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First Cavalry The First Cavalry Regiment raised, and tendered to the government by joint resolution of the State legislature, at the extra session, was in the spring of 1861. It was accepted June 13, 1861, making it the oldest volunteer regiment in the service. It was ordered to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, October 15, 1861, and immediately after to the interior of the State, to look after guerrillas who infested that section. From November of that year, to the following march the regiment was constantly on the move, and no regiment did greater service or covered more territory. So brilliant, quick and effective were their movements , the guerrillas soon gave them a wide berth wherever they went. In March, 1862 it was ordered to Sedalia, and for several months was divided into small detachments scouring the country. July 9th the noted guerrilla chief Quantrell, was met in Cass county, and after a severe, sharp and short contest, he took to the brush, from which he was quickly driven out. In August it returned to Sedalia, and was frequently sent out, at night making long and rapid dashes. In December, at Prairie Grove, it showed its fighting qualities, under great disadvantages. December 27th, it started with the expedition of General Blunt, to Van Buren, Arkansas and participated in its capture on the 28th, when it returned to Prairie Grove. The year 1863 was but a repetition of the first year. The presence of the regiment will be remembered at Huntsville, Dry Fork, Crooked Creek, Kingston, Yellville, Finley Fork, Mountain Grove, Pilot Knob, and Jackson, the latter being the celebrated midnight attack April 26, 1863. In June, 1863 it was supplied with new and improved equipment and joined the Little Rock expedition. Up to that date, scarcely two men were equipped alike, but each had what he could get, from a musket to a pocket pistol. At Bayou Metoe, it as a whole regiment, first engaged the enemy, and as usual was in the front, and made a most successful charge. November and December was passed at Little Rock, doing post duty, meanwhile executing several brilliant skirmishing movements, in one n which 260 men suddenly came upon the enemy in strong position near Princeton 800 strong. With a dash, they were routed and several captured. This closed the work of 1863, and early in 1864 they were entitled t a veteran furlough, but, waiving the right joined Steele's command on the Camden expedition, which was, owing to the rigor of winter, a severe one. It engaged the enemy at Spoonville March 30, and Antoine, April 2, in a five miles' running fight; at Little Missouri River, April 4, routing Price's army. Arriving at Camden, it was accorded the honor of being the first to enter. Here the regiment took its furlough, sold their horses, but retained their arms. They marched to that point, and by way of diversion, assisted is scooping the enemy at Jenkin's Ferry, April 30. The non-veterans remained at Little Rock. The veterans came home, arriving May 17. June 30 found them again on the war path, and at Benton Barracks they were again mounted, and July 27, sent to Mexico and other points, operating against Price until December, when they went to Little Rock, where they scouted until February 20, 1865, when they moved to Memphis, to operate against Forest's guerrillas, meeting them successfully at Tallahatchie. They remained at Memphis until the Confederacy collapsed, when they were ordered to join General Custer, at Alexandria, La, and started August 8. The regiment will probably never forget this movement. They were shamefully treated. General Custer by his infamous general order No. 15, inherited the lasting hate of the entire regiment. The regiment arrived at Hempstead August 26, without rations, barefooted and nearly naked, few blankets and no supplies. While there, says Lieutenant Colonel McQueen, the regiment put in its time vainly "endeavoring to obey a series of voluminous, threatening and conflicting orders, general and special, and individual instructions, with as little prospect of success as an attempt to make a rope of sand." General Custer treated the regiment as though they were a gang of thieves and desperadoes. Three days after arriving at Hempstead, five days rations were given them, consisting of hogs' jowles, ornamented with tusks five inches long. And hard bread spiced with maggots. Those who had money, in violation of order 15, and at the risk of condign punishment, purchased food, while those who had no money robbed the half starved horses of their small pittance of poor corn. To complete the infamy of order 15, all mail matter was ordered sent through the office of the Provost Marshall for that district, General Custer probably being assured that the regiment received no mail while there. But they found a way t the ear of the authorities at Washington, and the infamous orders were revoked. October 29 the regiment moved to Austin, where it was permitted to behave like soldiers and gentlemen. Here they remained while in the service, going out in detachments, to reserve order, protect the courts, and aid in reconstruction the machinery of the Federal government. The regiment had during its service, four different colonels, Fitz Henry Warren, James Otis Gower, Daniels Anderson, William Thompson. It was mustered out February 15, 1866, at Austin Texas, and disbanded at Davenport, March 13, Having been in service 5 years with the record of being equal in discipline and drill to the best of the "regulars." The casualties of the regiment
were: Among the officers, killed in
action 1; died 3; discharged for disability, 1; wounded 4; resigned 34;
dismissed, 3; total 46. Among enlisted men, killed 42; died, 212;
discharged, 203; wounded 84; missing 2, total, 543. Keokuk county was represented in the field and staff officers, to wit: John A. Landis, battalion quartermaster.John A. Donnell, quartermaster sergeant and adjutant. Robert T. Newell, hospital steward and commissary. Company I -David C. Dinsmore first
lieutenant; enlisted Jun 13;
promoted captain Aug 26, 1862; mustered out Sep 9, 1864 Privates -Bottorf, David C. enlisted
Jun 13; promoted eighth corporal;
Sep 1, 1862 died Mar 23, 1864 at Keokuk; veteranized Jan 1, 1864 Company M Officers -P. S. Coleman wagoner; enlisted Aug 31, 1863; died
Aug 7, 1864 at DuVall's Bluffs Ark Privates -Hampson, Frank M. enlisted Aug 18, 1863-Mallone, Andrew J. enlisted Sep 1, 1863 -Orndoff, Henry enlisted Aug 18, 1863; died Mar 2, 1864 at St. Louis -Parish, Elza enlisted Aug 31, 1863 -Johnson, Cornelius S.
