Fort Scott in Bourbon County, Kansas — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
In Memory of The Soldiers
of the 1st Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 1992
1. In Memory of The Soldiers of the 1st Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers Marker
May 18, 1863
near Sherwood, Missouri
Henry Aggleson Pvt Co F
Greene Allen Pvt Co H
John Booth Pvt Co H
Edward Cockerell Pvt Co E
William Grisby Pvt Co D
Frank Haze Pvt Co F
Milton Johnson Pvt Co I
William Knight Pvt Co F
Dennis Lyons Pvt Co C
George Mitchell Pvt Co F
Minor Porter Pvt Co F
William Smith Pvt Co E
George Webb Pvt Co D
Peter White Pvt Co E
Riley Young Pvt Co A
2nd Kansas Volunteer Battery
Garrett Anderson Pvt
Joseph Endicott Pvt
Vanrinseller Hancock Pvt
Erected 1988.
Topics and series. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Fort Scott, Kansas, and the National Cemeteries series lists.
Location. 37° 49.319′ N, 94° 41.56′ W. Marker is in Fort Scott, Kansas, in Bourbon County. Memorial can be reached from East National Avenue. At the Fort Scott National Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 900 East National Avenue, Fort Scott KS 66701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. A National Cemetery System (within shouting distance of this marker);
this page online
More about this marker. The Historical Marker Database has received a report that the last soldier listed on this memorial has been listed with the wrong rank. Vanrinseller Hancock should be listed as a corporal, not a private. The report also notes that there are various spellings of his first name in the records.
One source lists the year it was dedicated as 1984. Another lists it as May 14, 1988. Any confirmation of the dedication date would be appreciated.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Markers for the 1st Regiment Kansas Colored Volunteers.
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, October 1992
2. Fort Scott National Historic Site, Kansas
The mission of Fort Scott National Historic Site is to preserve, protect and interpret nationally significant historic resources related to the opening of the West, the Permanent Indian Frontier, the Mexican-American War, "Bleeding Kansas," the Civil War and the expansion of railroads.
Also see . . .
1. Fort Scott National Historic Site - "First to Serve". USCTs at Fort Scott (Submitted on December 22, 2007, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
2. Forgotten Warriors. American Indian soldiers at Fort Scott (Submitted on December 22, 2007, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
3. Fatal Casualties from Engagement near Sherwood, Jasper County, Missouri, May 18, 1863. On May 18th 1863 a few miles northwest of the present site of Joplin, a detachment of the 1st Kansas Col. Vol. Inf. were attacked by Confederates under Thomas R. Livingston. The ruthless nature of the attack, (see Ajt. Gen. Report St. of Kansas, Military History of Kansas Regiments pg. 246.) resulted in Federal retaliation on May 19th with the burning of the town of Sherwood. It is generally believed that a number of former Jasper County slaves may have served in Kansas regiments at this time.
MEMORIAL TO THOSE KILLED NEAR SHERWOOD
The bodies of the black soldiers killed in action near Sherwood were not properly buried. The bodies were placed in a farm home at the scene of the engagement and burned. On May 14, 1988 a memorial was dedicated at Ft. Scott National Cemetery to honor those who were killed near Sherwood.
Source: First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Fatal Casualties from Engagement near Sherwood, Jasper County, Missouri, May 18, 1863. Springfield-Greene County Library
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., January 8, 2012
3. In Memory of The Soldiers Marker
Entry is on p. 428 of "Black Families of the Ozarks", a 433 page PDF. (Submitted on January 25, 2011.)
Additional commentary.
1. 1st and 2nd Kansas Colored Volunteers
During the Civil War, Kansas was the first state to recruit and train military units comprised of Black soldiers. Between July 1862 and October 1863, the 1st and 2nd Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiments were recruited in eastern Kansas, trained and ultimately mustered into the Union Army at Fort Scott. The enlistees included many escapees from slavery in Missouri, Arkansas, the Indian Territory and elsewhere. They would eventually compile a proud combat record in Civil War's Western Theater.
In October 1862, soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored had the distinction of being the first uniformed Black fighters to engage the Confederate army, defeating a Rebel cavalry unit at a cost to themselves of six African Americans, one Cherokee Indian and one White officer killed, near Butler, Missouri in a skirmish known as the "Battle of Island Mound." (Regrettably, the names of the Black heroes do not appear on the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, D.C. since the action occurred before the Kansas Volunteers were actually mustered into federal service on January 13, 1863.)
After the engagement at Sherwood, Missouri (a.k.a. "The Battle of Reeder Farm"), the First Kansas Colored would see action in five other major battles, the most famous of which occurred at Honey Springs in Indian Territory where the regiment suffered heavy casualties earning undying glory for its pivotal role in the Union victory on July 17, 1863.
On December 13, 1864, during a general reorganization of the Union's all-Black regiments, the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry was re-designated the 79th United States Colored Infantry, and the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry became the 83rd United States Colored Infantry.
— Submitted April 1, 2008, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Additional keywords. Battle of Reeder Farm, Sherwood, Mo.; Island Mound; United States Colored Troops; USCT; 79th U.S. Colored Infantry; 83rd U.S. Colored Infantry
Credits. This page was last revised on November 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 22, 2007, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,040 times since then and 18 times this year. Last updated on April 25, 2018, by Rick Hirschl of Tucson, Arizona. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 22, 2007, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 3. submitted on November 30, 2012, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
