The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-11-11
THE BATTLE Of HONEY SPRINGS.
Chapter From the History of Civil Warfare on the
Border.
BY WILEY BRITTON.

| 9Th Kan. Cav. cHme upon the Confederate
outposts Gv norh of Elk Greek, and
at once fer" nd attacked them.
The Caps. a, however, was soon obliged
| to fall back before superior NUN bers, until
! he was reinforced by the other three com
| panies of the regiment, which were brought
forward in gallop The Confederates were
| then driven from their position, and fell
back upon their main force, posted in the
tits her on the north side of Elk Creek
closely pursued by The 9th Kan. Cav. As
there was large force of Choctaws and
| Texans ut this outpost, Gen. Blunt COM
menced TO form line-of-battle.
On finding the enemy strongly posted in
| the timber the battalion of the 9th Kan.
| halted, and company under Lieut.. Robert
Henderson was thrown forward TO recon
hotter, soon to find that the enemy's line
was formed on the right and left of the
road for some distance.
Gen. Blunt. with some members of his
staff and escort, rode forward with this cav
| airy advance TO examine the Confederate
| position, and to ascertain where Gen. Coop
er's battery was postsd. He left the COM
| psnies of the 9th Kan on the skirmish-l line
| to watch the movements of the enemy, and
rode back and halted the head of his col
: umn, and all his troops as they came mp,
behind a ridge in the prairie, about half a
mile in front of the Confederate line.
Here they rested and prepared for action.
The troops had been marching all night and
all the morning up 10 8 o'clock, and the
infantry in particular felt the need OF a
little rest and of an opportunity to eat a
lunch from their hayersackS before going
into action.
Just before the column halted hard
| shower of rain came mp. lasting about a
| quarter OF an hour. aud filing all the little
| depressions along the road with water from
which good many Of Tie soldiers filled
their canteens, having exhausted during the
nights march the water they had obtained
from the Arkansas.
Having rested his troops on the prairie
for about two hours, Gen. Blunt formed
them into two columus-the First Brigade,
under Col. Judson, on the right of the road.
and the Second Brigade, under Col. Phillips,
on the left Of the roaG-and then moved
forward, the infantry in close columns of
companies, the cavalry by platoons, aud tbs
artillery by sections. He desired in coming
to the field in this order to deceive the
enemy as 10 his strength.
When ne arrived within quarter of a
mile of the Confederate line his two col
uhiAS SuNuCh'y HCpioJcu ~ Iiic IIRHt aIli
left into line-of-bat,le, covering the Confed-
crate line, which appeared to De mile and
quarter in length.
! As the troops came into line the 1st Fan.
| {. L. formed on the left Of the First Brigade
on the right of the road, the I'd Indian regi-
ment formed on the right Of the Kansas
colored troops, and the battalion of the Sd
| Wis. Cav, with two howi,zers, formed on
! the right of thc I'd Indian regiment.
In the Second Brigade the ID Colo. formed
On the right on The left of the road. and on
the left OF the colored infantry. The 1st
| Indian regiment formed on the left of the
I'd Colo. and the battalion of the 9th Kan
Cav. formed on the left OF the Indians The
1st Kan. c. T. formed the right-center, and
the I'd Colo. the leit-center of tho Union
line. Capt. Smiths guns came into battery
just in front of the 1st Kan c. r., and
Capt Hopkins's guns came into battery just
IN front OF the I'd Colo.
On the Confederate side Gen. Cooper had
his line formed along the edge of the timber
| on the north side of Elk Greek on both
sides of the road when the Federal forces
came in sight. The Goth Tex Dism't'd Cav,
under Col. Thos. c. Bass, formed his left
center. The 10Th Tex. Cav, under Col.
Charles De Morse, and the 9TH Tex Partisan
| Rangers, under Col. L. M. Martin, formed
| his right-Center.
HIS right wing was composed of the LIST
and ID Cherokee regiments, under Col.
Stand Waite, and his left wing was COM
posed OF the 1st and I'd Creek regiments,
under Col. ID. V. Mcintosh. His reserve