 | Frank Bergquist graduated from Eddyville, IA, high school in 1958. After graduation, he entered the Army, serving 20 years in Missouri, Maryland, New Mexico, Germany, Iowa, Turkey, Kansas, S.E. Asia, and finally retiring in 1978 in Louisiana. Before retiring, Frank was assigned as an ROTC instructor at WSU and Kemper Military School until 1974. In 1978 he served as the Non-Commissioned officer in charge of operations at Fort Polk, LA. He has served as the Veterans Counselor (DVOP) with the Kansas Job Service Center National Service Office, with the Disabled American Veterans at the VA Regional Office in Wichita; Veterans Employment and Training Coordinator with the US Dept. of Labor at Ft. Riley, KS; Service Coordinator with Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation; Dept Adjutant-Treasurer and the Dept. Executive Director Dept. of Kansas Disabled American Veterans; and past President of the Wichita Civil War Round Table. Currently he is doing graduate work as an instructor in Genealogy and Military History at Wichita State and Kansas State Universities, and is the CEO for the Disabled American Veterans Thrift Stores in Wichita, KS. Bergquist has an AA from Kemper Military School and College from Boonville, MO. and a BGS from Wichita State University. He can be reached by telephone at 316-262-6501. He is located at 926 N. Mosley Wichita 67214. |
Veteran Affairs
2012-02-27 12:12:44
Civil War battle summaries by state - series
Q: I have enjoyed reading the many different article series you have written on the Civil War. Most of these are from a broad look at the country and how the country was affected. Would it be possible to list what happened in each of the states’ battles?
A: Sure. I found several sites from which to put this information together. One of the best is www.nps.gov. Last issue, we featured some of the battles in Oklahoma. This month we will finish with the battles in Oklahoma of Middle Boggy Depot, Old Fort Wayne and Round Mountain.
Middle Boggy Depot
Other Names: Middle Boggy
Location: Unknown
Campaign: Operations in the Indian Territory (1864)
Date(s): February 13, 1864
Principal Commanders: Maj. Charles Willette [US]; Lt. Col. John Jumper [CS]
Forces Engaged: Three companies of the 14th Kansas Cavalry Regiment and a section of Howitzers [US]; Seminole Battalion, Company A, 1st Choctaw and Chickasaw Cavalry Regiment, and a detachment of 20th Texas Regiment [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
Description: While on an expedition in February 1864 to meet, defeat or destroy Confederate forces in Indian Territory, Union Maj. Charles Willette and his troops surprised a Confederate force at Middle Boggy Depot on February 13. Although poorly armed, the Rebels made a determined stand for a half hour before retiring. The Union forces killed 47 Confederates during this short fight. Fear of the arrival of fresh Confederate forces influenced the Federals to retire to Fort Gibson. During Col. John F. Phillips’s Indian Territory expedition, he and his men fought with and dispersed numerous Confederate forces. Middle Boggy Depot was, perhaps, the largest encounter during the expedition.
Result(s): Union victory
Old Fort Wayne
Other Names: Beatties Prairie, Beaty’s Prairie
Location: Delaware County
Campaign: Operations North of Boston Mountains (1862)
Date(s): October 22, 1862
Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt [US]; Col. Douglas H. Cooper [CS]
Forces Engaged: 1st Division, Army of the Frontier [US]; 1st Brigade [CS]
Estimated Casualties: 164 total (US 14; CS 150)
Description: Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt and his troops attacked Col. Douglas H. Cooper and his Confederate command on Beatties Prairie near Old Fort Wayne at 7:00 am on October 22, 1862. The Confederates put up stiff resistance for a half hour, but overwhelming numbers forced them to retire from the field in haste, leaving artillery and equipage behind. This was a setback in the 1862 Confederate offensive that extended from the tidewater in the east to the plains of the Indian Territory of the west.
Result(s): Union victory
Round Mountain
Other Names: Round Mountains
Location: Unknown
Campaign: Operations in the Indian Territory (1861)
Date(s): November 19, 1861
Principal Commanders: Chief Opothleyahola [I]; Col. Douglas H. Cooper [CS]
Forces Engaged: Creek and Seminole [I]; Indian Department [CS]
Estimated Casualties: Unknown
Description: Col. Douglas H. Cooper, Confederate commander of the Indian Department, had not been able to reconcile differences with Chief Opothleyahola, who commanded a band of Unionist Creeks and Seminoles. Cooper set out on November 15, 1861, with about 1,400 men to either compel submission . . . or “drive him and his party from the country.” His force rode up the Deep Fork of the Canadian River towards Chief Opothleyahola’s camp which they found deserted. On the 19th, Cooper learned from captured prisoners that part of Chief Opothleyahola’s band was at the Red Fork of the Arkansas River, where they were erecting a fort. Cooper’s men arrived there around 4:00 pm and ordered a cavalry charge which discovered that Chief Opothleyahola’s band had recently abandoned the camp. The Confederates did find some stragglers beyond the camp and followed them, blundering into Chief Opothleyahola’s camp. The Federals fired into the Rebel cavalry and, in large force, came out to attack them. They chased the Confederates back to Cooper’s main force. Darkness prevented Cooper from attacking until the main enemy force was within 60 yards. A short fight ensued but Chief Opothleyahola’s men broke it off and retreated back to their camp. Cooper set out for Chief Opothleyahola’s camp the next morning but found it gone. The Confederates claimed victory because Chief Opothleyahola had left the area. This was the first of three encounters between Chief Opothleyahola’s Union bands and Confederate troops. The chief was forced to flee Oklahoma for Kansas at the end of the year.
Result(s): Confederate victory
Next month we will begin talking about battles in Missouri.