enlisted Aug 16, 1862; veteranized Jan 1, 1864 Additional -Bottorf, Wilson K. enlisted Aug 16, 1862; appointed teamster-Braden, John S. enlisted Aug 16, 1862 -Street, W. E. enlisted Aug 16, 1862; appointed saddler  Seventh Cavalry The Seventh Cavalry was organized in the spring of 1863, rendezvoused at Davenport, and on the 27th, was divided and six companies took their first experience in the field by a march across the State from Davenport to Omaha, and from thence were sent to various posts in the Territory of Nebraska. On the 5th of September the two remaining companies were sent to Omaha, and from that time the entire service of the regiment was spent on the frontier, at different points in that vast stretch of country from Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains, fighting and chasing Indians - an arduous if not dangerous duty. To give a history of the regiment would necessitate a record of each company, for the regiment never moved as a body; in fact was never together as a whole. It was scattered in detachments, who took part in every expedition against Indians in the departments of Missouri, Kansas and the Northwest., from 1863 to the fall of 1865, and fought wholly or in part in the battles of White Stone Hill, Tahkahokutah, Bad Lands, Little Blue, Julesburg, Mud Springs, and Rush Creek. Keokuk County was represented in Companies A, C, and D. Companies A and C took a tilt with five hundred Cheyenne's on Little Blue River, August 12, 1864, fighting from eleven o'clock in the forenoon until seven in the evening, with a loss of only two men. The distance traveled by the company fro9m its organization to February 28, 1865, was five thousand three miles. Company C remained at Nebraska City until May 5, 1864, and was employed in hunting bushwhackers, murderers and horse thieves. It next moved to Cottonwood Springs where August 31, it joined an expedition against Indians at Plumb Creek and returned in September, having marched over one thousand miles. While the company was absent, the garrison at the Springs were surprised by Indians, and two men of company C were killed. January 21, 1865, the company was ordered to guard Beauvois Station, eighty-five miles west of Cottonwood. It was employed in scouting, escorting overland stage stations, etc. Company D went to Fort Laramie, thence to Fort Halleck, whence December 8, 1864, returned to Fort Laramie, and went into garrison for scouting, etc; February 8 was engaged with Indians at Mud Springs, and on the 9th at Rush Creek, I. T. in which one man of the company was killed and two wounded. June 11, 1865 the company, with a small detachment from A and B, in all 135 men, were detailed to escort about 2,000 Sioux to Julesburg, with their lodges and families. On the morning of the 14th near Fort Mitchell, the Indians revolted, and Captain Fouts was shot his body stripped and mutilated. The Indians finally fled to the hills and bluffs, leaving their lodges and loose plunder. January 6, 1866, companies A, C, D, I and H, constituting the second battalion, with two other battalions left Fort McPherson (Cottonwood Post) on an expedition against hostile Indians, returning after severe and long march to the post February 19th, and the following day the expedition disbanded. When it is considered that the men had already served out their full time; that this expedition was through a wild and unsettled country, amid the rigor of the severest weather known on the plains with subsitenc3e short, the men deserve, as they received, the highest commendation from commanding officers and the war department. They did their duty well and won the title of "Hiowa 'ell 'ounds" among the predatory enemies of the settlers on the frontier. The regiment was not formally mustered out, but was disbanded in detachments. Companies A to K were mustered out at Leavenworth, May 17, 1866. It had became decimated as to lose its regimental organization. In fact its colonel was not with the regiment for nearly a year before it was disbanded, having been mustered out January 31, 1865. The casualties were killed, 145; died 101; discharged, 246; wounded 8. Of enlisted men and of officers: killed 2; resigned 15; dismissed 6.
