The Red Legs were a distinct and formidable guerilla unit that played a pivotal, though often misunderstood, role during the American Civil War, particularly within the volatile border region known as Bleeding Kansas. These highly skilled and courageous scouts, known for their characteristic red or tan leather leggings, emerged as a vital independent force committed to the Union cause, defending Kansas against relentless incursions from Missouri bushwhackers and Confederate sympathizers.
The Genesis of the Red Legs: A Border Under Siege
The early years of the Civil War plunged western Missouri into chaos, with numerous lawless guerrilla bands frequently crossing the border to commit acts of depredation in Kansas. In response to these persistent threats and to bolster the Union effort, a specialized company of border scouts was organized in late 1862. This independent organization, never formally mustered into regular United States service, garnered its unique moniker from the distinctive red or tan-colored leather leggings worn by its members – hence, the Red Legs.
Formation and Command
This secret Union military society was a brainchild of prominent Union figures, specifically General Thomas Ewing and James Blunt. Their objective was to create a specialized force capable of desperate service along the volatile Kansas-Missouri border. The unit’s size fluctuated but could number as many as 100 dedicated men.
Membership in the Red Legs was not for the faint of heart, demanding unwavering loyalty to the Union cause, exceptional courage, and a demonstrated mastery of firearms, particularly the rifle and revolver. Their primary operational base, or headquarters, was located at the “Six-mile House,” a strategically positioned establishment six miles from Wyandotte (present-day Kansas City) on the Leavenworth Road. Joseph A. Bartels built this house in 1860-61, and his son, Theodore Bartels, was celebrated as one of the border’s most formidable pistol shots and a proud member of the Red Legs.
Notable Members and Leadership
The company was expertly commanded by Captain George H. Hoyt, a lawyer renowned for having defended the abolitionist John Brown following his raid on Harpers Ferry. Among the diverse and colorful ranks of the Kansas Red Legs were several other figures who left their mark on history:
- Jack Harvey, brother of the famous Fred Harvey of the Santa Fe Railroad Hotel chain.
- Joseph B. Swain, nicknamed “Jeff Davis,” who later rose to become captain of Company K, Fifteenth Kansas.
- “Red” Clark of Emporia, Kansas, whom General Ewing himself praised as the most effective spy he had ever encountered.
- John M. Dean, one of the organization’s initial founders.
- W. S. Tough, who would later become a well-known proprietor of the horse market at the Kansas City stockyards.
Other vital, though perhaps less widely documented, members included Harry Lee, Newt Morrison, Jack Hays, James Flood, Jerry Malcolm, and Charles Blunt, often referred to as “One-eyed Blunt.” These men formed the backbone of a unit whose daring deeds were often carried out in the shadows of official military records.
Hazardous Service and General Order No. 11
The service rendered by the Red Legs was inherently hazardous, demanding constant vigilance and readiness to confront enemy incursions. William W. Denison, who later served as assistant adjutant-general of Kansas, was a private soldier in the Eleventh Kansas and was tasked with enforcing General Thomas Ewing’s infamous General Order No. 11. On such occasions, Denison donned the distinctive red leggings, recognizing them as a “badge of desperate service in the Union army.” Generals Ewing and Blunt frequently kept several Red Legs on their payrolls, compensating them generously, sometimes as much as $7 per day, a testament to the extreme risks associated with their duties.
The Dual Legacy: Patriots and Pillage
Over time, the term “Red Leg” evolved, becoming a generalized epithet along the volatile border. This shift unfortunately led to considerable misattribution and tarnished the reputation of the legitimate Red Legs. William E. Connelley, in his seminal work Quantrill and the Border Wars, highlights this problematic development:
“Every thief who wanted to steal from the Missouri people counterfeited the uniform of the Red Legs and went forth to pillage. This gave the organization a bad name, and much of the plundering done along the border was attributed to them when, in fact, they did little in that line themselves. There were some bad characters among them—very bad. But they were generally honest and patriotic men. They finally hunted down the men who falsely represented themselves to be Red Legs, and they killed every man found wearing the uniform without authority.”
This passage underscores the significant challenge faced by the true Kansas Red Legs: maintaining their integrity amidst opportunistic criminals who exploited their distinctive appearance. The legitimate members took strong action to defend their name, hunting down and eliminating those who impersonated them for nefarious purposes, indicating their commitment to a code of conduct, however informal.
Albert R. Greene, a member of the Ninth Kansas Cavalry and personally acquainted with many of the Red Legs, offered an insightful perspective on their service:
“There was not one of them but performed valuable service for the Union cause, and, so far, as I know and believe, always within the rules of civilized warfare. That the organization was disbanded before the close of the war was owing more to the fact that the necessity for its existence had ceased than because a few of its members had thrown off the restraints of discipline… It is enough to say for the propriety and wisdom of such an organization as the Red Legs that it did more to protect the homes of Kansas than any regiment in the service and was the organization of all others most dreaded by William Quantrill.”
Greene’s testimony emphasizes the positive impact of the Red Legs, asserting that their contributions were vital for Kansas’s defense and that they operated largely within accepted wartime conventions, despite the negative associations fostered by impersonators. Their effectiveness was particularly evident in their deterrence of notorious figures like Quantrill, a testament to their fearsome reputation among enemy guerrillas and bushwhackers.
Legacy and Post-War Life
The Red Legs represented a unique breed of frontiersmen and soldiers – men who were strangers to cowardice and who willingly abandoned their civilian lives to protect their homes and communities against the brutal and irregular warfare plaguing the border. Their commitment to the Union cause and their effectiveness in counteracting guerrilla threats played a significant role in shaping the conflict in the Kansas-Missouri region.
Following the cessation of hostilities and the conclusion of the Civil War, most surviving members of the Red Legs successfully transitioned back to civilian life. They resumed peaceful occupations, becoming law-abiding citizens who carried with them the indelible experiences of their extraordinary service during one of America’s most tumultuous periods. Their story remains an important, albeit complex, chapter in the history of the American West and the Civil War.
