The Battle of Honey Springs , also known as the Affair at Elk Creek , on July 17, 1863, was an American Civil War engagement and an important victory for Union forces in their efforts to gain control of the Indian Territory . It was the largest confrontation between Union and Confederate forces in the area that would eventually become Oklahoma . The engagement was also unique in the fact that white soldiers were the minority in both fighting forces. Native Americans made up a significant portion of each of the opposing armies and the Union force contained African-American units.
54-605: Checotah is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma , United States. It was named for Samuel Checote , the first chief of the Creek Nation elected after the Civil War . Its population was 3,481 at the 2000 census . According to Census 2010, the population has decreased to 3,335; a 4.19% loss. Checotah is home to numerous antique malls, a Civil War battle site, and a downtown historic district. Checotah claims to be
108-401: A Democratic registration advantage as recently as the late 2010s, the county has not voted that way in presidential elections in the 21st century. Although Republican margins in the county have grown at a slower pace than in many other Oklahoma counties of this size, the party has nonetheless won greater than 60% of the county's vote in every election since 2012. In 2020, Donald Trump won 74% of
162-419: A definite edge in both quantity and quality of weaponry. The Union artillery had ten 1857 12-pounder Napoleon howitzers , two 6-pound howitzers , and plenty of Springfield rifles. The Union troops also had an abundance of shot, shells and canisters. The Confederate troops were poorly armed, typically with obsolete smoothbore muskets and flintlock shotguns. Ammunition for these
216-524: A disciplined withdrawal and sporadic firing continued. Afterwards, Blunt wrote I never saw such fighting as was done by the Negro regiment....The question that negroes will fight is settled; besides they make better soldiers in every respect than any troops I have ever had under my command. During this period the 2nd Indian Home Guards , fighting for the Union, accidentally strayed into no man's land between
270-595: A high ash and sulfur content, so little except the low-sulfur type has been mined. The following sites in McIntosh County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places : 35°23′N 95°40′W / 35.38°N 95.67°W / 35.38; -95.67 Battle of Honey Springs The battleground is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of what is now Checotah, Oklahoma and 15 miles (24 km) south of Muskogee . It
324-692: A historic people who had originated in the Southeast and were part of the larger Creek Confederacy for centuries. Much of their new territory was included in what later became McIntosh County. Chief McIntosh was executed in Georgia in 1825 by order of the Creek National Council, which had forbidden such land cessions without agreement by the full council. His descendants and followers of the Lower Towns migrated to Indian Territory. There
378-448: A household in the county was $ 25,964, and the median income for a family was $ 31,990. Males had a median income of $ 27,998 versus $ 19,030 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,410. About 13.50% of families and 18.20% of the population were below the poverty line , including 24.80% of those under age 18 and 13.30% of those age 65 or over. The most common self-identified ancestry groups in McIntosh County are: Despite
432-618: A shoe-string budget and with bad equipment, would come to increasingly rely on captured Union war material to keep up the fight. District of the Frontier Major General James G. Blunt Colonel William R. Judson Colonel William A. Phillips District of Indian Territory Brigadier General Douglas H. Cooper Colonel Thomas C. Bass Brigadier General Douglas Cooper Colonel Stand Watie
486-470: A stand at a bridge over Elk Creek, roughly 1/4 of a mile south of the original position. Union forces continued driving them back further and gradually beginning to turn Cooper's left, causing a general Confederate retreat. Cooper attempted to fight a rearguard action, making a last stand another 1/2 mile south near Honey Springs Depot. Despite a notable half-hour stand by the Choctaw and Chickasaw regiment,
540-622: Is drained by the Deep Fork River , North Canadian River and Canadian River . As of the census of 2000, there were 19,456 people, 8,085 households, and 5,683 families residing in the county. The population density was 12/km (31/sq mi). There were 12,640 housing units at an average density of 8/km (21/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 72.59% White , 4.06% Black or African American , 16.20% Native American , 0.14% Asian , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 0.35% from other races , and 6.63% from two or more races. 1.27% of
