Good news for Oklahoma. The Honey Springs Battlefield has been designated by the Secretary of the Interior and the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark. National historic landmarks are nationally significant historic places that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. The program, established in 1935, is administered by the National Park Service on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior. Currently there are 2,540 designated national historic landmarks. The Honey Springs Battlefield is located in McIntosh and Muskogee Counties, Okla. By far the largest Civil War engagement of the 1861-1865 period of conflict within Indian Territory, the Battle of Honey Springs was the largest battle in Indian Territory in which Native Americans fought as members of both Union and Confederate armies. It is also significant as the first and largest engagement in which Indian troops of both sides fought in the formalized style of Anglo-American warfare. I'm sure this is welcome news for the Oklahoma Historical Society since this designation opens a new series of funding opportunities from the National Park Service. Congratulations to Oklahoma!! Good work, Rocky, on getting the groundwork established!

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