Battle of Cabin Creek The First Battle of Cabin Creek took place on July 1 through July 2 , 1863 , in Mayes County , Oklahoma during the American Civil War . The Confederate forces under Colonel Stand Watie attempted to ambush a Union supply convoy led by Colonel James M . Williams . Williams was alerted to the attack and , despite the waters of the creek being swelled by rain , made a successful attack upon the entrenched Confederate position and forced them to flee . The battle was the first in which African American troops fought side - by - side with their white comrades . Background . Colonel James M . Williams had charge of the escort of a Union supply train from Fort Scott , Kansas to Fort Gibson , Oklahoma ( which was then in Indian Territory ) . His force marched along the Texas Road and consisted of detachments of the 2nd Colorado Infantry , 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry , 6th and 9th Kansas Cavalry , 3rd Indian Home Guard , 1st Kansas Colored Infantry and the 2nd Kansas Artillery . Confederate Colonel Stand Watie had intended to ambush Williams ' convoy and had 1 , 600 to 1 , 800 men lying in wait at the Cabin Creek crossing . Watie had counted on 1 , 500 additional men , led by Brigadier General William L . Cabell to strengthen his force prior to the attack but Cabell ' s troops were delayed by high waters on the Grand River . Battle . Williams arrived at the crossing on 1 July and learned of the intentions of Watie ' s force from captured confederate soldiers . Watie ' s battle line extended around one mile either side of the crossing in trenches dug into the brush lining the creek . Owing to the unusually high water level in the creek , which reached above shoulder height , Williams chose to delay his attack on the confederates until the following day and corralled his wagons defensively on a nearby prairie . Williams ordered a half - hour artillery bombardment before launching an assault with the Third Indian Home Guard . They failed to make it across the now waist - deep creek , pushed back by heavy confederate fire , and so the Ninth Kansas Cavalry were ordered to charge under the covering fire of the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry . With the cavalry having gained a bridgehead across the Creek Williams led the men of his own regiment , the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry , in a headlong charge across the stream and into the brush . This forced the confederates back and Williams pursued them for a quarter of a mile as they attempted to rally in a clearing . Williams then led his convoy to successfully resupply Fort Gibson . Confederate casualties amounted to 65 men killed with the Union Army suffering between 3 and 23 dead with 30 wounded . Impact . The action made possible the continuation of a Union force in the Indian territory , allowing the later victories at Honey Springs and Fort Smith . Soon after the battle the Union established defensive outposts along the Texas Road , including one at the Cabin Creek crossing . The battle has the distinction of being the first in which African American soldiers ( the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry ) fought alongside white troops . A monument to the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry was erected on the battlefield on 7 July 2007 .