Honey Springs Battlefield and Visitor Center near Checotah will host a memorial service honoring the 157th anniversary of the Battle of Honey Springs on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. The memorial service is open to all visitors.
Students from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma will provide guided tours of the battlefield’s six trails. Students will point out the exact locations of military actions, highlight key aspects of the engagement, and discuss its historical importance.
The memorial service commemorates the largest of approximately 107 documented Civil War military engagements throughout Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma. The engagement took place on July 17, 1863, just two weeks after the famous Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Approximately 9,000 Union and Confederate troops, mostly American Indians and African Americans, were involved in the Battle of Honey Springs. Of those, approximately 200 total casualties were suffered. After a decisive Union victory, Confederates lost control of Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River. The Union victory also ensured federal control of Fort Gibson in Indian Territory and Fort Smith in Arkansas.
Honey Springs Battlefield
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