The Indian Territory in the Civil War Message Board

Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864

Ken,

I note the following details in the OR's regarding Phillips movement from Ft. Gibson to 35 miles southwest of North Fork (later in Itenary called Hillabee), arriving at Camp Willetts on the evening of February 4, 1864. On 2-4, there is no mention of leaving a detachment of cavalry at North Fork. On February 8, Phillips mentions having left (sent) a detachment of cavalry "at" North Fork to show Moonlight the way. However, in his expedition report written at Ft. Gibson on February 24, Phillips notes that he left a detachment of cavalry with a crib of corn "above" North Fork, not at North Fork.

It seems to me that on the 8th (dispatch to Thayer) Col. Phillips did not know exactly where his cavalry detachment went, as they had not yet reported back to him. I presume he thought they went where he had sent them (perhaps to the expected rendezvous with Moonlight, where the Beale Trail from Ft. Smith intersected the Texas Road at North Fork). However, by the time he gets back to Ft. Gibson on the 24th, he notes that his cavalry detachment actually had gone somewhere "north of North Fork." Maybe this location was where Phillips left the Texas Road south of Ft. Gibson, say near Honey Springs Depot, and veered southwest thru the heart of the Creek Nation and toward better forage and more corn found on the Indian plantations along the several converging Canadian rivers, arriving near Hillabee (35 miles SW of North Fork) on the evening of the 4th.

I have noticed that the courier that carried Gen. Thayer's "favor" dispatch of 2-3 to Phillips on 2-8 returned to Ft. Smith by 2-11 as MG. Curtis was arriving there from Ft. Gibson. Apparently, the courier does not meet Major Brown's 14th Kansas along the way. I notice that one messenger actually goes to North Fork, probably on the 11th, but Phillip's crib is north of there, and he and his troopers are long gone from the area by the 8th.

Would the Fort Gibson Road be the same as the Texas Road, looking northbound toward Ft. Gibson from the 14th Kansas camp site? Phillips sent his scout up the Ft. Gibson road on the 12th to look for Phillips.

Carroll

Messages In This Thread

Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864
Re: Camp of 14th KS Cav - Feb. 11, 1864