Worst than Guerrillas!

Here's that rogue regiment again! After the "Union" pursuit of Price's "Confederate Army of Missouri" to the Arkansas River in the fall of 1864, the companies of 15th Kansas Vol. Cavalry Regiment were stationed along the Missouri/Kansas Border to protect the "Jayhawk State." However, the regiment could not escape the memory of it's activities on the recent campaign which surfaced to haunt it well into 1865. The following correspondence is located on Pages 891-893 in Vol. 41, Part IV of the "Official Records of the War of the Rebellion" and it indicates that military justice did move slowly, but it did move.

General Orders: Hdqrs. District of South Kansas

No. 37.

Paola, Dec. 19, 1864.

The following communication having been referred to the commanding general for action, to wit:

Cave Spring, Mo., Nov. 22, 1864.

General John B. Sanborn:

Jennison has just passed through this vicinity on his return from the Arkansas River. The night of the 19th he staid at Newtonia, the 20th Sarcoxie and the 21st at Dry Fork. Where he passed the people are almost ruined, as their houses were robbed of the beds and bedding. In many cases every blanket and quilt were taken, also their clothing and every valuable that could be found, or the citizens forced to discover. All the horses, stock, cattle, sheep, oxen and wagons were driven off. What the people are to do it is difficult to see. Many of them once sympathized with the rebellion, but nearly all of them have been quiet and cultivated their farms during the last year, expecting the protection of U.S. troops. Jennison crossed Coon Creek with as many head of stock cattle, half of them good beef, 200 sheep, 40 or 50 yoke of work oxen, 20 or 30 wagons and a large number of horses, jacks and jennets, say 100, as they were leading many of their broken-down horses and riding fresh ones. The 15th Kansas had nearly all this property and the men said they had taken it in Missouri. There are cases where the men tore the clothing off of women in search of money and threatening to burn houses in order to get money is the common practice. They acted worse than Guerrillas. Can the stock be returned to this department so that the owners can get their property?

Respectfully,

Green C. Stotts,

Capt., Comdg, Co. C, 7th enrolled Mo. Militia"

"Endorsed as follows:

(First Endorsement:)

Headquarters District of Southwest Missouri,

Springfield, Mo., Nov. 24, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to Major-General Rosecrans, commanding the Department of the Missouri, with the recommendation that the pay of this regiment within-named be stopped until the amount of the losses sustained by the citizens be ascertained by a commission and that the amount lost be deducted from the pay account of the regiment and paid over to the parties who have sustained the loss. The citizens are loyal and have raised their crops at great risk and in great danger and deserve protection.

John B. Sanborn,

Brigadier General, commanding.

(Second Endorsement:)

Headquarters Department of the Missouri,

Saint Louis, Mo., Dec. 1, 1864.

Respectfully forwarded to Maj. Gen. S. R. Curtis, commanding Department of Kansas.

The recommendation of General Sanborn is approved.

W. S. Rosecrans,

Major General Commanding.

(Third Endorsement:)

Headquarters Department of Kansas,

Fort Leavenworth, Dec. 16, 1864.

Respectfully referred to Major General Blunt, commanding District of South Kansas.

By command of Major General Curtis.

C. S. Charlot

Assistant Adjutant General."

By Command of Major General Blunt:

I. It is therefore ordered that all payments now due the 15th Regiment Kansas Volunteers be postponed until further orders from these headquarters or from some superior authority, with the view to ascertain by proper investigation who are the parties responsible for the depredations committed upon loyal citizens of Missouri, as set forth in the communication of Captain Stotts and to have the damages assessed on the pay-rolls against the guilty parties to indemnify those who have sustained losses as alleged.

II. The general commanding very much regrets that, after the successful termination of the campaign against the rebel army under General Price, any portion of his command, when entrusted to return to their respective stations as independent detachments, should so conduct themselves as to render their acts as a matter of investigation. But the rights of those whom it is alleged have been the victims of vandalism at the hands of those to whom they had a right to look for protection, as well as the interest of the government, the discipline of the army and the honor and reputation of a portion of the regiment referred to and other troops comprising the 1st division, Army of the Border, requires a thorough investigation of the foregoing allegations that injured loyal citizens may be redressed and deserved punishment prescribed for the guilty parties.

By Command of Major General Blunt:

Geo. S Hampton

Assistant Adjutant General."

Now, Col. Charles "Doc" Jennison, even though he had been relieved as Comdg. Officer of the 15th and was under arrest, was not going to stand by and not answer these charges and allegations! The following is an edited summary of his rebuttal to the charges.

"Mound City, Kansas, Dec. 19, 1864.

Maj. C. S. Charlot,

Asst. Adj. Gen., Department of Kansas, Ft. Leavenworth.

Sir: I have the honor to call the attention of the general commanding the department to the fact that the pay of the brave and true boys of the 15th, who were with him and who made the entire trip after General Price, is stopped on account of depredations said to have been committed by them at or near Newtonia, Mo.

Further, let me say that my orders from the general commanding the 1st Div., Army of the Border (Major Gen. James G. Blunt), through his regular staff officer, in the presence of at least 10 officers of my brigade, was to desolate the country from the Arkansas River to Fort Scott and burn every house on the route! For simply carrying out in part these instructions the enlisted men who have battled for the cause of our country so nobly are to suffer!

There has been evinced on the part of the certain officers in this district a feeling to crush out the 15th and I must say that if there is any such feeling to be carried out I hope it will be against me and the officers in place of the enlisted men!

Hoping the general commanding the department will in this case, as in all previous ones, give it his personal attention and see that justice is done all parties, I am sir, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

C. R. Jennison

Colonel 15th Ks. Vol. Cavalry (in arrest)."

Evidently, Jennison's rebuttal did have a positive result because there is no documentation that the pay of the enlisted men of the 15th was ever stopped. Did the troops of the 15th and other "Union" regiments commit the alleged offenses. Yes they did, as there is ample documentation to prove that they did. However, Colonel Jennison, did not escape the charges. He was subsequently tried before a general court martial at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., on charges of "Conduct to the Prejudice of Good order and Military Discipline, Gross and Willful Neglect of Duty, Defrauding the Government of the United States and Disobedience of Orders." He was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to be dishonorably dismissed from the service of the United States via of General Orders, No. 153, Department of the Missouri, June 23, 1865! And yes, after the Civil War ended in April of 1865 at Appomattox Court House, Va, out here in Arkansas, the Indian Territory (Oklahoma), Missouri and Kansas the war went on!