The First To Serve

The 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry was mustered January 13^th 1863 into the Union Army.

Six companies or one battalion of the 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry was mustered into Union service January 13^th 1863 at Fort Scott, Kansas.  They were place under the command of Colonel James M Williams of the 5^th Kansas Cavalry.  The regiment was recruited without Union authorization by James H Lane a Union recruiter for the Kansas territory.  It took only 60 days to raise the 500 men.

The 1^st saw duty with the Department of Kansas, participating in actions at Cabin Creek, Island Mound, Baxter Springs, Elk Creek, Honey Springs, and Steele’s Camden Expedition among others.  They were also attached to Armstrong’s Battery of Light Artillery.  No other Kansas regiment saw more casualties then the 1^st.  They had 178 men killed and 166 die of disease.

The 1^st Kansas Colored Infantry stopped being on December 13^th 1864, when it became the 79^th United States Colored Infantry.

If you’re interested, this web site has more information on the First Kansas,  First to Serve

A Fight In Indian Territory

Fought in the Indian Territory, the Battle of Honey Springs on July 17th 1863, was fought mostly by African and Native Americans.


Confederate General Douglas Hancock Cooper had command of troops made up mostly of the Five Civilized Tribes. Cooper was to meet with soldiers of General William Cabell’s command from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Cooper moved toward Honey Springs a Confederate supply depot in the Indian Territory with plans to rest and link up with Cabell. Union General James G Blunt received information about the Confederate movement and decided to attack them. On the morning of July 17th 1863 the battle opened with light skirmishing, which exposed that the Confederates troops had wet gunpowder. The Union troops began a full scale attack in the afternoon, when a heavy rain increased the Confederate’s gunpowder problems. Blunt ordered his 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, under the command of Colonel James M William to attack. The Confederates held there ground and the 1st Kansas withdrew. Cooper’s men moved back toward the depot at Honey Springs for more ammunition, and the Union troops continued to engage them. Making a stand on the bridge over Elk Creek, Cooper’s men fell back further, allowing Union soldiers to turn his left flank. The Confederate troops fell back another half mile, near the Depot, where the Chickasaw and Choctaw regiments made a strong stand while the rest of Cooper’s men retreated.

Union troops moved into Honey Springs, where they burned all the supplies in the depot. The battle was a Union victory. The Battle of Honey Spring was the largest fought in Indian Territory, and opened the way for Union capture of Fort Smith.

A recommended web site on this subject is HONEY SPRINGS, BATTLE OF

Poison Spring

Fought as part of the Camden Expedition, the Battle of Poison Spring occurred on April 18th 1864 in Ouachita County Arkansas.


Union Major General Frederick Steele at Camden Arkansas found himself running out of supplies. He sent a large foraging party twenty miles up the Prairie D’Ane - Camden Road along the White Oak Creek to collect corn the Confederate had stored there. With the corn loaded into wagons on April 18th 1864 Colonel James M Williams and his men began their return trip to Camden. Still about fifteen miles from Camden on the Camden - Washington Road near Poison Spring the Union soldiers were attacked by Confederate Brigadier Generals John Sappington Marmaduke and Samuel B Maxey. The Confederates hit Williams from the front and rear, forcing them to retreat north into the marsh. The Union troops regrouped after a two and half mile pursuit by the Confederates, and retreated back to Camden.

The Union saw losses of 301 men, most of whom were from the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers Infantry. [Many of the black soldiers were killed after the battle was over.] They also lost 198 wagons with 5,000 bushels of corn. The Confederates lost 114 men.

Skirmish at Island Mound

The first engagement by African-American troops during the Civil War occurred on 29 th October 1862 at Island Mound in Missouri.

Captain James M Williams formed a regiment out of former slaves from Missouri and Arkansas in Kansas, even before President Lincoln declared the Emancipation Proclamation. In August 1862 these men became the First Kansas Colored Volunteers. They weren’t mustered into the US service until January 13th 1863, but were armed with Austrian and Prussian muskets.
On October 27th the 1st Kansas Colored were part of the force sent to Bates County,MO to break up a guerrilla force located near the homestead of John Toothman. Their scout located a large party of Confederate’s serving under Bill Truman and Dick Hancock, with the Missouri State Guard under Colonel Jeremiah “Vard” Cockrell. The Union finding a larger force than expected, fortified their position with fence rails, calling their location “Fort Africa”. The second day passed with both sides sending out skirmishers.

By the 29th the Union troops were running low on ration. Skirmishers were sent out to create a diversion, so that a party could out and forage. While the Kansas men were eating the foraged food, the Rebels set a fire to the south of camp. The Union men set a back fire to keep the original fire form reaching camp. The Union forces sent out John Six-Killer a Cherokee scout and his slaves that had enlisted with him. They were to move just beyond the fire, remaining in sight of camp. They were drawn out into a skirmish and advanced out of sight. A second party under Lieutenant Joseph Gardner were dispatched to Six-Killer’s aid, but soon were also engaged out of sight. The Battle continued to grow in size. Union casualties were eight killed [1 white officer, 6 blacks, and the Cherokee John Six-Killer], and eleven wounded. The Rebels lost about 30 men. The 1st Kansans Colored Volunteer would become the 79th US Colored Troops on December 13th 1864.

For more information check out these web sites.
http://www.batescounty.net/island_mound.htm
http://islandmound.tripod.com/index1.htm