Excerpts from William G. Cutler's "History of the State of Kansas" 1883, at the University of Kansas, Kansas Collection Books. Kathleen Roper, transcriber.

 SEVENTH REGIMENT KANSAS VOLUNTEER CAVALRY

The Seventh Kansas Cavalry was organized on the 28th day of October, 1861, and mustered into the service of the United States. The Seventh was ordered into active service directly after its organization. The rebels, under Col. Up. Hayes, were encamped in Western Missouri, on the Little Blue River. They were here attacked, November 11, 1861, by Companies A, B and H of the Seventh, Lieut. Col. Anthony commanding, and driven from their camp, when they gained a strong position on the hills which border the river, and made a stand. After a furious struggle, in which nine of his little force were killed and thirty-two wounded, Col. Anthony, after burning the rebels' camp and capturing all their horses, withdrew from the field. The regiment subsequently participated in the engagement at Little Santa Fe and on November 26, in that at Independence.

January 31, 1862, the Seventh went into camp at Humboldt, Kan., remaining in that place until it was ordered to Lawrence, on March 25. While at Lawrence, Col. Jennison resigned, the command of the regiment devolving upon Lieut. Col. D. R. Anthony.

On the 22d of April, the regiment was ordered to Fort Riley to join the New Mexico expedition, and on the abandonment of that project, ordered to Fort Leavenworth, to join the forces moving toward the south and east. From Leavenworth, via Columbus, it proceeded to Corinth, Miss., and thence to Rienzi, Miss., arriving July 23, 1862.

At Rienzi, the regiment was assigned to the First Cavalry, Brigade, Philip H. Sheridan, commander, and during the two months it remained at that post was engaged in skirmishing with the enemy in the vicinity, losing in one engagement eleven men killed and wounded.

Lieut. Col. D. R. Anthony, was arrested and deprived of his command in Tennessee, June 18, 1862, for issuing the following order:

The impudence and impertinence of the open and armed rebels traitors secessionists, and Southern-rights men of this section of the State of Tennessee, in arrogantly demanding the right to search our camp for fugitive slaves, has become a nuisance, and will no longer be tolerated. Officers will see that this class of men, who visit our camp for this purpose, are excluded from our lines.

Should any such person be found within our lines he will be arrested and sent to headquarters.

Any officer or soldier of this command, who shall arrest and deliver to his master a fugitive slave, shall be summarily and severely punished, according to the laws relating to such crimes.

On the 17th day of July, 1862, Maj. Albert L. Lee was promoted to Colonel, and assumed command of the regiment. Companies B and E participated in the battle of Iuka, and in the disastrous retreat of the rebels to Mississippi, the Seventh was constantly in the saddle, engaged in harassing or pursuing them. The pursuit was continued to Ripley, Miss., the Seventh having the advance, and being engaged in frequent skirmishes in which many prisoners were captured.

On its return to Corinth, the regiment was attached to an expedition which proceeded as far as Buzzard Roost Station, from which it drove Gen. Roddy's command; thence returning to Corinth, it moved to Grand Junction, Tenn., and joined Gen. Grant's army, then concentrating for the Mississippi expedition. Gen. Grant, on November 4, transferred his headquarters to La Grange, and on the 8th, 1,500 cavalry under Col. Lee were sent forward to Lamar for a reconnaissance. The Seventh having the advance, met near Lamar a column of rebel cavalry, about six thousand strong, under command of Gen. Jackson. A portion of the regiment gained the flank of the approaching column, and Company E, commanded by Capt. Charles Gregory, making a vigorous charge in front at the same time, the rebel command broke and fled, leaving 20 dead, and 300 wounded and prisoners.

The cavalry force of Col. Lee occupied the advance of the army during its progress through Holly Springs to Oxford, the Seventh being in the extreme advance a large portion of the distance. At Coffeeville the cavalry was suddenly attacked by Van Dorn, with 10,000 infantry, and after a stubborn resistance forced back about three miles, bringing off its artillery but losing about one hundred and twenty dead and wounded.

