Battles & Campaigns · 1863
Battle of Honey Springs
Honey Springs, near Checotah, Oklahoma, USA
What happened
In the Indian Territory (today Oklahoma), Blunt's troops marched through the night to reach the Confederate camp on Elk Creek. After a morning of skirmishing, the Union attacked, and rain ruined much of the Confederates' gunpowder. The Confederates fell back past the Honey Springs supply depot.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was the largest battle in the Indian Territory, and white soldiers were a minority on both sides. The Union gained control of the Texas Road, a key north–south route.
What came next
The Confederates gave up Fort Smith in August 1863 and never regained the initiative in open battle in the region.
Did you know?
The Oklahoma Historical Society has compared the battle's importance in the region to Gettysburg.
Timeline
- April 1863Union troops return to Fort Gibson.
- 17 July 1863Battle of Honey Springs.
- August 1863Confederates abandon Fort Smith.
- 2013 CEThe battlefield becomes a National Historic Landmark.