Jayhawkers

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These particular Jayhawkers were members of the 15th Kansas Cavalry. Fighting on the Kansas/Missouri border was especially nasty and civilians on both sides suffered terribly. The Missouri folks who sympathized with the South were called " Missouri Ruffians, Bald Knobbers, or Missouri Mules." While the Kansas Unionists were " Jayhawks, Jawhawkers, or Redlegs ( due to their affinity for red colored,leather leggings.) Generally these unorganized guerrillas had little military training and just conducted raids across the border to rob, murder, and sometimes burn entire farms. Many of the Old Western Outlaws cut their teeth ( so to speak ) during these times.
 
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It's a very nice photo. Whether it shows true Jayhawkers, I can't say, because I don't know the record of the 15th Kansas Cav. These guys are most definitely NOT Redlegs. I will leave it to others to decide whether they are Jayhawkers. There are a few little things that are almost right, but not quite right about this post.

Before the war, Missourians who went to Kansas agitating for pro-slavery votes were "border ruffians" from Missouri. They weren't "Missouri ruffians". "Bald Knobbers" were vigilantes who operated in the general area of Springfield, Missouri and nearby about 20 years after the Civil War.
 
Before the war, Missourians who went to Kansas agitating for pro-slavery votes were "border ruffians" from Missouri. They weren't "Missouri ruffians". "Bald Knobbers" were vigilantes who operated in the general area of Springfield, Missouri and nearby about 20 years after the Civil War.[/QUOTE]
Bald Knobbers were actually those who were former Union Soliders or sympathizers, they were opposed by Anti-Bald Knobbers who in many cases were former CS soldiers or southern sympathizers , Bald Knobbers comes from the bald knob terrian feature common in the Ozarks and where Bald Knobbers held their meetings. The Bald Knobber wars had very little to do with the WBTS and more to do with some attempting to control local business and politics.
Border Ruffians were pro-slavery groups during the border war with Kansas in the 1850's. The civil war gave the border the Bush Whacker.
Jayhawker was a name from the Kansas territoral days to describe a thief, robber or bandit , the term was later used to describe Jennisons 7th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry "Jennisons Jayhawkers" with good reason, but by mid-war all Kansasn's were called JayHawkers routinely ...except the Red Legs.....for obvious reason.
 
You missed Missouri "Pukes". The name goes back aways to the late 1820's, a name given to them by Illinois lead miners, whom the Missourians called suckers in return. The Red legs were a group of secretive men numbering around 50 to 100 men, who were led by Colonel Charles Jennison and Captain George H. Hoyt, at the time members of the 7th Kansas Cavalry. They were supposed to be scouts and spies for the Union, but were never mustered in as such. Buffalo Bill Cody, briefly a member, said of them when he rode with them. "We were the biggest thieves on record." There are stories about the origin of the leggings. They were said to have been made of brown or red yarn at first. A popular story is that when Jennison and Hoyt rode into Independence in 1861, they declared martial law and forced people take loyalty oaths. It is said their men stole some red carpet from a shop in Independence and cut into strips for the leggings. Another story told is that red drapes and red bolts of cloth were stolen from Missouri homes for the leggings. Another story said the men stole from a cobbler's shop sheep's hides dyed red for boot tops to make their leggings. The idea was to distinguish them as a unit, and to protect the rider's legs in the brush. Other groups of anonymous brigands from Kansas adopted the leggings when raiding in Missouri. No one really knows where the leggings idea came from, but it started in 1861. Some of the men later joined the 7th Kansas Cavalry and the 6th Kansas Cavalry, and other army units or the state militia. I would like to see a wartime image of a red leg.
 
