Every thing being in readiness, the command crossed the Arkansas near the mouth of the Grand River, some two miles from Fort Gibson, on the 16th of July, the whole comprising the battalion of the Second Colorado Infantry, a portion of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, parts of two regiments of Kansas Cavalry, the First Kansas Colored Infantry and a part of the First, Second and Third Indians (Cherokees and Loyal Creeks) numbering in all about 1400 rank and file. Our little army was commanded in person by Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt.
On the following day the enemy was overtaken at Elk Creek, some twenty-five miles south of Gibson, and near Honey Springs, where a large amount of stores had been concentrated. The confederate forces numbered about 6,000 men, under command of Gen. Cooper. Gen. Blunt attacked him at once and after a hard-fought battle lasting some two hours succeeded in routing him, with a loss of 400 killed, wounded and missing, according to his own accounts, he having been so closely pressed as to compel him to abandon his dead and wounded, and to burn all his stores to prevent them falling into our hands. Gen. Blunt's total loss 14 killed and 30 wounded. About eighty prisoners were captured by us, most of them belonging to the Twentieth Texas Infantry. The prisoners captured were armed with new Enfield muskets, marked "Tower, 1862", showing that thus early in the fight old Mother England was patting the southern branch of her descendents upon the back to some purpose.
Our little battalion of the Second bore a prominent part in the engagement, being drawn up in line of battle with the First Kansas Colored on their right, and an Indian regiment on their left, in front of a rebel battery, that was pouring its deadly missiles into their ranks, supported by a Texas regiment, when they charged and succeeded in capturing one of the guns and dispersing the Texans after a sharp fight, in which 4 of our men were killed and 4 wounded.
General Blunt considering it impolitic and unwise to pursue the enemy with such an inferior force in point of numbers, fell back to Fort Gibson, when it had been ascertained that Cooper had been reinforced with three thousand troops under Gen. Cabell, thus swelling their numbers to over nine thousand.