Blair's 2nd Kansas Battery 1862 Ft Scott Kansas G Pa (10/05/2011)...

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Blair's 2nd Kansas Battery 1862 Ft Scott Kansas G Palmer wants to train Negros

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Blair's 2nd Kansas Battery 1862 Ft Scott Kansas G Palmer wants to train Negros

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Sold Date: 10/05/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay
Category: Stamps

SECOND LIGHT BATTERY Kansas-3 years

Second Light Battery. -- Capt., Edward A. Smith.

This organization was recruited in the late summer of 1862 by

Maj. C. W. Blair, of the 2nd Kan. cavalry, and it was mustered

into the U. S. service at Fort Scott Sept. 10, for three

years.

It numbered 123 officers and men and was at once assigned to

what was later known as the 1st brigade, 1st division, Army of

the Frontier. A section) of the battery under Lieut. Clark

was engaged without loss in the second engagement at Newtonia.

During Gen. Blunt's movement against Marmaduke at Cane Hill in

the latter part of November two sections of the battery

guarded the brigade and supply trains which were parked on

Lindsay's prairie, and later moved with them to Rhea's mills.

On Dec. 3, 1862, it was ordered back to Fort Scott to be paid

and reorganized.

The entire battery remained at Fort Scott until May 1, 1863,

when one section under Lieut. Knowles was sent to Baxter

Springs with the 1st Colored infantry. On May 18 a detachment

of 25 artillerymen and some 50 or 60 colored soldiers were

surprised by a force of guerrillas under Livingston near

Sherwood, Mo., when 3 of the battery were killed and 2

captured.

In June the section at Baxter Springs returned to Fort Scott.

Another section of the battery under Lieut. Wilson formed part

of the escort to a large supply train to Fort Gibson a little

later and took part in the engagement with Stand Watie's force

at Cabin. Creek, but sustained no loss.

On April 3, 1863, Maj. Blair was assigned to the command of

Fort Scott and resigned the command of the battery. Lieut.

Smith was mustered as captain on July 4 and on the 17th the

battery took a prominent part in the action at Honey Springs,

but escaped with a loss of only 1 man wounded though it lost

11 of its horses.

It then moved to Fort Gibson, Ind. Ter., where it encamped

until Aug. 22, when it moved on the campaign to Perryville,

Ind. Ter. In Nov., 1863, the two sections which had been

engaged in the campaign in the Indian country were ordered to

Fort Smith, Ark., and remained there until July, 1865.

The third section, under Lieut. Knowles, was left at Fort

Scott when Capt. Smith was ordered south in July, 1863, and

did not rejoin the rest of the battery until the summer of

1865. During the Price raid in the fall of 1864, this section

constituted a part of Col. Blair's brigade, with which it

participated in the march to Kansas City, the battle of

Westport, and in the subsequent pursuit of the enemy beyond

Fort Scott.

On July 21, 1865, the battery was ordered home from Fort

Smith, and after a journey of 1,700 miles by water, it arrived

at Fort Leavenworth Aug. 8. On the 11th it was mustered out

and two days later the men were paid and finally discharged,

just three years from the date of their first enlistment. It

lost by death during service 5 men killed in action, and 15

died of disease, and other causes.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 223

George C Palmer

Enlisted on 1/13/1863 as a Corporal.

On 6/18/1863 he mustered into KS 2nd Light Artillery

He was discharged for promotion (date not stated)

Promotions 2nd LT

Excellent letter and cover from Ft Scott Kansas.

The letter is datelined Feb 2 nd , 1863/ Blair’s 2 nd Kansas Battery, Fort Scott Kansas Territory.

It is addressed to Dear Bro. John

In part, he writes, I did not know where to write to until since the Murfreesboro fight, when I saw by the public prints the important part you played on that momentous occasion….

I left the land of secession the 1 st day of Sept, last and after a journey on horseback of 900 miles I reached Kansas. I came very near starving on the road having to do without food at 1 time 96 hours. I had to leave my wife and child in La., near Alexandria on Red river. I was forced to leave or join the service, which I was no...