respecting the 2nd Regiment's service on the frontier, thus
pungently details the operations of the army of which his regiment was a
part:

"WASHINGTON. D. C., Dec. 31st., 1885.

"JOSEPH T. WILSON, Esq., Richmond, Va.

"MY DEAR SIR:

"The Second Kansas, afterwards designated as the 83rd United
States Colored Troops, was organized at Fort Scott, Kansas,
on the 3rd day of October, 1863. Most of the companies were
organized and mustered into service during the spring and
summer preceding. The regiment, when organized, was full to
the maximum, or nearly so, and composed of active,
able-bodied young men. Immediately upon assuming command of
the regiment, I moved to the front through Missouri, to Fort
Smith, in Arkansas, where the regiment was stationed during
the winter 1863-4, and when not on other duty or in the
field, spent the time in company and regimental drill.

"On the 24th day of March, 1864, with the Kansas Division of
the Frontier Army under the command of General Thayer, I
moved south and joined the 7th Army Corps under the command
of Major-General Fred. Steele, in an expedition against the
rebel armies under Generals Price, Kirby Smith and Dick
Taylor, then encamped in the vicinity of Shreveport, La.

"While Steele was advancing from the North, General Banks
was at the same time moving up the Red river from the East.
Price, Smith and Taylor, seeing the two armies of Steele and
Banks, closing in upon them, concentrated their forces,
first upon Banks, and after defeating and routing his
forces, turned upon Steele, who was then near Red river, in
south-western Arkansas.

"Steele hearing of the Banks disaster, changed his course
and moved eastward, to Camden, a strongly fortified town on
the Washita river. From the point at which he turned
eastward, to Camden, a distance of about sixty miles, the
march was almost continuous, except when it became necessary
to skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, which hovered
unpleasantly close during the greater part of the distance.

"In each of the light engagements which took place on this
march from Red river to Camden, the 2nd Regiment
participated, and behaved in a manner creditable to itself
and the army.

"After remaining at Camde