Lt. Col. Preston B. Plumb

11th Kansas Cavalry

 Preston B. Plumb

Born in Ohio, Preston Bierce Plumb was 18 years old when he moved in 1856 to Lawrence, Kansas Territory, to support the Free State movement. The next year Plumb helped to found the town of Emporia and started the Kansas News there. After Kansas was admitted to the Union, Plumb was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1862. On September 10, 1862, Plumb mustered in as captain of Company C but was promoted to major two weeks later. On May 17, 1864, Plumb was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Following Col. Charles R. Jennison's withdrawal from Byram's Ford on October 22, 1864, Lt. Col. Preston B. Plumb, commanding 11th Kansas Cavalry, led four of his companies in a charge against the enemy. Pvt. Walter Wellhouse, Company A, 11th Kansas Cavalry later described the cavalry charge.

"[A Confederate] brigade was marching through the gap and had to be stopped else the Confederate army would pour over the Stateline into Kansas. To check this advance was now the work of the Elev-enth Kansas. The Confederates marched steadily northwest until they came in view of the Eleventh. At that instant Colonel Plumb with four companies was beginning his advance toward the rebels. Seeing this the Confederates stopped short and formed a line of battle facing Plumb, who took his men across the State-line to a little valley running parallel with the rebel line. There he turned up the valley, and when his men were directly opposite the enemy, he halted them, faced about, formed his line and charged up the hill, his men cheering and firing at will after the first volley. The flashes of Plumb’s guns were like fireflies on a damp night in summer. Jackman’s brigade was swept from the field, and no further attempt was made by the enemy in that quarter."

Plumb mustered out of service on September 13, 1865. After the war Plumb returned to Emporia to enter a partnership with his brother in farming and stock raising. Plumb was elected to the State legislature again and served as House Speaker. In 1877, Plumb was elected to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate, serving until his death in 1891.

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