Company A Officers -James G. Smith second lieutenant; enlisted Sep 12, 1862;
Promoted first lieutenant, Jul 25, 1863; resigned Oct 9, 1865 Privates -Adams, William H. enlisted Oct 1, 1862 Company C Privates -Clingan, Gustavus A. enlisted Apr 11, 1863 Company D Officers -Jeremiah H. Triggs second lieutenant; enlisted Nov 10, 1862;
declined commission but promoted first lieutenant Aug 24,
1864; promoted captain June 26, 1865, but declined Privates -Bales, Noah J. enlisted Dec 11, 1862 Company H Privates -Bennett, Elisha W. enlisted Jun 23, 1863-Berry, Thomas J. enlisted Jun 10, 1863 -Reynolds, Joseph H. enlisted Jun 10, 1863 Ninth Cavalry The Ninth Cavalry Regiment was organized in the fall of 1863, and mustered in at Davenport, November 30, and was represented by nearly every county in the State. It was moved to Benton Barracks, where it remained until April 14th, when it started for Little Rock. Its field of service was in Arkansas and its most active service was when Steele was in a state of siege at Little Rock. It was engaged in frequent short, sharp skirmishes. It took no part in great battles of the war; still it performed two years' laborious and gallant service. It marched over two thousand miles moved by steamboat and rail seventeen hundred miles, and, in scouting over 8,000 miles. It lost one hundred and sixty four men by sickness and fifteen by wounds. It was mustered out at Little Rock, in detachments in February and March, 1866. Keokuk County was represented in companies D and K. Company D Officers -Daniel Davis second sergeant; enlisted Aug 12, 1863;
promoted second lieutenant, Jan 23, 1866, but was
mustered out as a
first sergeant Privates -Coats, John W. enlisted Aug 8, 1863 Company I Privates -Haycock, George A. enlisted Sep 22, 1863Company K Officers -Joseph H. Shawhan captain; formerly first lieutenant
company B, thirty third infantry Privates -Allen, Thomas enlisted Oct 10, 1863-Allen, Abel D. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Burns, James enlisted Oct 10, 1863; died Jul 23, 1864; at Du Vall's Bluff Ark -Brittian, William P. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Baldwin, Jacob B. enlisted Oct 10, 1863; transferred to invalid corps May 15, 1864 -Ball, John W. enlisted Oct 24, 1863 -Booton, John W. enlisted Oct 24, 1863 -Booton, Alexander, enlisted Nov 5, 1863; discharged Aug 19, 1864 for disability -Clarahan, John enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Cochran, David N enlisted Oct 10, 1863; discharged for disability Jun 13, 1864 -Cross, William P. enlisted Nov 9, 1863 -Dunlap, James V. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Ellison, George enlisted Oct 17, 1863 -Fisher, Abram C. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Fowler, Henry enlisted Nov 5, 1863 -Harvey, Charles D. enlisted Nov 9, 1863 -Hartzell, William C. enlisted Oct 16, 1863 -Hinman, Alonzo enlisted Oct 25, 1863 -Jones, Alexander enlisted Oct 28, 1863; died Jan 24, 1864 at St. Louis -Jessup, John enlisted Oct 17, 1863 -Knox, Milton enlisted Oct 19, 1863; discharged Mar 7, 1864 for disability -Kirkpatrick, Joseph H. enlisted Nov 1, 1863 -Larimore, James F. enlaced Oct 10, 1863 -Mantz, Moses A, enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Meeker, Washington S. enlisted Oct 28, 1863; died Sep 24, 1864 at Keokuk -McCreery, Landy enlisted Oct 23, 1863 -Ord, Jonathan C. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Paull, Benjamin B. enlisted Sep 17, 1863 -Pfenbecher, henry enlisted Oct 4, 1863 -Reynolds, James enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Sprague, Eli enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Shipman, Thomas B. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Smith, Hamilton enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Smith, Sylvanus enlisted Oct 10, 1863 -Sutton, James A. enlisted Oct 23, 1863 -Tilton, George W. enlisted Oct 10, 1863 Company M Officers -P. S. Coleman wagoner; enlisted Aug 31, 1863; died
Aug 7, 1864 at DuVall's Bluffs Ark Privates -Hampson, Frank M. enlisted Aug 18, 1863-Mallone, Andrew J. enlisted Sep 1, 1863 -Orndoff, Henry enlisted Aug 18, 1863; died Mar 2, 1864 at St. Louis -Parish, Elza enlisted Aug 31, 1863
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