STATE HISTORY.

MILITARY RECORD.

The admission of Kansas as a State brought no surcease to her strife. It proved but a landmark in the continued struggle which, begun upon her soil seven years before, had culminated in advantage gained but not in victory won. Compelled through the very instrumentalities it had summoned to its aid, to loosen its clutch upon Kansas, the slave power had now thrown off disguise and challenged the nation to open battle for its life. In the renewal contest the infant State put on the strength of years, took her place in the foremost rank, and fought with unswerving fidelity and bravery to win again, for all, the battle she had already won for herself. The citizens of a country which, after twenty years of peace, can boast that among them are numbered a million warriors who have done honorable service in the field, know too well the stony of war, and what constitutes the true soldier, to look for invidious accounts of individual acts of heroism. Bravery during the war became the well-earned heritage of all American citizens both North and South. The simple story of the honorable part Kansas bore in this great struggle is best told in a plain recital of services performed, without futile attempt to enhance its interest by florid figures of speech or rhetorical display. The eloquence of suffering and privation and death is in each name and every line.

It was but three months from the time that Kansas was admitted as a State, when she was called upon to furnish her quota toward suppressing the rebellion. During the years 1859-60, the military organizations, formed for the protection of the people during the turbulent years preceding, had fallen into disuse or been entirely broken up. The citizens of Kansas, tired of strife, had gladly turned their thoughts and energies toward forwarding the arts of peace and swords had been cheerfully exchanged for plowshares At the breaking out of the civil war, the State government had no well-organized militia, no arms, accoutrements or supplies, nothing with which to meet the new demand to be made upon her, except the united will of officials and citizens to be equal to the emergency.

The first call of the President for 75,000 militia was made April 15, 1861. Kansas furnished 650 men, and the Legislature immediately took measures to amend the military condition of the State. April 22, 1861, an act was passed providing "for the organization and discipline of the militia," under which, during Gov. Robinson's administration, that branch of the service was very generally organized throughout the State: 180 companies being formed, and organized into two divisions, four brigades and eleven regiments. Many of these companies entered the volunteer service, entire, under the various calls thereafter made, and, of the remainder the number was very much diminished from the same cause. Under the second call of President Lincoln, May, 1861, for 400,000 volunteers, the First and Second Regiments were recruited, many whole companies marching to the place of rendezvous and offering their services, besides those accepted. At each succeeding demand of the Government, the response of Kansas was cordial and earnest; and this in the face of the stern fact that no extra pecuniary recompense could be offered by the young and by no means wealthy State, for their services, it being all she could do to meet the ordinary expenses of the situation. Kansas, neither as a State, nor by counties or cities was obliged to resort to the system of offering bounties, extra pay to families of soldiers, or any of the other expedients commonly employed to encourage recruiting. Her soldiers particularly after the first years of the war made terrible sacrifices in leaving their families whose sole support they were, and nothing but a most devoted patriotism could have induced them to do what they did. From the oft repeated testimony of their own lips, it is certain that no struggle was so cruel, no hardships so severe, as the pang of leaving home and family unprovided for. Nevertheless it was heroically done: the heroism being equally as great on the part of those who stayed to bear as those who went to do and dare.

Statistics show that the losses of Kansas regiments in killed in battle and from disease are greater per thousand than those of any other State. The peculiarly unhealthy localities in which a large part of their service was performed, with the laborious nature of the service itself: long marches through a wild and unsettled country; outpost and scout duty; poor hospital accommodations when ill; all combined to produce this result. It is noticeable that in thee Northern regiments doing duty in like localities the mortality was also very great. The first Kansas regiment was mustered in June 3, 1861, and the seventeenth, the last raised during the civil war, July 28, 1864.

Thee entire quota assigned to the State was 16,654, and the number raised was 20,097, leaving a surplus of 3,443 to the credit of Kansas.