By 1863 (mostly estimates from Annie Abel's books), the Indian Territory was virtually depopulated, save for refugee camps clustered around garrisons. Estimates are ssomething like 17,000 refugees in Kansas and Missouri, 14,000 in Texas, another 10,000 clustered around the main Federal post at old Fort Gibson, some thousands more here and there... By far most of the rest were simply dead of starvation, exposure, disease, or the bruality of a total war practiced against them long before it was being acknowledged among whites.