Extracted from The Official Military History of Kansas Regiments During the War for the Suppression of the Great Rebellion by W. S. Burke. REPORT No. 9, OF THE BATTLE OF PRAIRIE GROVE, ARKANSAS, DECEMBER 7TH, 1862.
On the morning of the 7th, at 11 o'clock, the Second Regiment left its position, five miles south of Newburg, and moved towards Rhea's Mills, in rear of the column formed by the Second and Third Brigades. About one hour previous to the regiment receiving orders to retire, Major Plumb, commanding four companies of the Eleventh Kansas Infantry, that had been sent to the support of the Second, and Lieutenant Stover, commanding section of mountain howitzers, were directed to report Colonel Cloud, commanding Third Brigade. Captain Hopkins, commanding battery, had already reported to him, and Captain Cameron had been sent to reconnoitre the mountains to the left, and observe the movements of the enemy. The regiment, therefore, consisted of company A, commanded by Lieutenant Johnston; company C, Captain Whittenhall; company D, Captain Moore; company E, Captain Gardner; company G, Captain Mathews; company H, Captain Gunther, company I, First Sergeant Morris Enright; and company K, Captain Russell, numbering twelve officers and three hundred and thirty-two (332) men. In addition thereto, there was Captain Crawford, assisting in the field, three staff officers and two of the noncommissioned staff. Upon the arrival of the regiment at Boonsboro, it was delayed half an hour or more by the removal of the sick and the General Hospital. The regiment came up with the, column about one and a half miles from Rhea's Mills, when information was received that a battle was being fought five miles east on the Fayetteville and Cove Creek road, and moved at once, with all possible speed, in that direction; but its progress was much impeded on account of it being in the rear of two brigades. The road lay most of the way through lanes and thick underbrush, and it became necessary for the regiment to pass through the fields, throwing down fences for that purpose, and through the tangled undergrowth, without the benefit of roads or path. The Second passed the Tenth, Eleventh and Thirteenth regiments Kansas Infantry, one regiment of Indian Home Guards, Captain Rabb's, Captain Hopkins', and Lieutenant Tenny's and Lieutenant Stover's batteries, and formed line within range of the enemy's left flank in the woods, at half-past two o'clock P.M. A few minutes later the regiment moved to the left and formed a new line in a corn field, dismounted and moved forward into the woods opposite the enemy's
left flank. Captain Crawford with companies E and J, was ordered to take position on the left of the Eleventh Kansas Infantry; companies C, A, G, D, K and H, were placed on the right of the Thirteenth Infantry, (the latter being on the right of the Eleventh Kansas Infantry), under a heavy fire of the enemy's musketry at long range. Lieutenant Stover took position with howitzers in an interval made by him in the Thirteenth Kansas Infantry, where he opened fire upon them with canister at short range with good effect. Captain Hopkins, with his battery, took position on the right of Rabb's battery, where remained until after the action closed.
The enemy massed his infantry about half an hour before sunset, charged our left flank, drove back an Indian refinement, and compelled Captain Crawford's battalion to give way, although that force did not retire until it was more than decimated, and the left was held by the 11th Kansas Infantry; but the enemy, charging obliquely on the line, forced that regiment and the and Thirteenth, and then the Second, to retire. Lieutenant Stover was ordered to withdraw before the shock came. The regiment, fell back, remounted, and formed to the support of the artillery in good order, where it remained until dark, when a portion of it was ordered to Rhea's Mills, and the rest retired a mile to the rear and bivouacked.
The officers and men of the command behaved gallantly during the entire action.
The conduct of Captains Crawford and Gardner and 1st Sergeant Morris Enright, with the battalion on the left, deserve especial mention, for it required all the nerve and courage that Captain Crawford and the others were able to infuse into their men, by their brilliant example and courageous bearing, to withstand the force of the enemy's fire as long as they did. The commanding officers of the squadrons on the left, already mentioned, encouraged the men by their coolness and bravery. Captain Russell fell severely wounded at the head of his company. Lieutenants Aduddell, Mitchell, Ballard, Moore, Hook and Mentzer, displayed more than ordinary courage. Captain Hopkins deserves great credit for the skillful manner in which he, with his company, handled the captured battery, although having but five week's experience with that arm of the service. Their coolness and the well-directed fire of their pieces would have reflected credit on veterans. The staff officers Lieutenants Cross, Gordon and Wood--rendered valuable services. Sergeants Baily and Vangeuder--who acted in the capacity of orderlies--conducted themselves in a manner worthy of special notice
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