Battlefield Dispatches No. 198: 'Remembering Forgotten Warriors'

This column is devoted to a description of the "3" Indian Home Guard Regiments from Kansas during the Civil War. One might think that their regimental designation indicates that they were organized to protect their homes in Kansas, but this was not the case. These regiments, for the most part, consisted on Indian refugees who were driven from their homes in what is now "Eastern Oklahoma" into Kansas. The 1st & 2nd Regiment of I. H. G.'s were recruited by Brigadier General James Henry Lane in the winter of 1861 and 1862 and promised that if they would Join the "Union" Army & they would be part of a campaign to return them to their homes from which they had been driven. Therefore they would eventually be "guarding their homes" and be known as the "Indian Home Guard Regiments". The 3rd Regiment of Indian Home Guards was not organized until late August and early September of 1862 and consisted mostly of Cherokee Indians who had deserted from the Confederate forces after they were defeated by "Union" troops in the Battle of Locust Grove, Indian Territory (Oklahoma) in August of 1862.

The following description of the Indian Home Guard Regiments is located on Pages 56-58 in Series I, Vol. 22, Part Two Correspondence of the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

Camp Curtis, January 19, 1863.

Major General Curtis,

Commanding Department of the Missouri.

Sir: I desire to report the peculiar features, character & present condition of the three Indian Regiments. My close connection with them in active service during the past nine months has given me opportunities to judge & I submit a report as brief as it can be made, believing it necessary to give the Government a clear idea of the nature & wants of this branch of the service..

1st. The First Indian Regiment is of Creeks, mustered at Leroy, [Kans.]. The only white officers at first were field officers. The regiment did some service in June & July [of 1862]. It became badly demoralized for want of sufficient & competent officers; was partially broke up in august & was collected in October & had white 1st Lieutenants mustered under General Blunt's order. Some 300 or 400 of the regiment, who had gone to Leroy in august & who had refused to leave it, got down with the [supply] train just at the time the Army of the Frontier was re-brigaded. The regiment has drilled very little & are indifferently informed as to their duties.

These Creeks are about equal in scale of intelligence to the Delawares of Kansas, but they are inferior to the Cherokees. I would be lacking in my duty to them or the government if I failed to say that, with one or two good field officers, military men & two or even three company officers they could be made very effective.

2nd. The Second Regiment originally consisted of Osages, Quapaws, etc. [Delawares & Seminoles] & when it got into the Cherokee Nation [in eastern Indian Territory / Oklahoma], finally of Cherokees. The Osages, who were neither more or less than savages & thieves, who brought the whole command into disgrace, were finally mustered out during one of their periodic desertions, which fortunately happened at pay time. Last summer the regiment drilled but little; lately it has improved on that respect. It still lacks necessary officers, but is in a fair way to make a useful force.

3rd. The Third Regiment, which was my own, rejoined after its organization was literally taken from the enemy & was the heaviest blow dealt in the Southwest last summer [Refers to the desertion of these soldiers from the Confederate forces.] Profiting by the experience of the first two regiments, it was organized by General Blunt's orders, at my suggestion, with 1st Lieutenants & Orderly Sergeants picked out of the white regiments in the field. I endeavored to secure active, intelligent men, conversant with their duties as soldiers or non-commissioned officers & just so far as I succeeded in this result has been favorable. Unless when on actual march the regiment had dress parade every evening & drill & officer's school every day. The result is that it is well drilled as many white regiments that have been a longer time in the service. The regiment has done a great deal of active service, besides innumerable scouts [patrols] & skirmishes [small battles]. They were for two hours & 40 minutes under hot MUSKETRY & finally ARTILLERY FIRE at [the Battle of] Newtonia. They participated at Fort Wayne, Cane Hill, Dutch Mills, Prairie Grove & other engagements. This is the only Indian Regiment that is really a success so far, although the Second undoubtedly will be, but there are several errors in its organization & some few of this command & also the Third absent themselves without leave, which is a chronic Indian weakness.

The officers in an Indian regiment have to work very hard to get things in shape. The besetting sin of Indians is laziness. THEY ARE AS BRAVE AS DEATH, active to fight, but lazy. They ought invariably to be mounted; they make poor infantry, but FIRST CLASS MOUNTED RIFLEMN.

The 3rd. Indian Regiment, most of the 2nd & half of the 1st entered the service with their own horses; were paid as infantry, but foraged & shod by department order of General Blunt. Their horses have nearly all been used up [worn out] in the service. At this time the stock is very poor.

The 3rd Indian Regiment is of 12 companies of mounted riflemen & has two howitzers [small cannon] attached. They are only paid as infantry, but used as mounted men. About 100 of them are on foot, as their horses have died in the service. To be efficient they ought to be mounted on government horses in the spring. The 3rd is armed with Mississippi & Prussian rifles. The 2nd with Prussian rifles & muskets and the 1st with their hunting rifles & have to mold their bullets.

Nothing but active steps to supply necessary orders can save the 1st Indian Regiment from utter demoralization. My orders to drill are disregarded. As I compel the regiments to draw on consolidated provision returns, I have difficulty in getting reports from them. I am embarrassed, as arresting all the officers of a regiment is not to be thought of & permitting it to run loose has a bad effect on the rest. I earnestly desire instruction & necessary authority to myself or some others. In the mean time, I shall do the best I can.

With great respect,

Before the end of Spring in 1863, "active steps" were taken to reorganize the 1st Regiment of Indian Home Guards & it continued on active duty for the duration of the "War" and of course the War Went On!