Battle of Middle Boggy Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Middle Boggy |
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| Part of Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States of America (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Col. William A. Phillips Maj. Charles Willetts Cpt. Solomon Kaufman |
Brig. Gen. Douglas H. Cooper Lt. Col. John Jumper Cpt. Jonathan Nail |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 350 men 2 howitzers |
90 men | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 0 | 49 killed | ||||||
The Battle of Middle Boggy was a fight during the American Civil War. It happened on February 13, 1864, in what was then Choctaw Indian Territory. This spot is about 4 miles (6.4 km) south of today's Allen.
During the battle, Union Colonel William A. Phillips sent about 350 soldiers forward. These soldiers were from the 14th Kansas Cavalry and had two howitzers (small cannons). Their goal was to attack a Confederate outpost. This outpost was guarding a river crossing on the Dragoon Trail.
The Confederate soldiers at the outpost were led by Captain Jonathan Nail. They had about 90 men, but they were not well-armed. The Union attack surprised them. Even though they were outnumbered, the Confederates fought for about 30 minutes. Then, they had to retreat. The Union forces continued their advance, but their mission stalled a few days later when expected reinforcements did not arrive.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Union Colonel William A. Phillips led an expedition of about 1,500 soldiers. His main goal was to split the Confederate forces in Indian Territory. This territory is now mostly Oklahoma.
Phillips' Expedition Goals
Colonel Phillips had four main goals for his mission:
- To take control of the Indian Territory for the Union.
- To offer forgiveness to the Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaw Native American tribes. This was part of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation from December 1863.
- To end the agreements these tribes had with the Confederacy.
- To get new soldiers to join the Union side.
Phillips' Message to Troops
Before leaving, Colonel Phillips gave his soldiers a message. He told them they were going to "clean out" the area and fight the rebels. He gave them rules for fighting. For example, he told them to aim low and not to waste bullets. He also told them not to kill prisoners who had given up.
Phillips' expedition started on February 1, 1864. They moved southwest along the Dragoon Trail. This trail was chosen because other routes were dangerous due to fighting. Phillips waited for more soldiers, but they did not arrive. So, he decided to move toward the Middle Boggy River.
The Outpost Skirmish
The Confederate outpost was right where the Dragoon Road crossed the Middle Boggy River. Major Willetts' Union group camped nearby on the night of February 12. They got ready for their attack.
The Attack Begins
The next morning, at 7 A.M., Willetts' group started the fight with an artillery barrage. This means they fired their cannons. The 14th Kansas Cavalry then charged forward. This sudden attack confused the Confederate soldiers.
Some of Captain Nail's Confederate soldiers escaped to Boggy Depot. They left their wounded comrades behind. Later, a Confederate group sent to the battlefield found that the wounded soldiers had been killed. Colonel Phillips reported that his soldiers killed 48 Confederate soldiers and took no prisoners.
After the Battle
After the battle, Colonel Phillips set up camp. He knew that the rest of the 14th Cavalry would not be joining him. The next day, Phillips split his soldiers into two groups.
Union Actions Aftermath
He sent the cavalry south to chase the retreating Confederates. He ordered the infantry to go to old Fort Holmes. On February 15, Phillips ordered his troops to burn several buildings. These included the Pontotoc Court House and other Confederate buildings. They also destroyed Colbert Institute, a school that had been used by Confederate troops.
The Battle of Middle Boggy was a loss for the Confederates. However, the actions of the Union troops, like killing wounded soldiers, made the Confederates even more determined to keep fighting.
The Atoka County Historical Society sometimes holds a reenactment of the Battle of Middle Boggy.
Cemetery and Marker
There is a cemetery near Atoka, now called the Confederate Cemetery. It was created before the Civil War. People used to think that all the soldiers buried there died in the Battle of Middle Boggy.
Cemetery Research
However, in 1988, research showed that some of the buried soldiers were from the 19th Arkansas Infantry. These men had been building defenses at Fort McCulloch in 1862. They had died from a measles outbreak, not from the battle.
Battlefield Marker
In 1959, the Oklahoma Historical Society put up a marker at a small cemetery. It was about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Atoka, Oklahoma. In 2014, a new marker replaced the old one. It tells the story of the battle and mentions the soldiers buried there. It also notes that the cemetery was used by travelers before the Civil War.
