Bill Gurley recently suggested that I might read the following book, and I did.
The book is entitled 'I Acted from Prinicple': The Civil War Dairy of William M. McPheeters, Confederate Surgeon in the Trans-Mississippi . Univ. of Arkansas Press. Fayetteville, 2002. Edited by Cynthia DeHaven Pitcock and Bill J. Gurley.
Here is a link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/Acted-Principle-McPheeters-Confederate-Trans-Mississippi/dp/1557287953
Dr. McPheeters served as Price's medical director during Price’s Missouri Raid in 1864. The doctor kept a daily dairy of his service during the war.
Among several events occurring while Price was retreating thru Indian Territory, Dr. McPheeters noted one that I gave special notice. On page 244, Dr. McPheeters writes:
“Last night (the night of 11-13-64), a supply train of 7 or 8 wagons with flour meal and salt arrived (at Price’s camp on a creek, one mile south of Perryville) from Boggy Depot to the joy of all the men and officers (remaining in Price’s army).”
Official Records 41-1-639 & 41-1-647 both describe a different quantity of resupply: “On November 13, 1864 Price met 3 wagons of supplies as he passed thru Perryville, Indian Territory.” Also, OR 41-1-697 says that the 7th Missouri cavalry received ½ pound of flour to the man at Perryville, the first that had been received in 22 days. This report implies that the 3 wagons noted in the ORs were carrying flour. The same provision as Dr. McPheeters described.
If true, Dr. McPheeters may have seen an additional supply of foodstuffs sent by BG Cooper from Boggy Depot beyond the 3 wagons reported in the ORs, which I believe were already at Perryville for the relief of Confederate Indian families being moved south to Red River. The difference in quantity of flour (3 wagons versus 7 or 10) supplied by Cooper to Price's army would be significant.
Dr. McPheeters reports that he has been sending sick and injured men ahead of Price’s main army to Boggy Depot for several days prior to reaching Perryville, and he has gotten positive reports back from this detail on its progress. Dr. McPheeters reports that BG Cooper is at Boggy Depot when he and MG Price arrive on the 18th. It is likely that Cooper returned to Boggy Depot from Watie’s nearby (12 miles away) camp by the 10th perhaps just missing MG Maxey’s departure, but perhaps getting orders to send north what foodstuffs he could, hoping to meet Price along the way. What the Boggy Depot supply wagons would have met was Dr. McPheeter’s sick wagons headed for Boggy Depot. The advance scouts for McPheeters sick train probably arrived at Boggy Depot within a long day after leaving Price's army to alert him of their coming and needs.