Honey Springs is the third significant battle of the 1st Kansas Colored Regiment. It was a direct and much larger follow-up to the Battle at Cabin Creek. In fact it has gone down in history as the largest battle in Indian Territory with at least 6,000 participants. Some have also called it the “Gettysburg of Indian Territory.” Not only did it take place shortly after that famed battle, it effectively ended any Confederate dominance in the region, save for a few major raids in the future. Finally the battle has been noted for its ethnic diversity. In addition to the black troops in the 1st Kansas both sides sported various Indian units. It was truly a polyglot fight in which whites fought for the future of the American vision, blacks fought for freedom and equality, and Indians fought for self-determination.
Quick Action Required
The
1st Kansas’ entry into Indian Territory at the Battle of Cabin Creek
gave them ample opportunities to prove themselves in further battle. However,
Indian Territory was rarely covered in the wider national press, so their
contributions would go unnoticed by most Northerners. Also, despite having
fought in two sizeable engagements since their inception, they still drew the
racial prejudice of their fellow white soldiers. Captain Nicholas Earle of
Company F remembered that the 2nd Colorado Infantry, made up of
rough-hewn white westerners, “treated us with contempt.”[1]
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| James G. Blunt |
Major General James Blunt, recently arrived in Indian Territory, began his campaign with a halved department. Major General John M. Schofield, his superior, placed his eastern half along the Missouri border under General Thomas Ewing. Blunt and his Kansan political ally James Lane were angry and saw the need to boost the former’s standing with a quick victory. As luck would have it, military events necessitated speedy action. William Phillips’ scouts (from his Union Indian Brigade) saw that Confederate General William Cabell, having missed his rendezvous with Brigadier General Douglas Cooper for the Battle of Cabin Creek, was still approaching with 3,000 troops from Arkansas. Cherokee women came to Fort Gibson on ponies and passed on further observations about the movements and size of the Arkansan force.[2]
