Defending the Border

By early 1864, defending the Kansas/Missouri Border with Union forces was becoming more organized and efficient. The main reason for this was that, once again and for the duration of the war the Department of Kansas had been created from and was entirely separate from the Department of Missouri. Headquarters for the Department of Kansas was at Fort Leavenworth and the headquarters for the Department of Missouri was in St. Louis. The state of Kansas was divided into the northern and southern districts and Missouri had been divided into multiple sub-districts with the fourth sub-district along the Missouri/Kansas Border. However, the most important facet of this reorganization was that Kansans would defend Kansas from within Kansas and Missourians would defend Missouri from within Missouri. Yes, they would defend their respective states from each other because they hated each other and were fond of killing each other even though they were Union troops. The Kansans simply believed that everyone in Missouri were enemies of the United States! In retrospect, this was simply not true, but the Kansans were a stubborn lot with memories that remembered the War of Bleeding Kansas.

The following correspondence describes the deployment of troops along the border in both Kansas and Missouri in February of 1864. All of the documents are located on Pages 273, 274, 327 and 328 in Vol. 34, Part II, Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

Headquarters Troops on the Border,

Trading Post, Linn County, Kansas, Feb. 8, 1864.

Col. N. P. Chipman:

Colonel: I have the honor to report my arrival at this station on last night. I also received your dispatch of the 6th instant, at 2 a.m. this day, with dispatches for Major General Curtis and the commanding officer at Fort Scott and forwarded them immediately. My command at the time of the establishment of the Department of Kansas, comprised the counties of Bates and northern Vernon County, Mo., and Miami and Linn Counties and the station at Aubrey, Kan. The troops under my command are Companies C and M, 9th Kans. Vol. Cavalry, at this place; Company H, at Barnesville, Bourbon County; Co. F, at Coldwater Grove, Miami County; Co. D, 11th Kan. Vol. Cav. at Aubrey, Johnson County, Kans. and Co. C. 15th Kan. Vol. Cav., at Paola, Kan.

During my absence at Leavenworth, Co. A, 9th Kans (formerly at this place), was ordered by General Ewing to Pleasant Hill, Mo. From the two companies here I have maintained a station at Potosi, 8 miles south of this place, of 25 men and one at Rockville, 15 miles north, of 25 men, leaving but 88 men at this station. We have about 25,000 rations and two or three loads of quartermaster's stores. I do not regard the number of troops here as sufficient. I have no information later than contained in your dispatches.

Respectfully, Your Obedient Servant,

E. Lynde,

Colonel, 9th Kan. Vol. Cav., Commanding.

Headquarters,

Fort Scott, Feb. 8, 1864.

Col. N. P. Chipman,

Chief of Staff, Dept. of Kansas, Fort Leavenworth, Kans.:

Colonel: Yours of the 6th instant is this moment received. There is as yet no enemy within reaching distance of my line of the border.

I have a line of outposts consisting of four companies, one at each station commencing 22 miles northeast of this place (at Barnesville) and extending south to a point 12 miles southeast (at Drywood), the intersecting line running about 12 miles due east from here (near Deerfield, Mo.). They are very active and vigilant and know every cowpath within 20 miles of their respective stations. They will duly notify me of the approach of any enemy in this quarter.

They are now very much reduced temporarily, as I have taken 40 men from each company to form a reliable escort for the general (Major General Samuel R. Curtis on an inspection trip of the Dept. of Kansas). They are, however, instructed to double their activity (patrols) and will not fail to do so. Three companies of cavalry and one section of artillery are stationed at this post (Fort Scott), but 60 men of the best armed and mounted of these are also with the general, leaving me but 150 present for duty.

I have, however, stragglers and convalescents that, in case of an emergency, would greatly increase the number and in three hours I could arm 300 militia, nearly all of who have seen some service. My command is in good fighting condition and I endeavor always to keep it so. I think no danger need be apprehended in this direction, but, at the same time, shall use every precaution not only to prevent surprise, but to reach the enemy should he come within striking distance. Your dispatch to the general will start in five minutes.

I am colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

Charles W. Blair

Col. 14th Kansas Cavalry, Commanding Post.

Coldwater Grove, February 8, 1864. Col. N. P. Chipman, Chief of Staff:

Colonel: Your letter concerning guerillas in Missouri received last night by messenger. I have both patrols and scouts out constantly and shall use every effort to ascertain what is going on in this vicinity. My available force is now 52 men. My company is well armed and in ordinary (good) condition.

B. F. Goss

Colonel, 9th Kan. Vol. Cavalry, Commanding.

(Now from the Missouri Perspective)

Headquarters District of Central Missouri,

Jefferson City, Mo., Feb. 14, 1864.

Col. J. H. Ford,

Comdg., fourth sub-district, Kansas City, Mo.:

Colonel: Lieut. Colonel Dodd advised the general commanding that he would move on the 12th toward the border and by the 16th he expects that you will be in command of the fourth sub-District. He directs me to submit to your consideration the following that will indicate to you the course he desires to be followed in the management of the border administration.

The troops will be expected to be constantly on the move, particularly in the hill country about the headwaters of the Blues, fire Creek and the Sni and Hickman Mills. Excursions (patrols) through these districts should be made daily and a portion of the commands must be dismounted and scour the country on foot, so that they can move secretly through the brush and by-paths. A sufficient number of citizen guides and scouts must be attached to each squadron so that the commanding officers will be able to move their troops at any hour and be kept fully advised of the movements of the guerrillas.

The greatest difficulty that you will have will be in allaying the passions that have grown out of what is known as "border warfare!" this began in the infancy of Kansas, when a portion of the people of Missouri endeavored to force upon an unwilling people the curse of slavery and this has grown into a war of extermination and under its cover every foul bird has flown to the border as being the field for its operations. The people of Kansas must be protected by preventing the organization and concentration of Guerrilla bands in the border counties (of Missouri) for the purpose of making raids and by keeping the country constantly patrolled as required in paragraph second of this communication, this can be done.

If you find your present force insufficient for the purpose you will make requisition for more troops and call into service every able bodied man on the border. In this connection the commanding officers of the troops on the Kansas border in the Department of Kansas as will insure an effective cooperation in furthering this object. In order to allay as far as possible the sectional bitterness that now exists between the people of Kansas and Missouri you will instruct the officers of your command that the people must be treated with the utmost deference and kindness that is consistent with an efficient discharge of their duties. If an emergency should render it necessary, you will please communicate direct to the commanding general of the Department of Kansas any information of the movement of Guerrillas that you may deem of importance and at the same time, forward copies of such communication to these headquarters.

I am, very truly, your obedient servant,

R. J. Leaming,

Aide-de-Camp and Acting Assist. Adj. General."

From a military perspective, did the tightening of "defending the border" decrease the number or raids across the border? Yes, it probably did. However, did it decrease the "sectional bitterness" between the people of Kansas and Missouri? No, it did not and the war went on.