WAS THE 20TH TEXAS CAVALRY (DISMOUNTED) AT THE BATTLE OF MIDDLE BOGGY ??

Some question whether any soldiers of the 20th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) were involved in the Battle of Middle Boggy on February 13, 1864 in Pontotoc County, Chickasaw Nation. However, the 20th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) regimental History states that Company A was involved in the massacre that took place in February at Boggy Depot. Let's examine the situation and options.

THE BACKGROUND EVIDENCE

First, it now know that the “Battle of Middle Boggy (Depot?)” referred to occurred on February 13, 1864 at the Crossing of the Dragoon Trail with the upper Middle (Muddy) Boggy River about four miles south-southwest of Allen, OK in extreme northeastern Pontotoc County. This site is some thirty-two miles north-northwest of Boggy Depot.

Some related historical events are known. The 20th Texas Cavalry had fought hard to hold a battle line and suffered greatly at the hands of Major General (MG) James G. Blunt’s Federal army during the Battle of Honey Spring on July 17, 1863. The 20th retreated south along the Texas Road to Fort Washita to rest and recover while the Federal army subsequently turned east and captured Ft. Smith on September 1, 1863. Little Rock fell to other Federal forces a week later. From September 1863 until February 1864 the eight small infantry companies of the 20th Texas Cavalry (dismounted) were posted at Ft. Washita and Boggy Depot to rest and recover, having little military duty or responsibility. During this time, their regimental commander remained Col. Thomas C. Bass, but he apparently became ill during the period and requested a medical discharge on February 10, 1864 at Ft. Washita. To be sure, his troops were bored, rested and available for service.

CSA BG Douglas H. Cooper moved his Indian Brigade’s headquarters from Doaksville (near Ft. Towson) west to Boggy Depot in mid-January 1864. A month earlier, CSA BG Steele had ordered the Seminole Battalion to join Col. James Bourland’s Texas Cavalry Border Regiment in patrolling the Western Frontier (probably from Red River to Ft. Arbuckle to Ft. Cobb) to improve frontier security from hostile Plains Indians. These deployments would support Indian Territory’s new commander MG Samuel Bell Maxey's initiative for holding a Grand Council of the United Nations of Confederate Indians at Armstrong Academy, starting on February 1, 1864. The successful week-long Grand Council meeting did occur on schedule, with General Maxey giving the keynote address on February 5. Maxey had recently replaced BG William Steele at Ft. Towson as Commander of Indian Territory during Christmas, 1863. Interestingly, February 1 was also the start date of Union Army’s invasion of Indian Territory from Ft. Gibson by Col. William A. Phillips. The Creek Chief and regimental commander, Daniel N. McIntosh, was already on his way to the Grand Council when Phillips invaded his country. While Phillips main force left Ft. Gibson on February 1, he had sent Company L of the 14th Kansas Cavalry ahead to scout the Creek Nation and hold a beachhead at Hillabee, about 25 miles west of North Fork Town, until Phillips arrived, expected about February 4. Several Confederate raiding parties, including Quantrill’s raiders, reportedly passed thru the Creek Nation headed for Texas during late January.

In March, 1864 (after the Battle of Middle Boggy) the 20th was reorganized from an eight company regiment to a four company battalion under the command of Major John R. Johnson. Company A was posted at Boggy Depot, Company B at Doaksville (near Ft. Towson), and Companies C and D were at Ft. Washita under Maj. Johnson. Members of Company A likely were the soldiers involved at Middle Boggy.

PROPOSED ACTION

Here is what I think happened. CSA BG Douglas H. Cooper, now headquartered at Boggy Depot on the Texas Road, with perhaps as many as four small companies of the 20th Texas posted there with some other Confederate troops, begins to get alarming reports of new Federal activity moving south out of Ft. Gibson into the Creek Nation by the first few days of February 1864. Cooper knew that only 20 miles behind (south of) him at Armstrong Academy on the Texas Road that the Grand Council was underway and that his new boss, MG S. B. Maxey, was about to give his most important speech of the war. Cooper responded wisely to the initial reports of Federal activity southwest from Ft. Gibson toward Hillabee, and not south down the barren Texas Road that he knew so well. Cooper and his staff (unlike William Steele) also knew the roads in the northern and western Indian Territory (Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw) very well.

By February 5, Cooper probably knew (at Boggy Depot) from several potential sources (including Quantrill's raiders passing thru toward Texas) that Phillips was now moving; and that he was probably marching southwest along the Dragoon Trail, rather than south along the Texas Road toward Honey Springs (his former battleground) and Perryville (former supply depot). Cooper also surely knew from years of serving in Indian Territory that there was a choke point (where all southwestern roads into the Chickasaw Nation joined for about 20 miles) at the Trail crossing of Middle Boggy River. Cooper could not let a Union invasion come down the Dragoon Trail undetected to Ft. Washita at any time, much less during the Grand Council.

In response to the reported threat, I think Cooper sent a squad of the 20th Texas (all that could be readily mounted, as he probably had more bored volunteers than horses) from his HQ at Boggy Depot direct along the Boggy Depot Trail to Cochran's Store (at Pontotoc Court House), warning Chickasaw Gov. Colbert's family (Colbert was probably at the Grand Council) of the likely invasion, and with orders for all CSA commanders in the area to quickly establish an blocking position (picket or outpost) at Middle Boggy crossing of the Dragoon Trail, and report any engagement with Phillips southern invasion of Indian Territory. Undoubtedly, this small Texas detachment (of a few horsemen from the 20th Texas) were ordered to stay with the responding scattered Confederate Indian forces to insure that Cooper's orders were understood and followed as rapidly as possible. And they were. Ultimately, this bloody Battle of Middle Boggy may have saved BG Cooper's command (at Ft. Washita and Boggy Depot), and permitted MG S. B. Maxey to send Col. Tandy Walker’s Indian Brigade from Doaksville toward Laynesport, Arkansas in March 1864, resulting in Confederate victory over Frederick Steele’s invading Federals at Poison Spring in April.

CONCLUSION

So I think there was a small detachment of (remounted) 20th Texas Cavalry at the Battle of Middle Boggy. If so, bravo! Their modern-day volunteers will be meeting at Ft. Washita in January 2014, only forty miles away from the battlefield where a glorious moment in Civil War history of 150 years ago awaits their coming.

Any comments, suggestions or corrections would be appreciated.