Middle Boggy Battlefield

MIDDLE BOGGY BATTLEFIELD February 13, 1864 | Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory A FORGOTTEN BATTLE WITH A BRUTAL LEGACY On February 13, 1864, a brief but devastating Civil War engagement unfolded along Middle Boggy Creek in what was then the Choctaw Nation of Indian Territory. Although the fighting lasted approximately thirty minutes, the Battle of Middle Boggy became one of the most controversial encounters of the war in present-day Oklahoma. Outnumbered Confederate soldiers, including Choctaw and Chickasaw troops, attempted to defend their position against a much larger Union cavalry force. By the time the fighting ended, approximately 47 Confederate soldiers had been killed, according to commonly cited Union accounts. What happened to wounded men left behind would cast an even darker shadow over the battle. PHILLIPS' EXPEDITION INTO INDIAN TERRITORY By early 1864, Union forces controlled much of northern Indian Territory, but Confederate forces and their Native American allies continued operating throughout the southern portion of the region. Colonel William A. Phillips, commanding approximately 1,500 Union troops, departed Fort Gibson in early February on an aggressive expedition into Confederate-controlled territory. His mission was to disrupt Confederate military operations, weaken support for the rebellion, and potentially advance toward Texas as Union forces prepared for operations against the Confederate stronghold at Shreveport, Louisiana. Phillips intended to destroy military resources and demonstrate that Confederate forces could no longer safely operate throughout Indian Territory. Before departing, however, he issued controversial instructions to his soldiers. Phillips told his men that they were not to kill prisoners after surrender, but also declared that he did not expect them to take prisoners. His orders encouraged an especially severe campaign against armed Confederate resistance. Those instructions would become central to the controversy surrounding Middle Boggy. THE BATTLE: THIRTY MINUTES OF FIGHTING On February 13, a Union detachment of approximately 350 mounted soldiers under Major Charles Willets approached a Confederate outpost near Middle Boggy Creek. The Union force included cavalry supported by light artillery. Defending the position were approximately 90 Confederate soldiers, principally members of the First Choctaw and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles, along with a detachment of the Twentieth Texas Cavalry. The Confederate defenders were associated with Captain Adam Nail's command. Nearby, Colonel John Jumper's Seminole troops represented a potential source of reinforcements. The Union soldiers possessed an overwhelming numerical advantage, outnumbering the defenders nearly four to one. The engagement began when Union troops opened fire on the Confederate position. Artillery and cavalry attacks quickly placed the defenders under intense pressure. Despite their inferior numbers and equipment, the Confederate soldiers resisted for approximately thirty minutes. As casualties mounted, the surviving defenders withdrew toward approaching Seminole reinforcements. Rather than continue the engagement against the additional Confederate force, Willets withdrew his troops and returned to the main Union command. The Union force reported no casualties, while approximately 47 Confederate soldiers were reported killed, although historical accounts differ on the precise number. THE NO-PRISONERS CONTROVERSY The most disturbing chapter of the Battle of Middle Boggy unfolded after the shooting stopped. When Confederate soldiers returned to the battlefield