Army of the Border
The Army of the Border was a Union army during the American Civil War. It was created from units in the Department of Kansas to oppose Sterling Price's Raid in 1864. Samuel R. Curtis was in command of the army throughout its duration.
10-23 October
[edit]Major General James G. Blunt, who commanded the District of South Kansas, was placed in command of the army's 1st Division, which was broken up into three brigade of volunteer cavalry regiments and a fourth of Kansas state militia units. Major General George Dietzler commanded the rest of the Kansas state militia units and organized them into the 2nd Division of the army.
Jennison's and Moonlight's brigades from Blunt's division fought at the battles of Lexington and Little Blue River. At the battle of Big Blue River Blunt's brigades of Jennison, Moonlight, and Ford were joined by the Olathe District Brigade of the Kansas State Militia brigade led by Melvin S. Grant.[1]
At the Battle of Westport, Blunt's division was deployed east–west with the Kansas State Militia generally supporting the right hand of the line. Curtis's divisions were joined by Alfred Pleasonton's cavalry division from the Department of the Missouri, bringing the Union army to about 22,000, including Pleasonton's cavalry.
24 October-7 November
[edit]Immediately following the Battle of Westport on October 23, the militia units were returned to their respective counties and Curtis reorganized the remaining field units. General William Rosecrans had taken part in the pursuit of Price thus far but remained at his headquarters in Independence and relinquished Pleasonton's division to Curtis' command. Therefore, the Army of the Border was now organized into two cavalry divisionss; Maj. Gen. Blunt commanded the 1st Division and Maj. Gen. Pleasonton commanded the 2d Division.[2]
Two days later Pleasonton's division fought three separate battles: Battle of Marais des Cygnes, Battle of Mine Creek, and Battle of Marmiton River. Blunt's division fought Price in the last major battle of the campaign at Newtonia.
Commander
[edit]- Major General Samuel R. Curtis (October 14 – November 8, 1864)
Major battles and campaigns
[edit]- Price's Missouri Expedition
- Second Battle of Lexington (only Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
- Battle of Little Blue River
- Battle of Byram's Ford
- Battle of Westport
- Battle of Mine Creek (only Pleasonton's 2nd Division was involved)
- Second Battle of Newtonia (only Blunt's 1st Division was involved)
Abbreviations used
[edit]Military rank
[edit]- MG = Major General
- BG = Brigadier General
- Col = Colonel
- Ltc = Lieutenant Colonel
- Maj = Major
- Cpt = Captain
- Lt = 1st Lieutenant
- 2Lt = 2nd Lieutenant
Army of the Border
[edit]Escort:
- 2nd Kansas Cavalry (battalion): Maj Henry Hopkins
- Company G, 11th Kansas Cavalry: Cpt C. L. Gove
- Company H, 15th Kansas Cavalry
- Mountain howitzer battery: Lt Edward Gill
| Division | Brigade | Regiments and Others |
|---|---|---|
|
First Provisional Cavalry Division
|
1st Brigade |
|
| 2nd Brigade
|
| |
| 3rd Brigade [Kansas State Militia Division]
|
| |
| 4th Brigade |
| |
| Division | Brigade | Regiments and Others |
|---|---|---|
|
Second Division
|
1st Brigade |
|
| 2nd Brigade
|
| |
| 3rd Brigade |
| |
| 4th Brigade |
| |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]The list shown is the entire Army of the Border. Brigades from this army fought in battles during Price's Raid.
References
[edit]- Eicher, John H., & Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