594-407: The 2020 census , the population was 18,941. Its county seat is Eufaula . The county is named for an influential Muscogee Creek family, whose members led the migration of the Lower Towns to Indian Territory and served as leaders for generations. It is one of the counties within the jurisdiction of the federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation ; a small portion is within the jurisdiction of
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#1732794106187648-653: The Arkansas River . The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway built a line through this area in 1871–2, generally following the Texas Road. The communities of Checotah and Eufaula were established then. In 1904–5, the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway (later merged into the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway) laid a line through the northwestern part of the area, starting the community of Hitchita . McIntosh County
702-707: The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma . Many archaeological sites in McIntosh County date back to the Archaic period in North America (6000 BC - 1 AD). (Ed. note: the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture defines this period as written here. The definition differs from that shown by the linked Misplaced Pages article.) Archaeologists have uncovered six sites since 2003 that predate these. These indigenous peoples predated any of Plains Indians , as well as
756-657: The Confederate States of America , signed treaties with the Chickasaw, Choctaw and Creek nations at the beginning of the Civil War. They allied with the Confederacy in the hopes of gaining an Indian state after the war. The Battle of Honey Springs , the largest battle of the war in what is now Oklahoma, was fought near Rentiesville. The Union Army won and took control of that part of Indian Territory north of
810-485: The Creek Nation in 1893. The Dawes Commission held its first meeting here. Between 1907 and 1909, the people of Checotah were involved in a dispute with nearby Eufaula known as the McIntosh County Seat War . After Checotah was designated as the new county seat , the people of Eufaula refused to hand over the county records. Soon after, a group of heavily armed men from Chectotah attempted to seize
864-703: The Methodist Episcopal Church (South) (419 W. Gentry St.), the Oklahoma Odd Fellows Home at Checotah (211 W North St.), and the Tabor House (631 W. Lafayette). Checotah considers itself the host of the Honey Springs Battlefield , which is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) northeast of town. McIntosh County, Oklahoma McIntosh County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma . As of
918-508: The steer wrestling capital of the world. Early boosters called Checotah "The Gem of the Prairie". The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (also known as the MKT or Katy) established a railhead on the old Texas Road in 1872 that became the site of present-day Checotah. Although it was named Checote Switch for Samuel Checote , a later mapmaker spelled the name as Checotah. The town was chartered by
972-1094: The Arkansas River was high and ordered his troops to begin building boats to ferry them across the river. During this time, he apparently contracted encephalitis, because he had to spend July 14 in bed fighting a high fever. Believing they were numerically superior, the Confederates plotted a counteroffensive against Union forces at Fort Gibson, to be launched by Cooper's Indians and some attached Texan troops, and 3,000 soldiers of Brigadier General William Cabell 's brigade, camped in Fort Smith, Arkansas , which were expected to reach Honey Springs by July 17. Cooper moved his army forward to Honey Springs, Indian Territory, an important Confederate supply depot, to rest and equip, while awaiting Cabell's brigade, marching to link up with Cooper. Union forces under General Blunt got wind of Cooper's plan however, and opted to attack him first, before Cabell arrived, which would have given
1026-662: The Confederate and Union lines. The Federal commanders gave the order for the Home Guards to fall back, the Confederates assumed it was an order to retreat and attacked. The Confederates charged into an established defensive line held by the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry, which repulsed the charge. Cooper pulled his men back towards the depot to obtain new ammunition, but the Federals continued to press his army closely. Heavy fighting occurred when Cooper's men made
1080-428: The Confederate army was never even engaged. After the battle, the defeated Confederates withdrew, leaving their dead comrades behind, and met up with Cabell's 3,000 man relief force about 50 miles away. General Blunt did not pursue them because his own troops and horses were very tired. He ordered them to camp overnight at the battlefield, where they could treat the wounded and bury the dead of both sides. Blunt himself
1134-523: The Confederates failed to stop a 200-wagon Federal supply train in an engagement known as the Battle of Cabin Creek . The supply train reached Fort Gibson about the same time as General Blunt himself arrived, accompanied by more troops and artillery. Federal forces at the fort totalled only about 3,000 men. According to his after-action report to General Schofield, Blunt arrived in the area on July 11. He found
