Normally this would go on my Civil War site but as he is part of Kansas history I thought it should be here. I know I have done some reports on this site and the other site by him but I can't see where I did a full page on him. If I have done a write up on him I don't believe I had any pictures of him, this time there will be.
-------------------James Gillprick Blunt.
Birth: Jul. 21, 1826, Trenton, Maine.
Death: Jul. 27, 1881, Washington, District Of Columbia.
Burial: Mount Muncie Cemetery, Lansing, Leavenworth County, Kansas.
James G. Blunt, is recorded as being in the 3rd., Kansas, Infantry, but as the 3rd. and the 4th., infantry didn't have enough men to make two regiment the two were consolidated and they became the 10th Infantry. So for those laymen researchers Blunt's war record starts for the most part with the 10th.,Infantry. The roster of the 10th. Infantry states that he was a Lieutenant Colonel and his residence was at Mount Gilead. He was mustered July 24, 1861, and Promoted to Brigadier General of the United States Volunteers on April 8, 1862. Then on November 29, 1862, he was Promoted to Major General. He was honorably muster out on July 29, 1865, with the rank of Major General.I could fill this page with all kinds of information on him but I won't instead I will post a couple reports by him or about him.
Brigadier General W. R. BOGGS:
Brigadier-General Steele reports, July 1, that [James G.] Blunt is marching from Kansas with 2,000 men and four pieces of artillery, to re-enforce Fort Gibson. Cabell is ordered back from Northwestern Arkansas, to unite with Stand Watie on the west side of Grand River. Steele apprehends he may not be able to withstand Blunt, and, if he has to fall back, expects to lose the Indian brigade, by dispossession, and he asks Lieutenant-General Smith to aid him with any unemployed troops he may have in Northern Texas. No news from Lieutenant-General Holmes.
W. B. BLAIR, Assistant Adjutant-General.
HDQRS. FIRST DIVISION, ARMY OF THE FRONTIER,
Cane Hill, Ark., December 6, 1862.
Brigadier-General HERRON
Commanding Second and Third Divisions:
SIR: The enemy's advance, represented 10,000 strong, are now within 8 miles of my headquarters. They drove in my outposts 3 miles this morning. Nothing more than picket fighting has occurred during the day, but they are steadily advancing, and will, no doubt, attack in force daybreak to-morrow morning. You will endeavor to get your command here by that time.
Respectfully, your obedient servant, JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Cane Hill, Ark., December 6, 1862-7 p. m.
Major T. J. WEED, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Fort Leavenworth:
The enemy, 25,000 strong, have attempted for three days to force my position here, which I have determined to hold at all hazards until re-enforcements can arrive. They attacked yesterday, and again this morning, but were driven back to the mountains. General Herron, with the Second and Third Divisions, is making a forced march to re-enforce me. His advance will arrive to-night. You will soon hear of one of the damnedest fights or foot races that has taken place lately.
Lieutenant Johnson is doing well.
JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier-General, Commanding.
ELKHORN, ARK., December 6, 1862-4 a. m.
Major-General CURTIS, Saint Louis, Mo.:
Messenger just in from Blunt. The enemy is within 15 miles of him, marching on to Cane Hill. I have advised him fully of my location each day, and have advised him to fall back and meet me, should the enemy press him in force. He will make a mistake if he undertakes to fight before we get up. I will have both division in Fayetteville during the night. The entire column has marched 30 miles per day since we started. I am doing my best to reach him. To-morrow will tell the story. May the God of battles be with us.
F. J. HERRON, Brigadier-General.
Numbers 1. Report of Brigadier General James G. Blunt, U. S. Army, commanding Army of the Frontier. CANE HILL, ARK., December 6, 1862.
GENERAL: The enemy (25,000 strong) yesterday attempted to force my position, but the advance was driven back into the mountains. This morning they made an attack upon my outposts upon two roads, driving my pickets upon one of them about 3 miles, who, upon being re-enforced, again drove the enemy back. It is my opinion that the demonstrations this morning were to cover their retreat, as they were felling timber during all of that night, possibly to obstruct the road and prevent my artillery and cavalry following them. I have been holding them in check four days, determined to hold my position until re-enforcements could arrive. General Herron's advance cavalry will reach here to-night, and expect his whole command to reach me to-morrow night. Can you inform me what rebel forces there are defending Little Rock, and if any Federal forces are making a demonstration in that direction? It is important that I should have the information, to govern my future movements.
JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier-General.
Numbers 2. Reports of Brigadier General James G. Blunt, U. S. Army, commanding Army of the Frontier, with congratulations from General Curtis.
ARMY OF THE FRONTIER, In the Field, near Fayetteville, Ark., December 8, 1862.
GENERAL: This place, on yesterday, was the scene of a hard-fought and bloody field, resulting in a complete victory to the Army of the Frontier. The rebel forces, under Generals Hindman, Marmaduke, Parsons, and Frost, numbered 25,000. My whole force in the field did not exceed 8,000. I had been holding the enemy on the Boston Mountains for two days, skirmishing with their advance and holding them in check until General Herron could come up with re-enforcements.
On the 7th, they drove in my outposts; got possession of the road, by which they commenced a flank movement on my left during the night, while they made a heavy feint in front. Their object was to cut off communications between myself and General Herron, who was to be at Fayetteville at daylight. They attacked General Herron at about 10 a. m., who, by gallant and desperate fighting, held them in check for three hours, until I came up and attacked them in the rear. The fighting was desperate on both sides, and continued until it was terminated by the darkness of the night. My command bivouacked on their arms, ready to renew the conflict at daylight in the morning; but the enemy had availed themselves of the night to retreat across the Boston Mountains. The loss on both sides has been heavy. My loss in killed is small in proportion to the number of wounded.
The enemy's loss, compared with ours, is at least four to one. My artillery made terrible destruction in their ranks. They had greatly the advantage in numbers and position, yet Generals Marmaduke and Hindman acknowledged to me, in an interview under a flag of truce, that they had been well whipped. Among the enemy's killed was Colonel Steen, formerly brigadier-general of the Missouri State Guard. The Nineteenth and Twentieth Iowa, Thirty-seventh Illinois, and Twenty-sixth Indiana Regiments, of General Herron's division, suffered severely. General Herron deserves great credit for the promptness with which he re-enforced me by forced marches from near Springfield, as also for his gallantry upon the field.
JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier-General, Commanding.
Major General SAMUEL R. CURTIS. PRAIRIE GROVE, ARK., December 9, 1862.
The enemy did not stop in their flight until they had crossed the Boston Mountains, and are probably, ere this, across the Arkansas River I shall move my advance to-day to Cane Hill. I shall established a general at Fayetteville. Shall I not extend the telegraph to that place? The enemy's killed and wounded between 1,500 and 2,000; a large proportion of them killed. One hundred of their wounded have died since the battle, and a large proportion of others are wounded mortally, showing the terrible effect of my artillery.
My casualties will be about 200 killed and 500 wounded. Most of the wounded will recover. The enemy have left their wounded on my hands, and most of their dead uncared for. They are being buried by my command. Hindman admitted his force to be 28,000. Major Hubbard, who was a prisoner with them all day of the fight, occurred twenty regiments of infantry and twenty pieces of artillery. They had not train with them, and muffled the wheels of their artillery in making their retreat. Four caissons, filed with ammunition, were taken from the enemy. The Twentieth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, in addition to those mentioned yesterday, suffered severely in charging one of the enemy's batteries, which they took, but were unable to hold.
JAS. G. BLUNT, Brigadier-General
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