When researching civil war records, have you used any militia records? If you had ancestors living in Kansas during the civil war, they just might be listed in Kansas militia records.
Since my BRILES family was living in Coffey county Kansas during the civil war, I found Alexander Briles, his son, John Briles, nephew, Branson Briles, son in law, Japhet Mentzer and son-in-law, Thomas Ruggles on the muster roll for Company I of the 16th Regiment of the Kansas Militia.
Muster Roll of Captain John Douglas,
Company I
of the Sixteenth Regiment,
Kansas State Militia,
Colonel F. W. Potter
Twelfth Day of October 1864,
when last mustered to the twenty-ninth day of October 1864Briles, John 3 Corp – Joined Sept 12, 1863 Neosho Twp; ordered into active service Oct 12th Leroy by F. W. Potter; relieved from duty Oct 29th by F W Potter
Muster Rolls, Price’s Raid October 1864 14th thur 16th Regiments, Vol. 6 (N.p.: n.p., n.d.), page 480; digital image, Kansas Memory, kansasmemory.org viewed online 3 August 2022.
Briles, Branson Priv – joined Sept 12 1863 Neosho Twp ; ordered into active service Oct 12th Leroy by F. W. Potter; releived from duty Oct 29th by F W Potter
Mentzer, Japhet – joined Sept 12 1863 Neosho Twp ; ordered into active service Oct 12th Leroy by F. W. Potter; releived from duty Oct 29th by F W Potter
Rugles, Thomas – joined Sept 12 1863 Neosho Twp ; ordered into active service Oct 12th Leroy by F. W. Potter; releived from duty Oct 29th by F W Potter
Briles, Alexander – joined Sept 12th Neosho Twp; ordered into active service Oct 12th Leroy by F. W. Potter; relieved form duty Oct 29th by F W Potter
At the time these men were mustered into service, General Sterling Price was causing havoc in Missouri in what is known as “Price’s Raid“. A search of newspapers for “Kansas Militia” in October 1864 finds a transcript of the telegrams to the governor about the threat General Price posed to Kansas, the governors response and the order calling up the militia.
Telegrams
United States Military Telegraph
Fort Leavenworth, Oct. 8, 1864
To Governor Carney — The line is now cut this side Sedalia. This indicates a rebel move by some body west or south. Hurry up the militia.
S. R. Curtis, Maj.Gen.United States Military Telegraph
The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, KS) 11 Oct 1864, page 2
Fort Leavenworth, Oct. 8, 1864
To Governor Carney — I request that you issue the call. Let the militia turn out. If not needed, they will of course be discharged. Their call and collection would enable us, at lest to give an impetus to Price’s departure. In your prompt responses to my request heretofore. I am sure we have saved the State from desolation. Let us do it now. The enemy is near Sedalia, and a fight is expected there to-night. They have burned Syracuse, Lamine and Otterile depots to-day. You see, they seem moving steadily westward. Delay is ruinous.
S. R. Curtis, Maj. Gen.
Governor’s Response
Kansans rally! You will do so as you have always promptly done,, when your soil has been invaded. The call, this time, will come to you louder and stronger, because you know the foe will seek to glut his vengeance upon you.
The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, KS) 11 Oct 1864, page 2
Meet him, then at the threshold and strike boldly, strike as one man against him.
Let all business be suspended. The work to be done now is to protect the State against marauder and murderer. Until that is accomplished, we must lead a soldier’s life, and do a soldier’s duty.
Men of Kansas, rally! One blow, one earnest, united blow, will foil the invader and save you. Who will falter? Who is not ready to meet the peril? Who will not defend his home and the State?
To arms, then ? To arms and the tentod field, until the rebel foe shall be baffled and beaten back.
Thomas Carney, Governor
N. B. – Major General Deitzler will lead the brave men of Kansas and issue the necessary orders. Commanding Officers of brigades and battalions will se that their respective commands are in readiness for immediate service.
Thomas Carney, Governor
Orders Calling Up the Militia
Major-General Deitzler’s Order
In pursuance of this call of the Governor, the Militia of Kansas will turn out and rendezvous immediately, as follows:
Headquarters, Dep’t Kansas State Militia
Topeka, Kansas Oct. 9, 1864General Order
The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, KS) 11 Oct 1864, page 2
No. 54
In pursuance of the proclamation of the Commander-in-Chief, of the 8th inst., the Militia of Kansas will turn out and rendezvous immediately, at the points indicated below:
Doniphan, Brown, Nemaha and Marshall counties, at Atchison under Brigadier General Byron Sherry.
Atchison, Leavenworth, Jefferson, Jackson, Pottawatomie, Riley, Davis, Waubaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas and Johnson counties. at Olathe, under Brigadier General M. S. Grant.
Wyanodott, at Wyandott, under Major E. S. Hubbard.
Miami, Franklin, Osage, Morriss and Lyon counties, at Paola, under Brigadier General W. H. M. Fishback.
Linn, Anderson and Coffee counties, at Mound City, under Brigadier General S. N. Wood.
Bourbon Allen and Woodson counties, at Fort Scott.
Commanders of Brigades and Regiments will promptly prepare their respective commands for active service for thirty days, unless sooner discharged, and see that each man is supplied with two blankets, a tin cup, knife and fork and a haversack; and also, a coffee pot and frying pan for every five men.
Let each Regiment and detachment bring its own transportation and all the rations possible, but there must be no delay on any account. The general Government will undoubtedly pay all proper charges for such transportation and supplies, and will furnish rations and forage as far and as soon as possible, at the points indicated in this order.
Let each man come with such arms as are at hand and a full supply of ammunition. As this campaign will be a short one no change of clothing will be necessary.
Until further orders the Headquarters of the Militia will be at Olathe, to which point all returns and communications will be sent. By order of
Geo W. Dietzler, Maj Gen. K. S. M.
John T. Morton, A.A.G.
All Federal officers in this Department will aid in giving circulation and success to this effort to concentrate troops for immediate service.
Quartermasters and Commissaries will aid to the utmost of their abilities to have requisite provisions accumulated as fast as possible.
An earnest and united movement should animate officers and men — Volunteer and Militia.
Let business and personal strife be suspended; partisan discussions and political animosities avoided: and instead of impatience, fault-finding and detraction, too common among raw recruits, let every man display the fortitude, patience and endurance which distinguish the patriotic soldier engaged in the defense of his home and his Country.
The sooner this call is met the more certain will be its success; and the General earnestly appeals to soldiers and citizens to unite all their moral and physical energies in this effort to stifle the fiendish hordes that again threaten the people of Kansas and the peace of our country.
By Command of Major General Curtis.
oct11 G. S. Charlot, A.A.G
Many of these militia registers called up in response to General Price have been digitized and posted on the Kansas Memory site hosted by the Kansas State Historical Society.
I have to ask, how do you find time to do the research adn write up such detailed blog posts?
I think one advantage is that for the most part, I’m going back thru my research and updating resources. Thus, I already know a lot about the individual. Since I have an ancestor who served in the Kansas militia from Leavenworth county, I was aware of the Price raids. However, I was not aware that my Coffey county ancestor’s service was also related to the Price raids. Thus, I was curious. I am also fortunate in that MANY MANY Kansas newspapers have been digitized. Thus, it didn’t take much time to start finding articles about the raid and the calling up of the militia.
Many of my posts are the result of becoming curious about some aspect of the research I’m doing at the time. I also schedule my posts. For example, yesterday, I created a post about Henry Duggins and Indiana land entries. That post is scheduled for Sept. 13. Working ahead on blog posts allows me those days when the research is either monotonous or unproductive.