The National Tribune (Washington DC). February 18, 1886. Page 2
The Cherokees Stampede the Animals at Fort Gibson.
The fever for war reminiscences has reached even the Cherokee Advocate, the organ of the Cherokee Indians, and which is printed half in English and half in Cherokee. The last issue contains the following account of an affair in which the Cherokee Indians took part:
"In the Summer of 1863 Gen. Cooper was in command of a mixed white and Indian Confederate force, composed of Texans, Choctaws, Cherokees and Creeks. Their camp was in the neighborhood of Coody's Creek, a few miles southwest of Fort Gibson, on the south side of the Arkansas River. Gen. Watie was second in command, having charge of the Cherokee and Creek regiments. The Federals, under Col. Phillips, were then engaged in fortifying Fort Gibson, and Gens. Watie and Cooper wore anxious to find out how their neighbors were getting along without the trouble of paying them an actual visit. Besides, they had not been invited.
"It was agreed between Cooper and Watie to send two youngsters of Watie's command with an old telescope to a high hill that overlooked Fort Gibson and prairie, some four miles off. These scouts spent two days alternately looking through the tube and encouraging a lass whom they found living under it. They could not make out how the fortification was progressing, look as hard as they might. But they observed that many hundreds of horses, mules and ponies were sent out early in the morning under slight guard to graze on the prairie all day, from one to three miles off. This fact was duly reported to Gen. Watie, and it was about all that was reported of any value. Little as it was, it was enough to give Watie an idea of some importance It was known that the Federal force was much superior to ours in arms and discipline, if not in numbers. Watie decided to cripple the enemy by stealing his horses under his very nose. The plan was proposed to Cooper. Cooper did not like it, but after two days' urging he gave his consent to the attempt.
"At noon next day 600 Cherokee and 1,100 Creeks rode out of camp for Hildebrand's Ford. It was known that the ford was not picketed by the Federals. We crossed the Arkansas about dark, 15 miles from the fort, with eight hours to get there. The eight hours extended to 10, then 12, before we got to the top of Bayou Mountain, above Scott's. The command had got sleepy in the night, and a part of it had taken the wrong road. It was fully 9 o'clock before the fractions were again concentrated and ready to swoop down on the unsuspecting herdsmen in the prairie below.
"Three of the best companies of the Cherokee regiment were detailed for that special purpose, and in about a half hour a tremendous commotion all over the prairie proved that they had lost no time at any rate. Little puffs of smoke were seen within a radius of several miles, men were seen running into the fort afoot and horseback, and herd after herd came thundering past the main command, which Watie had dismounted and formed at the edge of the prairie to check pursuit. In another half hour every loose horse on the prairie was being driven at full speed up the hill where our command had descended. A company of Federals followed hard after, but were stopped by Watie's line of Creeks. Another company did no better. They dismounted and fired at us about 400 yards off. It was here that a gallant and popular young man named George West was killed. It was here also that something happened to a good old Captain in the Cherokee regiment named Buzzard. He was never seen or heard of again. West was honorably buried next day.
"The Federals suddenly thought of their cannon. In a short time six pieces arrived at a gallop from the Fort and commenced bombarding Watie's line in the edge of the timber. The Creeks complained that the enemy was firing wagons at them, and waited for no orders to fall back. It was a regular rout. Their ponies were sound and strong, and they disappeared up and over the mountain and away in less time than it takes to tell it. Watie himself was left behind. He drew one side and saw a detachment of mounted Federals pass by in hot pursuit. Watie had anticipated this, and had ordered one of his best companies to take position about half way up the hill and ambush the advance guard of any pursuing force. He went there. There was no sign of his company. Pursuers and pursued had passed on. Ho took the trail of the company and found them stationed and waiting on another road. They had mistaken his orders. Watie was convinced that the Feds in pursuit were acting without orders, as the squad was small not more than 30 or 40 and not supported. He put himself at the head of his newly-found company of excellent soldiers and leisurely followed on the trail the others had taken.
"The result may be guessed. As for the horses and mules, amounting to about 1,800, they were already safe beyond risk of recapture. The fiery Feds who pursued the retreating Creeks, ran their horses until they were blown and nearly useless. By little parties of three to six they were slowly and deliberately returning when they met Watie and his company of fresh men, and were successively gobbled up with ease. No mercy was asked or shown. Human skulls and bones can yet be found on that route -- all that is left of the headstrong party of Federals who pursued, without waiting for orders, because the enemy fled.
"It ought to be mentioned that when Cooper was informed that Watie had begun his attack, he opened with his three field pieces at Nevins Ford, as though an attack from that quarter was intended. The feint was successful and allowed Watie a free field to make his capture.
"The object of the expedition was successful. The Federals did afterward attack and defeat us at Honey Springs, but their horses were gone and they could not follow."
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Coody's Creek is on the south or west side of the Arkansas and runs across the south side of present Muskogee near Peak Blvd (near where my grandfather lived). The mouth of Coody's Creek is at the north end of the Gooseneck Bend in the Arkansas. Within the bend is a high bluff called Devil's Peak (or something like that) nearly straight south of Ft Gibson. Just north of the bend near the dead end of Gibson Street was Frozen Rock (the name of the late Willliam Shorey Coody's plantation -- on a side note, Coody originally lived on the east side of the Arkansas and Bayou Menard is sometimes called 'Coody's Bayou' and shown as such on some old maps). Just north of Frozen Rock was the Rabbit Ford (incorrectly called Rapid Ford in some of Wiley Britton's writings) which is about where the big OG&E Plant now stands.
Hildebrand's Ford down river about half way to Webbers Falls. Yes, this is the same Hildebrand family that owned Hildebrand's Mill on Flint Creek just west of Siloam Springs AR. Bayou Mountain is the high 'hill' straight south of Ft Gibson on the east side of the Arkansas. The "valley" between Ft Gibson and Bayou Mountain through which Bayou Menard (now called Maynard Bayou) and US Hwy 62 now runs between Muskogee and Tahlequah is Bayou Menard Prairie.
George West is an ancestor of Jim and I. He is favorably mentioned in Gen. Pike's report of the battle at Leetown (Pea Ridge) and commanded the squad that secured the captured cannon there. His death is reported in several contemporaneous accounts which suggests he was at least well known among the Cherokee. Watie mentions his loss in a letter to his wife.
Nevin's Ford and ferry crossed the Arkansas at the mouth of Grand River. There were ferry landings from where is now the Port of Muskogee to either side of the Grand. The ford crossed to/from the east side of the Grand and is where Blunt crossed his infantry and trains before the battle of Honey Springs.
Phillips struggled the rest of the war trying to keep enough horses to even send out scouts from Ft Gibson (aka Ft Blunt) and it is the lack of a mounted force that kept him pretty well bottled up in the fort.
Ken