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The 7th Kansas Cavalry was none as Jennison's Jayhawkers. George Hoyt served as a Lt. in the regiment, rising to Captain.It was also known as the Independent Mounted Kansas Jayhawkers. At the beginning they were tasked with fighting Missouri Guerrillas and protecting wagon trains. In carrying out their tasks they started to retaliate against Missouri towns believed to be supporting the guerrillas. In Nov. 1861 they burned the area around Pleasant Hill, then Dayton and Columbus. They also took to looting and burning farms in the line of their march. Things got so bad the unit was ordered out of Missouri in January 1862. Jennison resigned, other men deserted. The 7th was ordered to Mississippi to get it out of the Missouri area. Jennison then became associated with the Redlegs. After Lawrence he was commissioned as a Colonel and recruited the 15th Kansas Cavalry, George Hoyt serving as it's Lt. Colonel.
 
Hoyt resigned from the 7th Cavalry due to health reasons. In late 1862 he became Chief of the irregular scouts known as the Redlegs. He led the Redlegs on punitive expeditions into Missouri in retaliation of guerrilla outrages. On these raids he and his men forcibly freed slaves from both Northern and Southern sympathizers. As well as stealing and looting as they saw fit. The Redlegs received their legal power via Hoyt's commission as Chief of Detectives of the District of the Border. They were sworn detectives under Hoyt. This lasted until after the Lawrence Massacre in August of 1863. Hoyt then accepted a commission as Lt. Colonel of the 15th Kansas Cavalry.
 
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These particular Jayhawkers were members of the 15th Kansas Cavalry. Fighting on the Kansas/Missouri border was especially nasty and civilians on both sides suffered terribly. The Missouri folks who sympathized with the South were called " Missouri Ruffians, Bald Knobbers, or Missouri Mules." While the Kansas Unionists were " Jayhawks, Jawhawkers, or Redlegs ( due to their affinity for red colored,leather leggings.) Generally these unorganized guerrillas had little military training and just conducted raids across the border to rob, murder, and sometimes burn entire farms. Many of the Old Western Outlaws cut their teeth ( so to speak ) during these times.



P1772413.gif


William F. Cloud

Fifteenth Cavalry
KANSAS
(3-YEARS)
Fifteenth Cavalry.ÄCols., Charles R. Jennison, William F.
Cloud; L
ieut.- Cols., George H. Hoyt, Henry C. Haas; Majs.,
Robert H. Hunt, John M. Laing, Henry C. Haas, Benjamin F.
Simpson, Leroy J. Beam.

Immediately after Quantrill's raid upon the defenseless city
of Lawrence, Gov. Carney commissioned Col. C. R. Jennison
formerly of the 7th, to recruit a regiment of cavalry.
Previous to the Lawrence massacre the governor had received
authority from the war department to organize a cavalry force
to be primarily devoted to the protection of the exposed
border of the state. The 15th cavalry was the immediate
result.

It was recruited from the state at large, rendezvoused at Fort
Leavenworth and was there mustered into the U. S. service Oct.
17, 1863, for three years. Col. Jennison remained in command
at Fort Leavenworth until Aug. 1864, during which time the
several companies of the regiment were stationed along the
eastern and southern border of the state at Olathe, Paola,
Coldwater Grove, Trading Post, Fort Scott, Osage Mission, and
Humboldt. Co. H served out its term at Fort Riley in another
district.

In Feb., 1864, the regiment was armed with the improved
Sharp's carbines in place of the wretched Hall's carbines.
Adjt.-Gen. Holliday, in his report for 1864, thus
characterized the regiment:

"It was made up of men whose ardent attachment to the cause of
freedom and the maintenance of the general government
peculiarly qualified them as zealous and efficient guardians
of the public welfare in the district of country where their
duty called them.

Always on the alert for bushwhackers and guerrillas, they have
frequently administered such good and wholesome admonition to
them as to cause the name of the 15th to become a terror to
those 'enemies of the human race.' Patient of endurance and
fearless almost to desperation in the face of the enemy, they
have added laurels to the memory of their slain, and converted
the appellation of jayhawkers' into one of honor and fame.

The 15th was almost constantly in the presence of the enemy
during the late invasion of Missouri (the Price raid),
retarding his advance or hastening his retreat by following
closely upon and striking terror and dismay into his broken
and disordered hordes. Except the battles included in the
invasion above referred to, the 15th has not participated in
many of importance, but from the hazardous and arduous duties
it has been required to perform, its numbers have been
considerably reduced.

