District of Eastern Arkansas, Department of Missouri, to December 1862.
2nd Brigade, 3rd Cavalry Division, District of Eastern Arkansas, Department of Missouri, to January 1863.
2nd Brigade, 2nd Cavalry Division, XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee, to April 1863.
2nd Brigade, District of Eastern Arkansas, Department of Tennessee, to June 1863.
Clayton's Independent Brigade, District of Eastern Arkansas, Department of Tennessee, to August 1863.
Clayton's Cavalry Brigade, Arkansas Expedition, to January 1864.
1st Brigade, Cavalry Division, VII Corps, to February 1865.
Companies A through H of the 5th Kansas Cavalry mustered out of service at Fort Leavenworth August 11 through December 8, 1864.
Companies I and K mustered out on June 22, 1865, at Pine Bluff and Little Rock, Arkansas.
Companies A and F moved to Kansas City, Missouri, July 17, 1861.
Regiment moved to Fort Scott, Kansas, as escort to a supply train and duty there until September 17, 1861.
Moved to West Point, Missouri, September 17; then with 3rd and 4th Kansas to Osceola.
Washburne's Expedition from Helena against Mobile & Ohio Railroad July 24–26, 1862 (Company C).
Expedition to Big and Little Creeks and skirmishes March 6–10, 1863 (detachment).
Moved to Pine Bluff September 14 and duty there until March 27, 1864.
Action at Mount Elba and pursuit to Big Creek March 30.
Scout on Arkansas River, near Pine Bluff, and skirmishes August 27–28.
Reconnaissance from Little Rock toward Monticello and Mount Elba October 4–11.
Mine Creek, Little Osage River, and Marias Des Cygnes October 26.
In the 1999 Civil War film Ride with the Devil, the regiment non-historically chases and defeats Bushwhackers led by Quantrill after their raid on Lawrence.