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250 killed on one side... ...and four (slightly) wounded on the other?
We've heard about Fort Pillow, Poison Springs, &etc, but nothing about this. Seems like the "historians" decided to overlook this one:
Federal raid into Indian Territory, February 1-24, 1864, and "peace" entreaties sent to the various nations:
"We marched about 400 miles; killed, as nearly as I can get information, in the different fights and skirmishers, 250 men, and have only 4 wounded, all of whom will recover."
Col. William A. Phillips, U.S. Forces, Indian Territory Report of 24 February 1864
…I write to you to think of these things, and to see whether your people want to be destroyed in the vain hope of giving aid to a wicked rebellion… It will not be long before destruction comes. I think you understand I am in earnest. Do you want peace? If so, let me know before we come to destroy….
Col. William A. Phillips, 15 February 1864
~
John Jumper, Chief of Seminoles:
Let me ask you, do you not see the end coming, and are you anxious to see your people destroyed in the ruins?… The President of the United States has once more offered mercy, pardon, and peace. I strike hard, but not because the Government is cruel, but because everything must be destroyed that stands in the way of the glorious American Republic. For your people, then, I tell you to think of these things. The offer is honest; it is liberal, because the Republic is great enough to be generous. If you accept it soon, you may be preserved; if you do not, you and your people will be blotted out in blood. If you want peace let me know.
250 killed on one side... ...and four (slightly) wounded on the other?
We've heard about Fort Pillow, Poison Springs, &etc, but nothing about this. Seems like the "historians" decided to overlook this one:
...
I am not sure what you are trying to say here.
You are certainly not being very rigorous in your examination of facts here. The Union operation referred to is this:
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February 1.--Battalion of infantry, under Major Wright, marched to Rhea's Mills, 65 miles, to run mills and get forage and breadstuff. Commands from the First Indian Regiment, Colonel Wattles; Third Indian, Major Foreman; battalion Fourteenth Kansas Cavalry, Major Willetts; section of Kaufman's howitzers, Captain Kaufman, with the commanding officer, marched southward across Arkansas River; reached Hillabee after a march of 75 miles.
February 5, 6, 7, and 8.--Had skirmishes, in which upward of 50 of the enemy were killed. Rebels fleeing southward in great confusion.
February 9 and 10.--Three expeditions as advance columns to Little River, which whole command reached on the 11th. The enemy was broken up into little companies, and had not time to recover. In one affair 30 were killed by Major Willetts' command, 10 by Captain Phillips', 9 by Major Foreman's, and 6 by Captain Jacobs'; 20 prisoners taken.
February 12.--Marched forward, the re-enforcements of cavalry not arriving.
February 13.--On Middle Boggy the advance had an engagement, in which 49 rebels were killed in action: left dead on the field. Rebel force completely routed and pursued considerable distance.
February 14, 15, 16, and 17.--Marched southward toward Wa****a. The rebels fleeing in all directions toward the Wichita Mountains, and some to Mexico. Rebel force under General Maxey and General Cooper fled across Red River. Colonel Baylor fled from Red River to Brazos. Ammunition expended, the command marched back to Gibson. While detached mounted forces swept the whole country for 80 miles on each side, the main command proceeded to Council Ground and Gibson. Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw countries depopulated of their rebel inhabitants. Oxen taken for supply train. The command subsisted itself during the greater part of the expedition on corn taken in the country, ground in hand-mills taken from the enemy.
February 29.--Got back; mustered and inspected.
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The Union commander says he inflicted 250 Rebel casualties in this. The Rebel commander says he lost 17 total, including a woman and a child killed (intentionally or accidentally) in a group of refugees. This is typical of competing claims you will find in Union/Confederate reports in the OR, where you often have to wonder if the people writing the reports were talking about the same event. You quote from both reports, but assert the Union "massacred" the higher number with no particular reason for your charge other, IMHO, your own desire to be sensational.
Please present a detailed reconcilliation of what you are talking about, and explain, with documentation, why you wish to say that "historians" have done something disreputable here.
I haven't studied this particular incident, but this is the era of Sand Creek and the Sioux uprising.
Tim makes an interesting point about conflicting numbers. Good rule of thumb: you can trust the reporting officer to list his own losses pretty accurately(but not totally), while round numbers of enemy losses are suspect.
I remember reading the reports by the CSA officer and US officer of a brief nighttime skimish in South Carolina. Apparently they beat the dickens out of each other, but each officer listed the loss of only one man a piece: his name and rank.(the CS officer's is poignant, I think he knew the family). The point is, they were "estimating" the losses to the enemy, but KNEW when their own guys were hit.
The Union commander says he inflicted 250 Rebel casualties in this. The Rebel commander says he lost 17 total, including a woman and a child killed (intentionally or accidentally) in a group of refugees. This is typical of competing claims you will find in Union/Confederate reports in the OR, where you often have to wonder if the people writing the reports were talking about the same event. You quote from both reports, but assert the Union "massacred" the higher number with no particular reason for your charge other, IMHO, your own desire to be sensational.
Here is what that paragraph actually looks like if we include the part you omitted. I took the liberty of highlighting in blue italics the parts you left out:
"Their last object was a total failure. Had the Creeks who had been left on the Canadian acted with spirit and determination much of this trouble would have been avoided. They, however, seemed more intent on protecting their families by moving them to the rear than by driving the enemy back. The Seminole battalion fought them with inferior numbers, losing 11 men: no wounded left on the field. I am officially advised that the bodies of these men were mutilated, their throats cut from ear to ear, and they were thus left on-the field. One company, Nail's Chickasaw and Choctaw, was engaged, losing 4 men included in the above. These inhuman outrages were committed by the white troops; no Indians on their side in this fight. On their march they fired into a camp of poor fugitives, killing a child about ten years old and a woman."
Note: "Their last object" referred to above is the capture and destruction of the supplies at Boggy depot.
It is absolutely normal to find claims of such things in reports from such sections of the war, from either side. Sometimes what is said even turns out to be true -- but quite often the conflicting claims of commanders on opposite sides of the same incidents are fantastic in their disagreement.
It is also worth noting that in this case, the Union commander was actually in the field with his expedition, while in the other the Confederate commander was coming along well after the fact. However, those 11 are the only combat casualties Confederate Brigadier S. B. Maxey reports for the entire Union operation (if the other four are included in the 11 as he says), plus the 2 refugees. Do you have some particular reason to think the Union commander's claim of 250 is correct?
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