The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-10-17
The Sfh Kan.

The Sth Kan.
EOITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: I was a
high private in the front rank OF Co. /, Sth
Kan, and, having seen no mention of my
regiment, and believing We are worthy of
notice in the columns of the soldiers
friend,' | will try and write a partial his
tory of I" the Bloody 9Th" as the boys used
to call Us. The Sth Kan. was attached to
the Third Brigade, First Division, Twentieth
Corps, and to the First Brigade, Third Di-
vision, Fourth Corps, Army of the Cumber-
land, and participated during the Summer
of 1868 in the campaign against Tullahoma,
and late in August formed the advance
guard when the corps crossed the Tennessee
River at CapertOn's Ferry in pontoon-boats.
1t took an active part in the campaign
which followed, ending with the battle Of
Chickamauga and the siege of Chattanooga.
On Nov % it covered the front OF the bri-
gade as skirmishers. The 3 h captured
Orchard Knob, the Headquarters of Gems.
Grant and Thomas during the battles Of the
succeeding two days On the 25th it par
ticlpated III the stOrming Of Mission Ridge,
and its flag was one of the first, if not the
first, planted on the summit. Two days
later the Sth marched with it's corps to the
all the movements of that dreadful Winter
campaign, and formed a portion OF the rear
guard on the retreat from cambridge Early
in January, 1864, at Strawberry Plains. East
Tennessee, fOur-ffths of all the members of
the Sth then present reinlisted as veterans.
Returning home in February, the regiment
received a furlough of 80 days. Reassem-
bling at Fort Leavenworth early in April, it
returned South and took part in the cam
paign against Atlanta; thence, with it's
corps, it went back to Nashville. During
the first six months Of the year 1865 the
regiment WAS stationed at various points in
Alabama and Tennessee, but late in July il
was ordered to Texas, where 10 remained
until Nov. 80 when it was mustered out
and ordered home for final discharge. IL
reached Fort LeavenwOrth on Jan. 6, 1866,
and on the 9th was disbanded. Its career
commenced at q very early period of the
civil war, August, 1861, and terminated
long after the last hostile shot had been
fired. From the date of its organization
until its final muster-out there were
1851 names on it's rolls, but its largest
numerical strenth at any time was SIT
In March, 1862, the aggregate number
present for duty was Csc. At about the
same date the records of its service show
that it travelled 1880 miles, participated
in 10 battles and many skirmishes and lost
in battle three commissioned officers and 81
men killed, 13 commissioned officers and 276
enlisted men wounded, and one commits
stoned officer aud 90 enlisted men missing;
a total of 20 killed, $50 wounded and II
missing, and an aggregate of $50 killed,
wounded and missing. OF the missing
nearly all were killed, and of the wounded
about One-ifth died from their wounds.
The regiments loss in battle, it will be seen,
was nearly go per cent of the greatest num-
Der 1T ever had present for duty. In adj
dition to these losses three commissioned
officers and 80 enlisted men died of disease,
1872 were discharged for disabilities resulting
from wounds or disease, and 53 died Of
wounds. The total loss by DEATH including
the 20 killed in battle, was 2lS and by dis
charge because of wounds and disease, 1872 !;
making total loss by death or disability of |
4l0. The largest loss the 9Th Kan. sus- |
tanned in single battle was at Chieka- |
where out of total of 400 officers |
and men present its killed, wounded and !
missing numbered 243, or so per cent of all |
engaged. 1t would require volumes to tell |
the story of the regiment IN full The /
tramp of its swift and steady march echoed
in the highways of II different States its
bayonets flashed from Fort Laramie to the
Gulf, and from Kansas to North Carolina.
At Nashville it did duty in white gloves; at
Strawberry Plains it was shirtle~s, shoeless
and in rags. II was feasted in Kansas and |
starved in Chattanooga 1t hunted guer-
rilas in Missouri, combated Longstreet at |
stormed the blazing nights /
Of Mission Ridge, fought continuous battle /
rom Kenesaw Mountain to Atlanta, and .
broke the lines of Hood at Nashville. 1t
built roads, bridged rivers, conveyed trains,
railroads, operated mills, poiiced
titles, gathered crops, and made history
ARTHUR WELDING, Co. /, sth Kan. Jay
Iawkers," Spring Hill, Ill