The 16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

that served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and

American Indian Wars The American Indian Wars, also known as the American Frontier Wars, and the Indian Wars, was a conflict initially fought by European colonization of the Americas, European colonial empires, the United States, and briefly the Confederate States o ...

Service

The 16th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was organized at Leavenworth,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

from November 1863 through May 1864. It mustered in for three years under the command of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

Werter R. Davis. The regiment was attached to District of 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 April 1865. District of the Plains, Department of Missouri, to December 1865. The 16th Kansas Cavalry mustered out of service on December 6, 1865.

Detailed service

Duty in the District of North Kansas at Fort Leavenworth until September 1864. Company D at Fort Scott, 1st Brigade, District South Kansas. Companies A and L at Paola, 2nd Brigade, District South Kansas. Company B at Shawnee Mission and Company C at Olathe, 2nd Brigade, District of South Kansas. Companies F and G at Lawrence August 1864. Action at Ridgley, Missouri, June 11, 1864 (Company E). Scout from Leavenworth to Weston, Missouri, June 13–16, and from Kansas into Missouri June 16–29. Camden Point July 13 (Company F). Near Lexington October 17 (Company H). Second Battle of Lexington October 19. Operations against

Price's 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 Ame ...

Battle of Little Blue River The Battle of Little Blue River was fought on October 21, 1864, as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War. Major General (CSA), Major General Sterling Price of the Confederate States Army led an army into Missouri in September 1864 ...

October 21. Pursuit of Price October 21–28. Independence and State Line October 22. Big Blue and Westport October 23. Mine Creek, Little Osage River and Marias Des Cygnes October 25. Battle of Charlot October 25. Mound City and Fort Lincoln October 25 (Companies A and D).

Second Battle of Newtonia The Second Battle of Newtonia was fought on October 28, 1864, near Newtonia, Missouri, between cavalry commanded by Major General James G. Blunt of the Union Army and Brigadier General Joseph O. Shelby's rear guard of the Confederate Army ...

October 28. Operations on Upper Arkansas January 28-February 9, 1865. Protecting country against Indians until June.

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 ...

, march 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 joi ...

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 ...

to the Powder River then to Fort Connor, July 11 - September 20. Actions with Indians September 1–10 on Powder River. Mustered out December 6, 1865.

Casualties

The regiment lost a total of 110 men during service; 1 officer and 10 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 1 officer and 98 enlisted men died of disease.

Field Officers

* Colonel Werter R. Davis * Lieutenant Colonel Samuel Walker * Major James A. Price * Major James Ketner * Major Clarkson Reynolds * Major Wilber F. Woodworth

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