Ken,

The Kansas History materials you provided is the kind of reference that really helps us understand what happened to the 14th Kansas cavalry battalion that left Ft. Smith to join Col. Phillips Expedition.
It shows that:

1. LC Thomas Moonlight was ordered (on 10-21-63) to assume command of the battalion of the 14th Kansas assigned by MG Blunt to guard the second wagon train headed from Ft. Scott to Ft. Smith (on 11-12-63). Even the order number is provided.

2. LC Thomas Moonlight asked to be dismissed from the command of the 14th Kansas on February 4, 1864 at Ft. Smith for personal reasons. It does not provide other reasons or who approved the request.

3. Major J. G. Brown assumed command of the 14th Kansas shortly after LG Moonlight withdrew.

4. Major Brown's order of 2-4-64 must have read: The 14th Kansas cavalry battalion, posted at Ft. Smith, will join Col. Phillips Expedition marching from Ft. Blunt(Gibson) at North Fork Town and go fight Stan Watie. Your expedition will take 14 days rations and three days forage, and leave Ft. Smith on 2-7-64. [It did not say "Don't go past North Fork Town] Not finding forage along the way and not finding Phillips' corn crib are what stopped Brown's command from going farther. I [ I think this is why Brown's camp stayed about 15 miles east of NFT, saving him at least 30 miles of travel.]

5. Only seven companies of the 14th Kansas cavalry (A,E,F,G,H,I,K) composed Brown's battalion.

6. Col. Willetts only had three companies of the 14th Kansas: (B,L,M). Company L left Ft. Blunt (Gibson) about a week ahead of Phillips main force and scouted the Creek Nation to Hillabee, and camped there from February 1, 1864 until Phillips arrived on February 4. [This suggests to me that Companies B and M served as vanguards for the 1IHG and 3IHG. Perhaps the 1IHG took the Dragoon Trail to Hillabee and the 3IHG took the Texas Road down to near North Fork Town, then cut across the North Fork to Hillabee. This way, they could both march in parallel and forage easier.]
Phillips scouts (from Co. L) must have told him (by the time Phillips got to Honey Springs) that Watie's remainimg small force had fled south of the Canadian.

7. The 14-th Kansas cavalry battalion was delayed leaving Ft. Smith until Companies A & K had returned from cavalry operations ordered from Ft. Smith. Companies A & K both returned on February 4, 1864, worn out and starving. It took three days to get them (men and horses) food, forage and rested enough to ride out again to North Fork Town, about 80 miles away. Most of the command was weak and suffering from cold winter weather. In no way had the 14th Kansas been able to plan and prepare for this service. BG J. M. Thayer knew that he had bigger needs in Western Arkansas for the 14th than Col. Phillips did over in Indian Territory. [The 14th Kansas cavalry should have left Ft. Smith, fully rested and refreshed, on February 1, the same day Col. Philips marched his infantry out of Ft. Blunt (Gibson)]. The infantry (with a large train) had only half has many miles to travel to NFT as did the cavalry (with a small supply train), riding twice as fast (in winter).

Now, for a little speculation as to why Moonlight as to be removed from command of the 14th: LC Thomas Moonlight was developing a good military record for Kansas politics after the war, which would surely help him to become Governor of Kansas someday. By February 4th, (before Companies A, K) had returned to Ft. Smith, he knew that his command of the 14th to North Fork Town was going to be a dud. I think he also knew that he had performed Blunt's order to lead the second wagon train from Ft. Scott to Ft. Smith very well, and that the arrival of these two supply trains literally saved the Union folks living around Ft. Smith and this service had played well in the local Union-dominated newspapers. Moonlight also knew that the 11th Kansas cavalry regiment back in Kansas still needed his leadership (and so did Blunt). I believe that Moonlight heard from Thayer (on 2-3) that MG S.R. Curtis, Com. Dept. of Kansas since 1-16-64, would be arriving in Ft. Smith soon, and that Curtis would be returning to Ft. Scott shortly thereafter. Moonlight, now free to go, may have ridden back with Curtis, and discussed the future needs of the Dept. of Kansas, including Moonlight rejoining the 11th. On 4-25-64 LC Moonlight was promoted to Colonel of the 11th Kansas cavalry at Ft. Leavenworth, HQ of the Dept. of Kansas. Moonlight's start continued to shine brightly at the Battle of Westport in October against Price's invasion of Kansas and Missouri.

For some perspective on similar Union failures to coordinate troop movement about this time, consider the following:

1. W. T. Sherman & Sooy Smith meeting at Meridian, MS on February 20, 1864.
2. N. P. Banks and A. J. Smith (Sherman) meeting at Alexandria, Louisiana on March 16, 1864
3. F. Steele and J. M. Thayer meeting at Arkadelphia, Arkansas on April 1, 1864.
4. N. P. Banks and F. Steele meeting at Shreveport on April, 10, 1864

None of these Union rendezvous occurred on schedule, and two (1,4) never did join up.

Ken, again, thanks for posting this material.

Carroll