Col. Thomas Moonlight

11th Kansas Cavalry

Thomas Moonlight

(Library of Congress)

Thomas Moonlight was born in Scotland on September 30, 1833. Moonlight immigrated to the United States around 1851 and enlisted in the US Army when he was 20 years old. As an orderly sergeant in Company D, 4th US Artillery, Moonlight served in Florida, Texas and Kansas. After mustering out in 1858, Moonlight took up farming near Leavenworth in the Kansas Territory. When the Civil War started, Moonlight volunteered, raising a battery of light artillery and mustering in as a captain in July 1861. In April 1862, Captain Moonlight was appointed assistant adjutant general for the Department of Kansas. When the 11th Kansas Infantry was organized, Moonlight mustered in as its lieutenant colonel. During the Prairie Grove campaign, Moonlight served as chief of staff to Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt. In April 1864, Moonlight was promoted to colonel and placed in command of the 2d Brigade, District of South Kansas, District of the Frontier.

On Friday, October 21, 1864, Colonel Moonlight was deployed as the Federal rear guard at the Little Blue River east of Independence. Under orders to burn the bridge when the Confederates approached, Mopnlight decided to make a stand. His command was able to hold off the Confederate advance for several hours until Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt arrived with reiforcements. The Federals held back the Confederates for the rest of the day before falling back through Independence to the defense line on the Big Blue River. On October 22, Moonlight's brigade was deployed at Simmons' Ford on the Big Blue River. When Col. Charles R. Jennison's poisition was flanked at Byram's Ford, Mooonlight decided to pull out of his defense line and fall back to support Jennison's retreat. Joining up with Jennison near the Kansas state line, the combined Federal forces were able to push the Confederate advance back a couple miles. On Sunday, October 23, Moonlight's brigade was deployed on the Federal right flank to protect against an incursion into Kansas by Confederate forces.

Following Price’s 1864 Raid, Moonlight was placed in command of Sub-District No. 3, District of South Kansas, Department of Kansas with his headquarters at Paola, Kansas. Less than a month later, Moonlight was in command of the District of Colorado relieving Col. John M. Chivington. Moonlight was ordered to conduct an investigation into Chivington’s actions during the Sand Creek Massacre. In April 1865, Moonlight was reassigned to command the Northern Sub-District of the Plains with his headquarters at Fort Laramie, Dakota Territory. Moonlight received a promotion to brevet brigadier general in February 1865 mustered out of the 11th Kansas Cavalry in July 1865 at Fort Kearney. After he mustered out, Moonlight returned to Leavenworth and entered politics, being elected as Kansas Secretary of State in 1868. Moonlight left eh Republican Party and was elected in 1872 to the Kansas State Senate as a Democrat. President Grover Cleveland appointed Moonlight territorial governor in Wyoming in 1887 and then in 1893, President Cleveland appointed Moonlight as minister to Bolivia.

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