What happened to Brig-Gen. Wm. Steele after his stint as CSA commander of Indian Territory? ..Did he resume his role in the “occupation of West Texas”? ..CSA Wm. Steele served in the Florida War, the Mexican War, the occupation of West Texas (his words), then commanded the Confederate forces in Indian Territory.
.
There were two places called "Camp Steele”: one Confederate and one Union. ..One was probably in Texas, maybe just west of the Antelope Hills of now Ellis Co OK.
.
CSA Brig-Gen William Steele (1820-1885) and UNION General Frederick Steele were falsely thought to be brothers, since their commands were in the same general area plus both were born in New York and attended West Point.
.
Bourland's Regimental returns. The CSA Camp Steele is mentioned on nine pages of my book, including five soldiers' CSRs. The CSR references are written as: “Jan. 1865, Camp Roff, C.N. ” is mentioned in eleven CSRs while “Jan 1865 Camp Steele” is mentioned in five CSRs. ... Notice the omission of "C.N." in the Camp Steele notation. ...Since both are referenced in the Company A January 1865 regimental returns, Camp Roff is definitely in Indian Territory, and it is doubtful that Camp Steele was also in I.T. ...Camp Roff was probably on Beaver Creek near where Waurika Lake is today, near the Chickasaw Nation's western border, but it wasn't surveyed until 1871.
.
*************
.
Bourland Regt., Company A camps: Camp Simon, Camp Nicholson, and Camp Roff, Chickasaw Nation, I.T.; Camp Steele, ? Texas.
.
Roff, Charles L. ..........Captain/ Major
Harrison, W.R..............Jr 2d Lt/Captain
Thompson, Robert W.........2nd Lt.
Mann, Joel L...............Jr 2d Lt/Bvt 2d Lt
.

Harrison, Wm.R. Harrison.....Co A...Capt, Jun-Oct 64 Camp Simons elected Capt Jun 14, 64; Nov 64 Camp Nicholson awl; Jan 65, Camp Steele
.
Jenkins, John W. Jenkins.....Co A...Pvt, Jul-Sep 64 nurse in hospital; Oct 64 reported Oct 17, 64 for duty at Camp Simon; Jan 65 Camp Steele, returned from driving beeves

Mann, Joel L. Mann..... Co A ..2d Lt, Mar-Oct 64 Ft Simon; Nov 64 Camp Nicholson; Jan 65 Camp Steele

Pace, Henry Clay Pace..... Co A...Pvt, Jan 65 Camp Steele, returned from driving beeves

Thompson, Robert Ware Thompson.....Co A...2d Lt, Mar-Oct 64 Camp Simon, Nov 64 Camp Nicholson, Jan 65 Camp Steele.
.
****************
..
Camp Steele
Feb 10, 1865
.
CAPTAIN [S.J. McKnight, Ast. Inspt. Genl, Gainesville, Texas]:
.
Since you left my camp, I received orders to copy all the Monthly Returns from 1st Dec 1863, Septr. 31st — August 1864. This was ‘shakin off’. When you were down, it seems to me that you mentioned that it would not be necessary for me to copy. If so, please let me know if it is necessary.
.
I am always ready and willing to do the best I can. Please give me instructions whether necessary or at not.
.
Yours most respectively,
.
Wm. R. Harrison, Captain, Comdg. Co A, Bourland’s Border Regt. per THE BOURLAND PAPERS.
.
*********
Editor’s note: ..This Feb 10th, 1865 letter follows a Feb 7th letter from Major Chs. Roff (formerly Co A
Captain) located in the Wichita Mountains, in which he described harsh conditions.
.
I am trying to define the long strip noted by “guarding a long strip of frontier” in Miller’s blurb below. .... I suspect that some of Bourland’s men were stationed as far north as now Roger Mills County OK since at least one gent married a girl there soon after she arrived from back East.
.
******
.
Miller’s blurb: ..... 1865 Apr-May. ”Pvt. D.L. Cabe and myself enlisted in Company ‘A’ in Col. Jim Bourland’s Cavalry Regt. I think it was in June 1863. I have no papers to show. We were transferred to ‘B’, Jim Diamond’s Company, in which we served close to three years. but called out on dress parade and disbanded in April 1865, it might have been May, as we were in Special Service guarding a long strip of frontier against the depredations of the Indians. We disbanded at Gainsville without papers of discharge.” .....Pvt. John Miller’s Jul 3, 1915 letter for D. Cabe’s CSA pension application.
.
*******
.
From my Name Index:
.
CABE, David Lafayette Cabe (1826 NC-1893 now Garvin Co OK) m-Frances, m2-Louisa Miller (Co B, G,
Bourland's Regt)
.
HARRISON, Wm. R. Harrison, b-1825 TN; m-Virginia; 1860 Denton Co TX cen p451 (Capt Co A,
Bourland's Regt)
.
McKNIGHT, Sterling J. McKnight (1835 TN-1916 Whitfield Co GA, West Hill Cem) Stevens' 22d Cav, Co
B, A, Capt (Capt, A.A.I-G, Bourland's Regt) ... Editor's note: one Sterling McKnight, age 3, is found in the 1880 Cherokee Co TX cen, and Whitfield Co GA is Cherokee country. Interesting.
.
MILLER, John Jehu Miller, b-1845 Macon Co NC, son of Noah; m-Marie; 1900 Mason Co TX cen p267
(Co A, B, Bourland's Regt)
.
ROFF, Charles Liptka Roff (1817 Wheeling [now WV]-1904 Cooke Co TX, Cosefield) m1-Eliz Crawford, m2-Eliza Evans (Maj, Co A, Bourland's Regt)
.
************
.
I welcome your questions and comments.
,
Patti, prochette@Juno.com
.