The Pike's Peakers and the Rocky Mountain Rangers

About the Book

Having been born and raised on the Missouri River at Atchison, Kansas, and having the ghosts of the Civil War about me constantly, I have been passionately interested in the Civil War as long as I can remember. The Victorian and antebellum homes with servant quarters still behind them, the wooded bluffs and caves where escaped slaves were hidden, and the mystique of the Missouri River area itself have maintained this feeling of the war for me. My mother’s immediate family was from the Missouri River bottoms on the Missouri side and my father’s immediate family was from rural Atchison on the Kansas side. From my incomplete and somewhat misinformed family and formal history education, I assumed for most of my life that my mother’s family was Confederate in its leanings and that my father’s family was Union. I was unaware that the town and county’s namesake, Sen. David Rice Atchison, was from Missouri and had much Pro-Slavery activity. No effort has ever been made to change the town’s name since the war. No Confederate tie to him was taught in any of my classes in school.

About the Author

Ken Draper is a passionate Civil War historian and reenactor. His involvement began when he was doing genealogy on his own family and learned of the extensive involvement of his ancestors. He began reenacting in Colorado and after relocating back to Kansas and Missouri formed a unit reenacting the 2nd Colorado Cavalry and McLain's Battery and has been reenacting for 12 years. His passion carries over into his portrayals of Union officers and enlisted soldiers in living history presentations and other public speaking. He has trained all of his own mounts and has helped many reenactors get started in the hobby by loaning them uniforms and other items as needed. His home and farm have become a Civil War museum to family and friends. Ken has researched the Colorado units for over 8 years in the development of this book. Soldier diaries, official officer reports, newspaper articles, photographs, muster rolls, casualty lists, and personal research have been compiled into one comprehensive manuscript on all of the Colorado units. While more information is undoubtedly available, this book was printed at this time to honor the Colorado soldier during the 150th anniversaries of the engagements of these units. Ken plans on attending as many of the events as possible during this 4-year time span. While age and physical stamina are fading his desire to keep riding and participating and being one a few who are still willing and able to take hits mounted, he vows to continue to honor the Colorado soldiers in this endeavor.