* The company subsequently became Company E, 35th Regiment Mississippi Infantry
Comment: I would doubt that he actually deserted and would suggest he just offered the statement above to escape imprisonment. You can gain a better understanding of what these fellows went through at Camp Douglas by ready Dee Brown's Galvanized Yankees.
...................
On May 3, a special order was issued: "Colonel H. E. Maynadier, 5th U. S. Volunteers, with the officers and enlisted men of the regiment now at Alton, Illinois, will proceed by steamer without delay to Fort Leavenworth. . . the 5th arrived in Kansas some months before the one-year-men of the 2nd Regiment were mustered out. When companies of the 2nd concentrated around Fort Larned in the summer, companies of the 5th moved out from Leavenworth as replacements along the Santa Fe Trail. On June 1, Colonel Henry E. Maynadier arrived at Fort Riley and established regimental headquarters."
[The Galvanized Yankees, Dee Brown, U. of Nebraska Press, 1963 p. 120]
............
Fifth U. S. Volunteer Infantry
5th REGIMENT INFANTRY.
Organized at Alton and Camp Douglas, Ill., March to May, 1865. Ordered to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 3, 1865. Assigned to duty in District of Upper Arkansas from Little Arkansas River to Fort Dodge and Cimaron Crossing. Duty in Districts of Nebraska, Colorado and Utah and the Plains till November, 1866. Mustered out November 13, 1866.
Frederick A. Dyer "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion" vol. 3
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Report of Capt. George W. Williford, Fifth U. S.
Volunteer Infantry.
FORT CONNOR, DAK. TER., August 29, 1865.
SIR: I have the honor to report that in compliance with orders dated
headquarters Department of the Missouri, April 21, 1865, Companies
C and D, Fifth U. S. Volunteers, embarked on steamer J. H. Lacy and
proceeded to the mouth of Niobrara River for the purpose of escorting
a party of engineers opening a wagon road from that point westward.
On the 13th of June, everything being in readiness, we started, marching
from ten to fifteen miles each day. On the 16th we were joined by
Lieut. Wood and twenty-four men belonging to Company B, First
Dakota Cavalry Volunteers, having been ordered to report to me, and
who did good service during the march, scouting on our flanks and
searching for good camping ground. When within twenty miles of
Powder River it was ascertained by our guide to be impossible to
advance farther in the direction we now were going, the roughness of
the country precluding such an idea; consequently we retraced our
steps. On the second day of our retreat we were attacked by several
thousand Indian warriors, who kept us corralled nearly four days and
nights, fighting through the day; and at night the enemy would withdraw
to commence hostilities again at early dawn, but finding every effort to
capture our train and massacre its defenders only resulted in their loss
of many killed and wounded braves, they abandoned the siege and left
us to pursue our journey to a point sixty miles farther south, where we
struck Gen. Connor's trail on the 22d instant, and encamped. On the
23d our command was found to be only fifteen miles from Fort
Connor, and received orders from Gen. Connor to report with the detachment to
that post for duty. The order relieving me ordered Col. Kidd, of the
Sixth Michigan Cavalry, to furnish a suitable escort for the engineer
party. In the engagement with Indians I have to report the following
named men of my command killed: Orlando Sous* and Anthony Nelson,
privates Company B, First Dakota Cavalry Volunteers; Nathaniel D.
Hedges, citizen, and sutler for the expedition. Only a few were
wounded, and those slightly.
I am, captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEO. W. WILLIFORD,
Capt. Fifth U. S. Volunteers, Cmdg. Detachment.
Capt. GEORGE F. PRICE,
Actg. Asst. Adjt. Gen., Hdqrs. Dist of the Plains,
Fort Laramie, Dak. Ter.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 388-101 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. [CHAP. LX.
[Series I. Vol. 48. Part I, Reports, Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 101.]
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JUNE 29, 1865.--Skirmish with Indians near Fort Dodge, Kans.
Report of Lieut. Frederick Hubert, Fifth U. S. Volunteer Infantry.
HDQRS. DETACHMENT FIFTH U. S. VOLUNTEERS,
Fort Dodge, July 1, 1865.
SIR: I have the honor to report to you that on the 29th day of June,
while en route for this post, at the hour of 2 p. m., about forty Indians
charged upon one of the cattle herds belonging to a Mexican train,
killing two Mexican herdsmen and scalping another, at some 600 yards
distance from the line of pickets. As soon as the cry of Indians rang
through the camp I had the mule herd driven in, formed my men for the
defense of the camp, and doubled the pickets around it. The Indians,
satisfied with the mischief done, struck across the road within two
miles of camp and made for the river. They did not succeed in driving
off any stock, notwithstanding the immense amount of stock in the
command. The entire train consisted of 175 wagons and 150 head of
loose stock. I am really sorry for the loss of the lives referred to above.
If I had had any means to pursue the devils they would not have gone
away unpunished.
Very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
F. HUBERT,
Lieut.-Col. KING,
Cmdg. Third Sub-District of Upper Arkansas.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 390-101 LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI. [CHAP. LX.
[Series I. Vol. 48. Part I, Reports, Correspondence, Etc. Serial No. 101.]