"They Fought Like Veterans": The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry

In my imagination, I sometimes visualize the men of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry marching through the area where I live--not in the present time, of course, but nearly 150 years ago after fighting in the 1st Cabin Creek skirmish. Impressed with their performance, General James G. Blunt wrote that "They fought like veterans." Two years ago, I started highlighting regiments from William F. Fox’s list of “300 Fighting Regiments” that served at some point in the trans-Mississippi, and now the end has been reached. These units have been featured randomly with one exception—from the beginning I decided that the 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry would be the last regiment in the series. All of the regiments have been noteworthy, but the 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry, in my opinion, is the most special. Why? It was one of the first regiments of African-American soldiers to experience combat, and it was the only regiment in Fox’s list of 300 that served exclusively in the trans-Mississippi. 

There are a number of resources on the Internet about the 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry (later designated as the 79^th U. S. Colored Infantry), and the following were of particular interest to me:

American Ancestors: selected digital images of Captain Ethan Earle’s account book

Community & Conflict: a history of the regiment and a link to digital images of the unit’s Order Book

Fort Scott National Historic Site: a short history and suggested bibliography about the regiment

Kansas Historical Society: a flag of the 79^th U. S. Colored Infantry

The following is Colonel William F. Fox’s sketch of the regiment (note the incredible loss of Company K):

“Adam’s Brigade —Thayer’s Division--Seventh Corps.

Colonel James M. Williams; Bvt. Brig.-Gen.

Companies.		killed and died of wounds.			died of disease, accidents, in Prison, &c.			Total Enrollment.
		Officers.	Men.	Total.	Officers.	Men.	Total.
Field and Staff								17
Company	A		16	16		22	22	111
	B	1	11	12		21	21	130
	C	1	17	18		17	17	108
	D		12	12		23	23	109
	E	1	15	16		17	17	116
	F		21	21	1	17	18	129
	G		13	13		19	19	136
	H	1	14	15		15	15	128
	I		16	16		7	7	121
	K	1	48	49		7	7	144
Totals		5	183	188	1	165	166	1,249

188 killed --15 per cent.

Battles.	K. & M. W.	Battles.	K. & M. W.
Island Mounds, Mo.	10	Horse Head Creek, Ark.	1
Sherwood, Mo.	16	Poison Springs, Ark.	111
Cabin Creek, C. N.	1	Flat Rock, C. N.	36
Honey Springs, C. N.	5	Timber Hills, C. N.	2
Fort Gibson, C. N.	1	Ivy Ford, Ark.	1
Lawrence, KS.	1	Roseville, Ark.	2
Baxter Springs, C. N.	1

Present, also, at Bush Creek; Prairie d'ann; Jenkins's Ferry; Joy's Ford.

Notes.--Organized originally as the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, its designation being changed to the Seventy-ninth United States Colored Infantry, December 13, 1864. Recruiting commenced in August, 1862, and within sixty days 500 men were enlisted and placed in camp, although not without the usual difficulty and opposition arising from the prejudice against colored troops. On the 28th of October, 1862, a detachment of recruits numbering about 225 men, under Captain H. C. Seaman, encamped near Butler, Mo. (Island Mounds), where it was attacked by a superior force under Colonel Cockrell; the enemy were repulsed and driven off,--Seaman's detachment losing 10 killed and 12 wounded, Captain A. J. Crew being among the killed. This affair is noteworthy as the first fight in the war in which colored troops were engaged. A regimental organization was not effected until January, 1863, when six companies were mustered in; the other four companies were organized by May, 1863. At Poison Springs, Ark., April, 1864, the regiment while on a forage expedition in company with the Eighteenth Iowa, one section of artillery, and a small detachment of cavalry, was attacked by a large force under Generals Marcy and Fagan. The Union troops were completely surrounded, but cut their way out, the regiment losing 189 killed and wounded, besides the missing. Colonel Williams was in command of the party. In the affair at Flat Rock, only one company (K), numbering 42 men, was engaged; it was surprised and attacked by General Gano, the company being nearly annihilated. In May, 1864, Colonel Williams was placed in command of the Second Brigade, Frontier Division, Seventh Corps, the regiment being included in that brigade. Mustered out October 1, 1865” (Fox, p. 422).