The Battle of Chusto-Talasah, also known as Bird Creek, Caving Banks, and High Shoal, was fought December 9, 1861, in what is now Tulsa County, Oklahoma (then

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

) during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. It was the second of three battles in the Trail of Blood on Ice campaign for the control of

during the

. A series of battles were fought in December in bad weather between the Confederate

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

and Choctaw Indians and the Union Creek and

Seminole Indians The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, an ...

(led by the Muscogee Creek chief

Opothleyahola Opothleyahola, also spelled Opothle Yohola, Opothleyoholo, Hu-pui-hilth Yahola, Hopoeitheyohola, and Hopere Yahvlv (c. 1778 – March 22, 1863) was a Muscogee Creek Indian chief, noted as a brilliant orator. He was a Speaker of the Upper Cre ...

) who supported the Federal government. Following Opothleyahola and his

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

force’s defeat at Round Mountain, he retreated northeastward in search of safety. On December 9, 1861, the force was at ''Chusto-Talasah'' (Caving Banks) on the Horseshoe Bend of Bird Creek when

Col. Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Douglas H. Cooper Douglas Hancock Cooper (November 1, 1815 – April 29, 1879) was an American politician, soldier, Indian Agent in what is now Oklahoma, and Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War. Early life and career Cooper ...

’s 1,300 Confederates attacked about 2:00 p.m. Chief Opothleyahola knew Cooper was coming and had placed his troops in a strong position in heavy timber at Horseshoe Bend. For almost four hours, Cooper attacked and attempted to outflank the Federals, finally driving them across Bird Creek just before dark. Cooper camped there overnight but did not pursue the Federals because he was short of ammunition. The Confederates claimed victory, although some sources credit Opothleyahola's forces with driving off the attackers.Oklahoma Historical Society granite marker on the east side of Sperry says: "Battle of Chusto-Talasah This battle site is 9 miles N.E.S.E., at the “Caving Banks” bend on Bird Creek. Here-Dec. 9, 1861- Opothleyahola’s Union Indians forced the retreat of Col. D.H. Cooper’s Confederate troops. Marker sponsored by the Tulsa County Historical Society. Oklahoma Historical Society.” In any event, Chief Opothleyahola and his band moved on in search of security elsewhere. Their loss was estimated by Cooper as 500 (some accounts suggest 412). Confederate casualties were 15 killed and 37 wounded. Regardless of whether the Confederates had gained a minor tactical victory here, they would win a resounding one later in the month at Chustenahlah. The Chusto-Talasah battle site is on privately owned land near 86th Street North and Delaware Avenue, 5 miles northwest of modern

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

.THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES IN INDIAN TERRITORY. "Battle of Chusto-Talasah December 9, 1861." Accessed August 23, 2012

/ref> A granite marker on the east side of

Sperry, Oklahoma Sperry is a town in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,205 in the 2010 U. S. census, compared to 1,351 in 2000. It is primarily a bedroom community, since approximately 85 percent of the employed residents commute to wor ...

places the battlesite 9 miles N.E.S.E. of that point.

Order of battle

''Cooper's Brigade'' - Col.

*6 companies, 1st Choctaw-Chickasaw Mounted Rifles - Maj. Mitchell Laflore *Detachment, Choctaw Battalion - Capt. Alfred Wade *Detachment, 1st Creek Regiment - Col. Daniel N. McIntosh *Detachment, Creek Indians - Capt. James M. C. Smith * 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifle Regiment - Col. John Drew *4th Texas Cavalry Regiment - Col. William B. Sims *Detachment,

9th Texas Cavalry The 9th Texas Cavalry Regiment was a unit of mounted volunteers that fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The regiment fought at Round Mountain and Bird Creek (Chusto-Talasah) in 1861, Pea Ridge, Siege of Corint ...

- Lt. Col. William Quayle *Whitfield’s Battalion - Capt. John W. Whitfield ''Creek and Seminole Indians'' - Chief Opothleyahola *Lockapoka Creeks *Muscogee Creeks *Seminoles -

Halleck Tustenuggee Halleck Tustenuggee (also spelled Halek Tustenuggee and Hallock Tustenuggee) (c. 1807 – ?) was a 19th-century Seminole war chief. He fought against the United States government in the Second Seminole War and for the government in the American Ci ...

, Sonuk Mikko

References

National Park Service Battle Summary
* U.S. War Department, ''The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies'', 70 volumes in 4 series. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1880-1901. Series 1, Volume 8, Part 1, pages 8–10. * White, Christine Schultz and White, Benton R., ''Now The Wolf Has Come: The Creek Nation in the Civil War'', Texas A & M University Press, 1996. .

External links

''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' - "Chusto Talasa, Battle of"

Creek Indians in the American Civil War

On this date in Civil War history: December 9, 1861 - The Battle of Chusto-Talasah (150th Anniversary)

Battle of Chusto-Talasah December 9, 1861 {{DEFAULTSORT:Chusto-Talasah Battles of the Trans-Mississippi Theater of the American Civil War Trail of Blood on Ice Confederate victories of the American Civil War Battles of the American Civil War in Indian Territory Tulsa County, Oklahoma 1861 in Indian Territory December 1861 events American Civil War orders of battle

Order of battle

See also

References

External links