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#17327941061871188-468: The Confederates overwhelming numerical superiority. Blunt's command included three federal Indian Home Guard Regiments recruited from all the Five Nations and the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry , with two white cavalry battalions ( 6th Kansas and 3rd Wisconsin ), one white infantry battalion consisting of six companies of the 2nd Colorado Infantry Regiment , and two Kansas artillery batteries making
1242-682: The Creek repeatedly battled with the Osage , who had historically occupied a large area including this and up through present-day Missouri . In 1836, the Creek established North Fork Town on the Texas Road , about two miles east of present-day Eufaula, Oklahoma . A post office named Micco operated in North Fork Town from 1853 to 1886. This area became part of the Eufaula District of the Creek Nation . Albert Pike , representing
1296-663: The Indian Territory, and would indeed prove to be decisive. The Oklahoma Historical Society even compared its importance to the Battle of Gettysburg . The victory opened the way for Blunt's forces to capture Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley all the way to the Mississippi River . The Confederates abandoned Fort Smith in August, 1863, leaving it for the Union forces to recover. Despite
1350-839: The Indians and Texans were badly organized, disheartened, and in many cases due to poor powder, unarmed. Most simply continued to flee. The fighting was over by 2 p.m., four hours after it had begun. Victorious Union forces took possession of the Honey Springs depot, burning what couldn't be immediately used, and occupying the field. Blunt trumpeted the battle as a major victory, claiming Union losses of only 76 (17 dead and 60 wounded), with enemy casualties in excess of 500, although Cooper reported only 181 Confederate casualties (134 killed or wounded and 47 taken prisoner). Cooper claimed that his enemy's forces losses were over 200. The Union army, including its black and Native American forces, had
1404-604: The Oklahoma Historical Society owned 957 acres (387 ha) in 1997. The northern third is in Muskogee County and the southern two-thirds is in McIntosh County. On August 21, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced a $ 1.9 million public-private partnership that includes the Oklahoma Historical Society, McIntosh County and an area nonprofit organization to build a 5,000-square-foot (460 m ) visitor center to replace
1458-493: The Union. Union forces led by Colonel William A. Phillips reoccupied Fort Gibson in Indian Territory during April, threatening Confederate forces at Fort Smith. However, Phillips' supply line stretched from Fort Gibson to Fort Scott, Kansas , 175 miles (282 km) to the north along the old Texas Road cattle trail. Confederate cavalry, operating from Cooper's encampment at Honey Springs, frequently harassed Fort Gibson and attacked its supply trains. The Battle of Honey Springs
1512-496: The beginning of a rain squall intensified the Confederate's ammunition problems. Opposing artillerymen each eliminated one gun on the opposing side during an early artillery duel. Then Blunt saw an opportunity, and ordered the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry to attack. Colonel James M. Williams led the Colored Volunteer infantry forward, but the Confederates held their ground. Williams was wounded, but his troops conducted
1566-592: The best cropland, causing a large-scale decline in agriculture. Cotton farming essentially ceased in the county by the mid-1970s. Cattle ranching has remained important, continuing to rise throughout the century. By 2000, the county reported 55,000 head of cattle. Completion of Eufaula Lake in 1964 generated revenue from hydroelectric power, stimulated tourism, and produced companion businesses like boat building and general retail. Mineral resources such as oil, natural gas, limestone, sand and gravel have also been important. While there are ample coal deposits, much of it has
1620-735: The cavalry. The other brigade, commanded by Col. William R. Judson, consisted of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, the Second Regiment of Indian Home Guards, and the First Kansas Colored Infantry with an estimated 700 soldiers, and the remainder of Smith's battery of Kansas Artillery. Blunt's attack began on July 17, with desultory morning skirmishing that revealed many of the Confederate soldiers had wet gunpowder, causing numerous misfires and accidents. The main Union attack began at mid-afternoon, and
1674-724: The city was $ 15,921. About 16.1% of families and 20.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.4% of those under 18 and 7.6% of those 65 or over. The median house value is $ 50,500. Checotah has multiple sites on the National Register of Historic Places listings in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, including the Checotah Business District (Gentry Ave between W 1st and W Main Sts., and Broadway Ave between Lafayette and Spaulding Aves), Checotah City Hall (201 N Broadway), Checotah MKT Depot (Paul Carr Dr.),
