2nd Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 2nd Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Colored) was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Service
The 2nd Kansas Infantry (Colored) was organized at Fort Scott, Kansas and mustered in for three years. It mustered in by individual companies beginning in August 1863 at Fort Scott and completed muster-in at Fort Smith, Arkansas, on November 1, 1863, under the command of Colonel Samuel Johnson Crawford.

The regiment was attached to District of the Frontier, Department of Missouri, to January 1864. Unattached, District of the Frontier, VII Corps, Department of Arkansas, to March 1864. 2nd Brigade, District of the Frontier, VII Corps, to December 1864.

The 2nd Kansas Infantry (Colored) was redesignated as the 83rd U.S. Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.) on December 13, 1864.

Detailed service
Action at Baxter Springs, Kansas, October 6, 1863 (Company A). Moved from Fort Scott, Kansas, to Fort Smith, Arkansas, October 19, 1863, as escort to train. Duty at Fort Smith until March 1864. Steele's Expedition to Camden March 23-April 30. Prairie D'Ann April 9–13. Jenkins' Ferry April 30, and May 4 and 8. Return to Fort Smith and duty there until December.

Casualties
The regiment lost at least 71 men during service; 1 officer and 70 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded. (These numbers are incomplete because the regiment's records were lost after the action at Jenkins' Ferry.)

Commanders

 * Colonel Samuel Johnson Crawford
 * 2nd Lt. William M. Mercer- D Company

Notable members

 * Captain Alexander Rush, Company H - Namesake of Rush County, Kansas, killed at the Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, on 30 April 1864.