The 2nd Regiment Colorado Cavalry 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 ...

Service

The 2nd Colorado Cavalry was organized at

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

, by consolidation of the 2nd Colorado Infantry and 3rd Colorado Infantry to date from October 1863 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 ...

James Hobart Ford. The regiment was attached to District of Southeast Missouri, Department of Missouri, to December 1863. District of St. Louis, Missouri, Department of Missouri, to January 1864. District of Central Missouri, Department of the Missouri, to December 1864. District of the Upper Arkansas to September 1865. The 2nd Colorado Cavalry mustered out of service at

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 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 ...

, on September 23, 1865.

Detailed service

The regiment was organized at

Benton Barracks Benton Barracks, also known as Camp Benton, was a United States Army barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, located at present-day St. Louis Fairground Park. Before the American Civil War, the site was owned and used by the St. Louis Agricultural and ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

, until January 1863. Since January 1863, Companies F, G, H, and K were on duty in the Colorado Territory at Fort Lyon and other areas until November 26, 1863. From Fort Lyon they stayed at

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 Ge ...

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 ...

, between November 26 and December 25, 1863. They marched to

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

, Missouri, reaching Kansas City on January 6, 1864. They went through Kansas City to Dresden January 16, 1864. After staying at Dresden from February 15 to 20 they marched back to Kansas City. Assigned to duty in 4th Sub-District of Central Missouri, consisting of Cass, Johnston, Bates and Vernon Counties, Mo., and engaged in protecting borders of Kansas and operations against guerrillas, with almost constant fighting by detachments, until October 1864. * The Battle of Camden Point took place on July 13, 1864, near Camden Point, Missouri, USA * Operating from Kansas City, Independence, Westport, Hickman's Mills, Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville. * Skirmish at Dayton, Mo., April 27. * Skirmishes in Johnson County April 28–30. * Skirmish at Sin Hills April 29 and May 21. * Affair at Blue River May 21 (detachment). * Pleasant Hill May 28. * Scout on the Osage June 8–19 (Companies I and L). * Scout from Pleasant Hill June 14–16 (Companies D, I, K, and M). * Expedition from Kansas City into Missouri June 18–20 (Companies I, K, and M). * Operations in western Missouri July 6–30. * Near the Little Blue, Jackson County, July 6 (Company C). * Camden Point July 13. * Near Fredericksburg July 14. * Fayette Road, near Helmsville, July 16. * Fredericksburg July 17. * Scout on South Platte River, Colo. July 17–28 (detachment). * Ragtown July 20. * Camden Point July 22. * Union Mills July 22. * Pleasant Hill July 25. * Near Independence August 1 (detachment). * Scout on Independence Road to Gunter's Mills August 1–3 (Companies F, G, I, K, and L). * Scout from Independence to Lafayette County August 2–8 (detachment). * Scout from Independence to Lafayette and Jackson Counties August 13–18 (Companies C, D, F, I, K, and M). * Operations in Lafayette, Howard and Saline Counties August 13–22. * Engagement, Canadian River, Indian Territory, August 21 (detachment). * Scouts in Jackson and Cass Counties August 25–29 (Company D). * Skirmish near Pleasant Hill August 26 (Company D). * Operations against Price's Invasion August 29-December 2. * Scouts on Little Blue, Jackson County, September 2–10 (Company A). * Walnut Creek September 25. * Skirmish near Pleasant Hill September 26. * Regiment concentrated at Pleasant Hill October 1, and cover Independence and front of the Army of the Border. * Near Lexington October 17 (Companies C, E, G, K, and L). * Lexington October 19. * Battle of Little Blue October 21. * Pursuit of Price October 21–28. * Independence and State Line October 22. * Big Blue and Westport October 23. * Marias Des Cygnes, Mine Creek, Little Osage River, October 25. * Newtonia October 28. * Moved to District of the Upper Arkansas December 22, and engaged in operations against Indians about Fort Riley, Fort Zarah, Fort Ellsworth and Fort Larned until September 1865. * Skirmish at Godfrey's Ranch, Colorado Territory, January 14, 1865 (detachment). * Operations on Overland Stage Route from Denver to Julesburg, Colorado Territory, January 14–25 (detachment). * Skirmish at Fort Zarah February 1 (Company C). * Scout from Fort Larned to Crooked Creek March 9 (detachment). * Near Fort Zarah April 23 (detachment). * Pawnee Rock May 20 (detachment). * Cow Creek Station, Plum Butte and Pawnee Rock June 12 (detachments).

Commanders

* Colonel James Hobart Ford *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

J. H. Pritchard - commanded at the

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, 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 General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumber ...

and

Battle of Mine Creek The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of Little Osage, was fought on October 25, 1864, in Linn County, Kansas, as part of Price's Missouri Campaign during the American Civil War. Major-General Sterling Price had begun an expediti ...

* Major J. Nelson Smith - commanded at the

;

killed in action Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...

Smith County, Kansas Smith County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat is Smith Center. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,570. The county is named in memory of J. Nelson Smith, a major in the 2nd Colorado Cavalry, killed ...

, was named in his honor.

Notable members

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

Charles Frederick Holly, Company H - notable Colorado Territorial Legislator 1861–1862, Colorado Territorial Supreme Court Justice 1865–1866 *

Private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

John "Liver-Eating" Johnson, Company H - notable

mountain man A mountain man is an Geographical exploration, explorer who lives in the wilderness and makes his living from hunting, fishing and trapping. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s ...

Notes

References