The regiment remained at Water Valley until December 15, when the cavalry was ordered to the relief of Holly Springs, which Van Dorn was threatening. Before the town could be reached, it had been sacrificed through the cowardice of its commander, and Gen. Grant was compelled to fall back to Grand Junction.

Van Dorn's forces were pursued into Tennessee, whence the command returned to Holly Springs, moving thence, on the 31st of December, to Tennessee, being employed during the remainder of the winter in guarding a portion of the line of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, with headquarters at Germantown. Col. A. L. Lee having been promoted to Brigadier General November 29, 1862, took leave of the regiment at this place, the command devolving upon Lieut. Col. T. P. Herrick.

On the 17th of April, 1863, the regiment returned to Corinth, and the following morning left to join the forces of Gen. G. M. Dodge, at Bear Creek, Ala. On the 24th, Gen. Roddy was attacked at Tuscumbia, Ala., and driven from the town, when, the remainder of the cavalry coming up, he was pursued and overtaken at Leighton, a few miles beyond Tuscumbia. In the engagement which followed, and which resulted in a complete victory for the Union cavalry, Capt. Utt, of Company A, lost a leg while charging a rebel battery at the head of his men. After the pursuit was over the command returned to camp, and after a few days advanced on Town Creek, crossing the stream and driving the enemy back. The infantry then marched to Corinth, and the cavalry moved south, to Tupelo, Miss., arriving on the 5th of May, driving the rebels out, and occupying the town. While in Tupelo, the cavalry met and successfully resisted several attempts of the enemy to retake the place.

Later In the month the regiment returned to Corinth, and with headquarters in that town made expeditions into the adjoining States, often meeting the rebels, and usually whipping them. Corny's Brigade, to which the Seventh was attached, was constantly on the move, now at Florence, Ala., now at Hamburg, on the Tennessee, at Iuka, at Swallow's Bluffs, his squadrons dashed from one place to another, and when they came, the enemy left.

In the battle of Byhalia and Wyatt, Miss., our cavalry drove Forrest's forces, with heavy loss, across the Tallahatchee. This engagement was a severe one. Capt. Amasa Hodgman, of Company H, was mortally wounded while heading his company to a charge, and died; a prisoner, a few days after, October 16, 1863.

The regiment again encountered Forrest, December 1st at Ripley, Miss., at which time Lieut. Col. W. S. Jenkins was severely wounded.

While in camp near La Grange, Tenn., on the 1st of January, 1864, although suffering from cold and exposure, many of the men having frozen their feet during the cold, sleety storms of the season, four-fifths of the regiment re-enlisted as veteran volunteers. These were mustered in at Memphis, January 21, 1864, and the regiment proceeded to Leavenworth on thirty days' furlough.

At the expiration of the furlough the Seventh was re-equipped at St. Louis, and returned to Memphis, being, soon after its arrival, stationed on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, as escort to laborers engaged in repairing that road. Early in July, it moved in advance of Gen. A. J. Smith's infantry force, to Pontotoc, Miss., and then to Tupelo, Miss., as rear guard of the same force. During the march from Pontotoc to Tupelo, Forrest's cavalry was closely pursuing our forces, and the Seventh was constantly engaged in holding it back until the advance arrived at Tupelo. The enemy, estimated at 14,000, had concentrated here, and Gen. Smith's force was charged twice by Forrest's infantry, but repulsed with heavy loss, and driven from the field.

During August, the regiment participated in the various actions that occurred during Gen. Smith's expedition to the Tallahatchee, returning at the close of the expedition to Memphis, and thence to St. Louis, reporting to Gen. Rosecrans at the latter place on the 17th of September, 1864, and under command of Lieut. Col. F. M. Malone, taking an active part in the Missouri campaign of that year.

During the winter of 1864, and into the summer of 1865, the Seventh was stationed in the St. Louis District, the several squadrons being employed in scouting expeditions against guerrillas. On the 18th of July, 1865, the regiment was ordered to Omaha City, Neb., from thence to Fort Kearney, and again to Fort Leavenworth. It arrived at the latter place September 14, 1865, and was mustered out and received its discharge on the 29th of the same month.

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