This is an incomplete list of military and other armed confrontations that have occurred within the boundaries of the modern US State of Kansas since European contact. The region was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1535–1679, New France from 1679–1803, and part of the United States of America 1803–present.
Two wars that have directly affected the region including the American Civil War (1860–1865) and the Plains Indian Wars. Kansas was also greatly affected during the Bleeding Kansas period (1855–1861) in which settlers and outsiders fought to determine whether the territory would become a free or slave state.
Battles[]
| Name | Date | Location | War | Campaign | Dead | Belligerents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle of Chouteau's Island | Spring 1816 | near modern Lakin, Kansas | 8 | Pawnee vs French fur traders | ||
| Love's Defeat[1] | June 26, 1847 | near modern Garfield, Kansas | Mexican-American War | 6 | United States of America vs Kiowa & Comanche | |
| Battle of Coon Creek[2][3] | June 18, 1848 | near modern Kinsley, Kansas | Mexican-American War | United States of America vs Comanche & Osage | ||
| Sacking of Lawrence | May 21, 1856 | Lawrence, Kansas | Bleeding Kansas | 1[4] | Pro-slavery mob[5] vs abolitionist civilians | |
| Pottawatomie Massacre[6] | May 24–25, 1856 | Franklin County, Kansas | Bleeding Kansas | 5 | Free-Staters[7] vs Pro-slavery settlers[8] | |
| Battle of Black Jack[9] | June 2, 1856 | near modern Baldwin City, Kansas | Bleeding Kansas | Border Ruffians[10] vs Free-Staters[11] | ||
| Battle of Osawatomie | August 30, 1856 | Osawatomie, Kansas | Bleeding Kansas | 25+[12] | Border Ruffians[13] vs Free-Staters[14] | |
| Battle of Solomon Fork[15] | July 29, 1857 | near modern Morland, Kansas | Plains Indians Wars | 10-11 | United States of America vs Southern Cheyenne | |
| Marais des Cygnes massacre[16] | May 19, 1858 | Trading Post, Kansas | Bleeding Kansas | 5 | Border Ruffians[17] vs Free-Staters[18] | |
| Lawrence Massacre[19] | August 21, 1863 | Lawrence, Kansas | American Civil War | Quantrill's Raid | 150+ | United States of America & Kansas militia vs Confederate States of America |
| Fort Baxter Massacre[20] | October 6, 1863 | near modern Baxter Springs, Kansas | American Civil War | Quantrill's Raid | 100+ | United States of America vs Confederate States of America |
| Battle of Marais des Cygnes[21] | October 25, 1864 | Linn County, Kansas | American Civil War | Price's Raid | unknown | United States of America vs Confederate States of America |
| Battle of Mine Creek[22] | October 25, 1864 | Linn County, Kansas | American Civil War | Price's Raid | United States of America vs Confederate States of America | |
| Fort Wallace[23] | June 21, 1867 | modern Wallace, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 28[24] | United States of America vs Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, & Southern Cheyenne |
| Fort Wallace | June 26, 1867 | modern Wallace, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 1 | United States of America vs Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, & Southern Cheyenne |
| Kidder Massacre | July 2, 1867 | near modern Goodland, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | 12 | United States of America vs Northern Cheyenne & Sioux | |
| Battle of the Saline River | August 1867 | modern Ellis County, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 31+ | United States of America vs Southern Cheyenne |
| Battle of Prairie Dog Creek[25] | August 21, 1867 | modern Phillips County, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 53 | United States of America vs Kiowa & Southern Cheyenne |
| Battle of Beaver Creek | August 22–23, 1867 | modern Phillips County, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 2+ | 18th Kansas Cavalry vs Kiowa & Southern Cheyenne |
| Plum Buttes Massacre | September 9, 1867[26] | near modern Chase, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | 3 | Dog Soldiers vs Santa Fe Trail party | |
| Battle of Council Grove | June 3, 1868 | near Council Grove, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | 3 | Southern Cheyenne vs Kaw | |
| Battle of Beaver Creek (2)[27] | October 15, 1868 | modern Phillips County, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | unknown | 10th US Cavalry H & I Troops vs Southern Cheyenne |
| Battle of Buff Creek | October 2, 1868 | modern Wallace, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | Comanche Campaign | 1 | United States of America vs Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, & Southern Cheyenne |
| Battle of Punished Woman Fork | September 27, 1878 | modern Scott County, Kansas | Plains Indian Wars | 1 | United States of America vs Southern Cheyenne | |
| Coffeyville bank robbery | October 5, 1892 | Coffeyville, Kansas | 8 | city law enforcement & citizens vs Dalton Gang |
See also[]
- History of Kansas
- Kansas in the American Civil War
- Plains Indians Wars
Notes[]
- ↑ "Love's Defeat". Santa Fe Trail Research Site. http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/research/loves-defeat.html. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- ↑ "The Battle of Coon Creek". Kansas State Library. http://www.eudorapubliclibrary.org/history/cooncreek.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ↑ "The Battle of Coon Creek". Santa Fe Trail Research Site. http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/research/battle-of-coon-creek.html. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ↑ One pro-slavery man was killed by falling debris after the sacking.
- ↑ About 800 men under the command of Douglas County Sheriff Samuel Jones.
- ↑ See: Reynolds, David S. John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights (New York: Vintage Books), 2005, pp. 162-177. ISBN 978-0-375-72615-6
- ↑ An unknown number of men from the Pottawatomie Rifles were among the belligerents.
- ↑ James P. Doyle, William Doyle, and Drury Doyle (adult sons of James and former slave catchers), Allen Wilkinson, and William Sherman.
- ↑ Official site
- ↑ The Henry C. Pate gang; about 30 men.
- ↑ John Brown gang; 30 men.
- ↑ This figure represents the five known anti-slavery men killed during the battle: Fredrick Brown, George W. Partridge, David Garrison, Theron Parker Powers, and Charles Kaiser. The number of pro-slavery men killed was reported by John Brown to be at least 20. See: Reynolds, David S. John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights (New York: Vintage Books), 2005, pp. 200–201. ISBN 978-0-375-72615-6
- ↑ The John W. Reid & Rev. Marvin White gang; 250-300 men.
- ↑ John Brown gang; 40 men.
- ↑ Chalfant, William Y. Cheyennes and Horse Soldiers: The 1857 Expedition and Battle of Solomon's Fork (Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press), 2002.
- ↑ "Marais des Cygnes Massacre history". Kansas Historical Society. http://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/marais-des-cygnes-massacre-history/11870. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ↑ The Charles Hamilton gang.
- ↑ 11 men, all unarmed.
- ↑ "CWSAC Battle Summary: Lawrence". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ks001.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "CWSAC Battle Summary: Baxter Springs". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ks002.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "CWSAC Battle Summary: Marais des Cygnes". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ks004.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "CWSAC Battle Summary: Mine Creek". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/ks003.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
- ↑ "Attack on Fort Wallace, Kansas". New York Times. June 29, 1867. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9801E0DE173BE63BBC4151DFB066838C679FDE. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ↑ Eight U.S. soldiers were reported killed or mortally wounded from a force of 40 men from the 3rd Cavalry and 7th Cavalry under the command of Lt Hale. Native forces were estimated to be 400 and their losses reported at 20.
- ↑ "Ceremony to commemorate Battle of Prairie Dog Creek". Kansas National Guard. http://www.accesskansas.org/ksadjutantgeneral/News%20Releases/2005/150-05-012.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ This date requires verification.
- ↑ Leckie, William H. (December 1999). The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-1244-2.
The original article can be found at List of battles fought in Kansas and the edit history here.