Checotah, Oklahoma - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-459: The city, the age distribution was 26.1% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 77.7 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 72.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 22,029, and for a family was $ 30,741. Males had a median income of $ 26,094 versus $ 17,298 for females. The per capita income for
1782-405: The city. The population density was 389.3 inhabitants per square mile (150.3/km). The 1,576 housing units had an average density of 176.3 per square mile (68.1/km). The racial makeup of the city was 67.91% White, 6.92% African American, 15.91% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 8.53% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.29% of
1836-449: The county's population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 712 square miles (1,840 km ), of which 618 square miles (1,600 km ) is land and 94 square miles (240 km ) (13%) is water. Much of the water surface is attributable to Eufaula Lake , the largest reservoir entirely within the state. Checotah is the nearest city to Lake Eufaula State Park (formerly Fountainhead State Park). The county
1890-417: The county's vote, the strongest Republican performance in history. The county economy has been based primarily on farming and ranching. Corn was the principal crop until 1900, when cotton superseded it (as measured by acreage) around the middle of the 20th century. Other crops such as sorghum, oats and wheat also became important. However, construction of a dam and the resulting Eufaula Lake inundated much of
1944-484: The efforts of notable Confederate officers like Stand Watie , Confederate forces in the region would never regain the initiative or engage the Union army in an open, head-on battle again, instead relying almost entirely on guerrilla warfare and small-scale cavalry actions to fight the Federal Army. The loss of the supplies at Honey Springs depot would likewise prove disastrous. Confederate forces, already operating on
1998-731: The enemy guns in the early light and rushed to inform Cooper. After eating breakfast and resting from the march, Blunt formed his men into two brigades. One brigade, led by William A. Phillips and composed of a battalion of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry, the First and Third Regiments of Indian Home Guards, a battalion of the Second Colorado Infantry, and Capt. Henry Hopkins's (four-gun) battery of Kansas Artillery, plus two guns of Captain Edward A. Smith's battery attached to
2052-743: The existing facility consisting of a small trailer. A November 2011 story in the Tulsa World newspaper cites the U.S. Department of the Interior report as giving consideration of designating the Honey Springs Battlefield as a U.S. National Battlefield Park. In 2013 the battlefield was named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service. The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have acquired and preserved more than 83 acres (0.34 km ) of
2106-418: The gunfight that followed. Eufaula was designated as the permanent seat of McIntosh County one year later. The county is mostly within the jurisdiction of the federally recognized Muscogee (Creek) Nation , which oversees and represents its members. The far eastern portion of the county is within the jurisdiction of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma . Native Americans, mostly Muscogee, comprise more than 16% of
2160-493: The intersection of I-40 and U.S. Route 69 . Nearby is Eufaula Lake , the largest-capacity lake wholly within the state of Oklahoma. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 9.0 sq mi (23 km), of which 0.1 square miles (0.26 km) (0.67%) is covered by water. As of the census of 2000, 3,481 people, 1,389 households, and 912 families were residing in
2214-460: The leadership of General Douglas H. Cooper . They drove out pro-Union Creek Indian forces after a short campaign culminating in the Battle of Chustenahlah . However, by 1863, Confederate fortunes in the region had sunk. A Union campaign launched from Kansas led by Major General James G. Blunt drove Confederacy forces from the north of the region, and many of the Cherokee switched sides to support
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2268-455: The people of Checotah were involved in a dispute with nearby Eufaula known as the McIntosh County Seat War . After Checotah was designated as the new county seat, the people of Eufaula refused to hand over the county records. Soon after, a group of heavily armed men from Chectotah attempted to seize the records from the courthouse in Eufaula, but were beaten back and forced to surrender during
