Union; Brig. General John M.Schofield
From report: I have information from scout's returned from Indian Territary that Cooper and
Stan Watie have fled by way of Fort Gibson across the Arkansas River to Fort Davis, Cooper's 'old camp'of last summer. They retreated in great hast,70 miles in in 30 hours after
battle here.
---also in his report---
Most of my command here is out of bread,and I am thashing out and grinding wheat; a game
we play at as well as the rebels.
Signed by;
Jas G. Blunt
Brig Gen. commanding
These Grist-Mills look like they important to both sides for flour, corn meal,oats-ect
by design farms,& crops were near by the mill as was a stream,creek,that generally run into a river--they used for shipping a crop.Pre-war wagons loads of crops would taked days, so
camps was a normal part of the milling process--unloading and loading waiting your turn etc.
War-time
They seem to be a stopping point of sort--like they were looking for food stuff if not at the mill a near by farm could be looted of corn, oats,wheat,or potatoes of a field / instorage,remember they loved to take care of that old horse also.A hide-out/quickstop-may times.
Destroying one of these mills would be I think easy,they mostly build of wood could be burnt by fire and also take away the water to inlet wheel.
I cannot say from the above if Watie Destoryed Hiderbrand mill or not-likely he did?This was about 5 weeks after his 600 pounds flour-last post.
As the war went no more crops could be found-grown safely,with out the crops a Grist-mill was
just Idle