The many outrages from which the sudden and unexpected
presence of the 15th has saved the people of Kansas, will ever
remind them of the gratitude they owe the soldiers of this
gallant regiment."

In Aug., 1864, Col. Jennison was placed in command of the 1st
sub-district of southern Kansas. Lieut.-Col. Hoyt commanded
the troops in and west of Neosho valley, with headquarters at
Humboldt, and Maj. Laing commanded in Linn and Anderson
counties until the troops were concentrated at Fort Scott,
after the capture by the enemy of the train at Cabin creek.

As the enemy withdrew south of the Arkansas, the troops
returned to their various stations about Oct. 1. Shortly
after this, when Gen. Price invaded Missouri, Col. Jennison
was placed in command of the 1st brigade, 1st division, Army
of the Border, the 15th Kan., a battalion of the 3rd Wis., and
a battery of 12-pounder mountain howitzers, composing the
brigade.

A portion of the regiment being on detached service, the
regiment only numbered about 600 men when it entered on the
arduous campaign against Price. It rendered gallant service
in the engagements at Lexington, Little Blue, Independence,
Big Blue, Westport, Santa Fe, Osage and Newtonia. In the last
named engagement the first brigade was commanded by Lieut.-
Col. Hoyt, who was recommended for promotion by Gen. Blunt on
account of gallant and meritorious conduct, in consequence of
which he was brevetted colonel and brigadier-general.

The campaign against Price practically closed the active
service of the 15th, though the regiment was not mustered out
at Fort Leavenworth until Oct. 19, 1865.

Its casualties by death during service were a officers, 19
enlisted men, killed or died of wounds; 2 officers, 77
enlisted men, died of disease, accident and other causes.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 4, p. 217
 
You missed Missouri "Pukes". The name goes back aways to the late 1820's, a name given to them by Illinois lead miners, whom the Missourians called suckers in return. The Red legs were a group of secretive men numbering around 50 to 100 men, who were led by Colonel Charles Jennison and Captain George H. Hoyt, at the time members of the 7th Kansas Cavalry. They were supposed to be scouts and spies for the Union, but were never mustered in as such. Buffalo Bill Cody, briefly a member, said of them when he rode with them. "We were the biggest thieves on record." There are stories about the origin of the leggings. They were said to have been made of brown or red yarn at first. A popular story is that when Jennison and Hoyt rode into Independence in 1861, they declared martial law and forced people take loyalty oaths. It is said their men stole some red carpet from a shop in Independence and cut into strips for the leggings. Another story told is that red drapes and red bolts of cloth were stolen from Missouri homes for the leggings. Another story said the men stole from a cobbler's shop sheep's hides dyed red for boot tops to make their leggings. The idea was to distinguish them as a unit, and to protect the rider's legs in the brush. Other groups of anonymous brigands from Kansas adopted the leggings when raiding in Missouri. No one really knows where the leggings idea came from, but it started in 1861. Some of the men later joined the 7th Kansas Cavalry and the 6th Kansas Cavalry, and other army units or the state militia. I would like to see a wartime image of a red leg.
Interestingly, the University of kansas chickenhawk football team would usually wear red stockings as part of their football uniform when playing the Missouri Tigers.

On a side note, didn't Jennison commit suicide after the war?
 
I'm not sure about Jennison, but Jim Lane shot himself in the head in 1866.
Jennison was court martialed and dishonorably discharged during the war, his reputation continued to decline after the war, however he died at 50 of natural causes, Lane was the one who committed suicide, Blunt went insane, and Ewing was struck by a cable car and died
 
The 14th Kansas Cavalry was a solid fighting unit. They spent a lot of their time in the field. They had two outstanding officers in Colonel Charles Blair and Lt. Colonel Thomas Moonlight. They had a good reputation as soldiers and fighters. Lt. Colonel Moonlight left them for another command, the 11th Kansas Infantry which became the 11th Kansas Cavalry.
 
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