Are their other reliable sources for the route of Opothleyahola from SE Osage County to Fort Row, Kansas? I believe I have seen the map you referenced showing the trail up Hominy or Bird Creek, across the divide then NW to the mouth of Walnut River (Ark City, KS), then east and north across SE Cowley and central Chautauqua Counties and into Montgomery County.

The reason I ask is in researching Elk and Chautauqua counties, I have never come across any reference to the path going through the central part of the county, or for that matter having crossed the entire county east to west. Most of what I find (on the Kansas part) simply refers to Opothleyahola moving north through Montgomery and then Wilson counties, crossing Fall River near Fredonia and then to Ft. Row (Coyville) in NW Wilson County.

Based on what I have read and seen, I have the following thoughts:

1. Going all the way to "Walnut Creek" (Walnut River) only makes sense if he was either (A) trying to arc around the Little Verdigris (Caney) basin because his pursuers were on his right (east) flank; or (B) his intended destination was somewhere other than the Fort Row, Fort Belmont area. (perhaps Eldorado/Chelsea on Upper Walnut)

2. At that time there would have been only a handful of places to cross the Chautauqua Hills without hacking your way through the Cross Timbers that grow atop them, From south to north they would be:

A. The Big Caney (Little Verdigris) from around Elgin to Hulah
B. The Middle Caney from Sedan to Peru to Niotaze
(Note, Black Dog's Trail is shown on most maps as a nearly straight line from Caney to Elgin, which does not jive with the topography. It would have likely gone through either Hulah or Peru)
C. Elk River from Elk Falls to Elk City, or possibly it's tributary, Salt Creek, which joins just south of Elk City
D. Fall River from Fall River to New Albany, or possibly it's tributary, Indian Creek, which joins at New Albany
E. The Verdigris River at Coyville (Ft. Row)

3. Were the various Osage villages along the Verdigris and its tributaries in Montgomery County loyal or rebel? Would Opothleyahola try to get into their midst as soon as possible, or avoid the area at all costs?

4. If he did go that far west, how far north did he go before crossing to the east side of the Chautauqua Hills? Histories of Fredonia and Wilson County are pretty consistent in his crossing Fall River just southwest of Fredonia.

Anyway, this is getting longer than I intended. Trying to pull many random thoughts on the subject into a single, semi-organized post.

Any thoughts?