2322-516: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 96.4% spoke English , 1.5% Muskogee and 1.5% Spanish as their first language. As of 2020, its population declined to 18,941. There were 8,085 households, out of which 25.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.60% were married couples living together, 10.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.70% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.50% had someone living alone who
2376-413: The population. Of the 1,389 households, 31.5% had children under 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were not families. About 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.4% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.98. In
2430-516: The records from the courthouse in Eufaula, but were beaten back and forced to surrender during the gunfight that followed. Eufaula was designated as the permanent seat of McIntosh County one year later. Checotah was on the route of the Jefferson Highway established in 1915, with that road running more than 2,300 miles from Winnipeg , Manitoba to New Orleans , Louisiana . Checotah is located at an elevation of 652 feet (199 m) at
2484-446: The remainder. Blunt's troops crossed the Arkansas River in the late afternoon of July 16. They began marching toward Honey Springs at 11 P. M., and continued through the night. They encountered a Confederate picket near Chimney Rock, a local landmark. After routing the picket, they met a Confederate scouting party north of Elk Creek. They came upon the Confederate camp on Elk Creek early in the morning on July 17. Confederate pickets saw
2538-734: The tribes that settled in the territory in the 1830s following Indian Removal from the American Southeast. Indigenous people may have made petroglyphs at the Handprint Site before the coming of the earliest European explorers. In 1825, the Creek of the Lower Towns in the territory of present-day Georgia, led by William McIntosh , agreed by the Treaty of Indian Springs with the United States, to exchange their land in Georgia for land in Indian Territory. These Creek were
2592-457: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.84. In the county, the population was spread out, with 22.60% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 22.30% from 25 to 44, 26.90% from 45 to 64, and 21.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 91.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.30 males. The median income for
2646-624: Was also about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Fort Gibson . At the start of the American Civil War, the United States had abandoned the Five Civilized Tribes so for cultural and economic reasons, all of the Five Civilized Tribes in Indian Territory opted to side with the Confederate States of America who had offered them protection, economic resources and sovereignty, raising native troops under
2700-491: Was established at statehood in 1907, when the population was 17,975. Before statehood, the area had been part of the Eufaula District of the Creek Nation. The county gained some land from Hughes County in 1915, but lost some land to Okmulgee County in 1918. The former moved the community of Hanna from Hughes County. The latter moved the towns of Grayson and Hoffman into Okmulgee County. Between 1907 and 1909,
2754-527: Was important for many reasons, among them: Honey Springs was a stage stop on the Texas Road before the Civil War. Its several springs provided water for men and horses. The U.S. Army equipped it with a commissary, log hospital, and numerous tents for troops. To prepare for an invasion, in 1863 the Confederate Army sent 6,000 soldiers to the spot. Provisions were supplied from Fort Smith, Boggy Depot, Fort Cobb, Fort Arbuckle, and Fort Washita. However,
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#17327941061872808-428: Was primarily made with cheap Mexican gunpowder that was very susceptible to damage by rainy weather. The terrible equipment of the Confederates, and the rain squall which ruined their powder, played a large part in the Confederate defeat, although some eyewitness sources, notably future Creek Indian chief George Washington Grayson , claimed Cooper's poor generalship was responsible for the defeat, arguing that about half
2862-493: Was still suffering a high fever from his bout of encephalitis. He finally had to spend the rest of the day in bed. Late the next day Blunt ordered the troops to return to Fort Gibson. Later, Cooper wrote a letter to Blunt, thanking him for burying the Confederate dead. After the war, the Union corpses were exhumed and reburied in Fort Gibson National Cemetery . The battle was the largest ever fought in
2916-501: Was supposed to have participated in the battle, but just before it began, Cooper sent them toward Webbers Falls as a diversion. The battlefield is located east of U.S. Highway 69 in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, between Rentiesville , and Oktaha . It is managed by the Oklahoma Historical Society . According to the 1997 Master Plan Report, the original battlefield covered 2,997 acres (1,213 ha), of which
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