I just finished reading George Griscom's Diary, plus I have read Demoss's book and Opothleyahola's report of the fight.

The Walnut Creek they were going to, so the could build a Fort is the Walnut Creek running into the Arkansas near Prue Ok.
My reason's; Opothleyahola spoke of caves that had been dug in the side of a hill on the *North* side of the Arkansas River for the old ones. He also said that the only Mounds that were there were the two piles of dirt in front of the caves that served as a windbreak and shield from bullets. Why would the Creeks dig these caves if they were just traveling through. They wouldn't. They were where they were going, the Great Bend of the Arkansas.

The OR's read plainly but because, in the next paragraph it speks of the Unionist Creeks arriving in Walnut Creek Kansas, you can get misled. The Caves are the key to this story.

Did the Unionist win the Battle, in killed and wounded No. The Unionist lost around a hundred +, the Southern Creeks took 45 scalps that the Texans saw. The Unionist scalped and tortured several Texan prisoners.

But was the goal of each Army achieved, Southern not really, Union Yes. The battle of Round Mountain Creek was a delaying action by the Unionist to hold back the Confederates while the Wagons and families got across the Arkansas River and fled. So the Union goal was achieved.

Is this the Battle of Round Mountain or Round Mountain Creek? Opothleyahola said it was the Battle at the Round End of a Mountain. He said the Battle was in the Creek. The OR's speak of the Unionist firing from a creek. george L. Griscom of the Ninth Texas Cavalry called it Round Mountain Creek.

I don't pretend to know all there is about this Battle, nor am I considered an expet, but folks the facts are there. Griscom said that when they crossed the Cimmarron (our name) they turned *down river* where they found the cattle herd and a few scouts. Not Up river. Therefore if you are traveling North and Cross the river and go down river you will be going East. I would like to add, that when you go down river or down the bank, you travel with the current, up river is against the current.

So if the Coyote Trail Location is the true crossing of the Red Fork of the Arkansas Mannford or another location East of there is where the cattle were found and the Battle travels West from there.

Yale does not fit in this equation. AS S.W. Brown said, it was in Creek country and Yale is too far.

I apologize for mounting my soapbox.