 officers and men.
On the 6th of October the 7th Kansas Verteran Volunteer Cavalry once known as Jennison’s Jayhawkers ceased to exist.
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