Confederate Hsters

[rch]

Hsters was a term Benteen used in one of his letters to Goldin.

Timothy Haley serfed in the 2nd & 4th U. S. Volunteer Infantry Regimennts. Those regiments were "Galvanized Yankee" regiments. They were recruited from Confederate POW's.

The 2nd was organized in Oct, 1864 at Rock Island, IL and served in on the Kansas frontier until Nov, 1866. Haley was apparently transferred to the 4th Regiment which was also served in that area until Jul, 1866.

The NPS's Civil War Soldiers and Sailors site lists 3 Conferderate Timothy Haley's. One was the Sgt Maj of the 1st MO Inf, which served in the western theater. One was a Pvt in
the 21st VA. Cav., which served in the border ares of WV, VA, and TN, and the Shenandoah Valley. The last served in the 8th Al Inf. in the East. There could be others. Haley was born in Ireland and buried at the Soldiers Home in Washington, DC.

Does anyone know about Haley's Conferderate service?

In the Goldin letters Benteen refers to an Oct 1868 ride of 180 miles he made accompanied only by an orderly. Benteen wrote that the private was a former Confederate Major serving under an assumed name.

Does anyone know who theis ex-Major was or the assumed name of the private who made the ride with Benteen?

rch

[markland]

RCH, having a tremendous red wine hangover (I promise I will not drink another Merlot or St. Emilion...until next time) and wanting something to do to distract myself from the pounding head, I took a look at the regimental returns of the Seventh for October, 1868. Unfortunately and surprisingly, I could not find a missing "H" company trooper without a legitmate excuse. The notes are upstairs but one trooper had been serving as Gen. Sheridan's orderly since well before Benteen's leave, another was on detached duty to the Quartermaster Department (Atkins) and several were detached and left at Ft. Larned? due to sickness.

Benteen's seven day leave of absence was recorded on a Special Order of the Dept. of the Missouri, dated October 27, 1868 and he returned ten days later (according to my memory of the November regimental return). If with a trooper, that trooper HAD to show up on the return as being on detached service, etc. if he was gone past the end of the month. What I will do the next time while looking at the film is to identify all troopers who were on detached service as Benteen may have ridden with a mail courier or some such. One warning though...the October, 1868 return's ink is very faded so it may be a forlorn hope to find it.

Sorry I couldn't help you more.

Billy

[rch]

Markland,

Thank you. You always provide great information. The time frame is dead on. Benteen wrote that he had to bring back 200 recruits and 300 horses. This wa one of the occasions when Benteen thought Custer was trying to get him killed. Benteen reported and the list of engagements confirm that he fought an engagement with those recruits on 3 Nov 68. The details are in Carrol's edition of the Benteen-Goldin letters, p. 262-264. It's an interesting moment for an infusion of recruits.

I think we need an annoted version of Benteen's letters and a good Custer related Atlas.

rch