Kansas in the Civil War

As you may or may not know the Civil War was between the North and the South because the Southern states wanted slavery and the North did not. Kansas, as a free state joined the Union army.

The Battle of Mine Creek took place on October 25, 1864 in Linn County,Kansas. According to Kansas Travel, ” Several cannons and 600-750 Confederate soldiers, including General Marmaduke and General William L. Cabell, were captured, while a smaller number were killed.”

I'm going to be honest with you, this I think is cool - the First Kansas Colored Infantry. You might ask what makes them so special. Well, they were the first of the first black (colored) infantry. They were the first to serve in combat and die in battle.

The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry first saw combat at the Battle of Island Mound in Missouri on October 29, 1862. In this skirmish, roughly 225 black troops drove off 500 Confederate guerillas.

Here are some other battles that they fought in: Battle of Island Mound; Battle of Cabin Creek; Battle of Honey Springs;Camden Expedition; Battle of Poison Spring.

While the majority of the fighting took place on the east coast, Kansas still played an interesting role in the the civil war. For further info,please visit:

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/minecreek/

https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/mine-creek-battle-october-25-1864/18168

http://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/historyculture/firsttoserve.htm