2611 History Notes
Origin of the name for 2611
Federal troops fought
and skirmished with “bushwhackers and rebels” on various occasions on
Buffalo Creek and in the Cowskin River bottoms, during the War Between the
States.
Confederate
troops under the leadership of Major General Sterling Price encamped on Cowskin
Prairie for forage and training. Stand
Watie and his Indian troops often used Cowskin Prairie for encampment.
Cowskin
Prairie also became a site of Confederate preparation for engagements and
training of troops. Special
detachments began mining lead for bullets.
Blacksmiths constructed forges to weld scrap iron into shells and
canisters. On an improvised rifle
range, the men practice shooting in ranks of three – standing, kneeling, and
prone.
In
June 1862, the Indian Expedition Force was launched from Fort Scott, Kansas.
It pitted Indian against Indian, as well as involving the 1st
Kansas Infantry, the 2nd and 7th Kansas Cavalry, the 12th
and 13th Wisconsin Regiments, two batteries of artillery and others.
After entering the Indian Territory, the invasion force encamped on
Cowskin Prairie, at
Round Grove. They
sought to engage Stand Watie and the Indian forces. The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Ohio
Cavalry was immediately ordered into battle, followed by the artillery and
supporting infantry. At a distance
of about five hundred yards the artillery fired a few rounds of ammunition into
Watie’s camp. The battle raged
for several hours until, Watie’s troops escaped in darkness, leaving behind
five to six hundred head of horses and cattle, which were captured by Federal
forces.
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04/28/2013
