The Battle of Greenleaf Prairie was a very small affair. This was a final action in a very unsuccessful attempt by Colonel Stand Watie and his Cherokee regiment to disrupt the Union supply activities and take some revenge on the residents of Tahlequah and Park Hill. High water on the creeks and rivers prevented the smooth movement of his unit. On June 16, 1863, Union infantry and cavalry from Fort Gibson caught up with the raiders and soundly defeated them at Greenleaf Prairie in the Cherokee Nation. Although the fight lasted several hours, casualties were relatively light. Watie's forces retreated back over the Arkansas River. The battlefield is located mostly on the Camp Gruber National Guard post near Braggs, OK. The action is described in depth in the Official Records, Volume 22, Chapter 34. The Confederates either did not submit a report or the report on the action was lost. Colonel William Phillips reported that Choctaws under Tandy Walker and Texans under Colonel Bass crossed the Arkansas to assist but there isn't any information as to which Texans responded. Bass commanded the 20th TX but could have had some troops from the 29th TX attached. There is no mention of the disposition of the dead. As normal, the bodies were probably buried near where they fell. Family members may have returned to the battlefield and taken the bodies home for re-burial. If you drive southbound on SR 10 south of Fort Gibson past Camp Gruber you are following the probable route of both sides as the moving battle traversed back to the Arkansas River. I hope this helps.

Chief Ranger Michael Manning
Fort Donelson National Battlefield, Tennessee
National Park Service