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8:00 A.M. July 18, After breakfast, Sergeant Burgis Charles assembled a burial detail of 200 troops and headed to the north side of Elk Creek. While searching near the bridge, creek banks and roads, timber and brush, the detail and other regiments eventually found 150 dead confederate soldiers. After honoring their fallen foes, they buried them in battlefield graves posted with wooden markers. |
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Three companies under Sergeants James Richardson, John Logan, and Orin Miller had left earlier for the wagon depot with orders to destroy everything the rebels might salvage. Black Creeks Mose Redman, William James, and Buck Edwards went along to point out which buildings to demolish first. |
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They avoided immediate destruction of slave cabins and selectively spared houses of dislodged Indian natives, "De next morning we goes back to de house and find de soldiers ain't hurt nothing much."39 |
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At the livery stables, Miller located three oversized ambulance wagons being repaired for the rebels. He ordered blacksmiths to quickly finish the work, remove the hammocks, and harness the wagons to horses slave children had found in the woods. Afterwards, the Creeks placed captured slaves in the wagons and began transporting relatives and friends to Ft. Blunt. Some slaves chose to remain with their Indian masters and refused offers to leave with Mose, William, and Buck on the road to freedom. They just waved and watched "de Yankee soldiers going back to de North,"40 while loading shabby wagons for the rough journey south. With tears in their eyes, loyal slaves and their masters started leaving Honey Springs on Big Texas road, "de soldiers done tromp up de mud so back dat de wagons git stick all de time."41 12:30 P.M. Richardson ordered his men to set fires to the remaining stores, shops, warehouses, cabins, slave quarters, and debris. Thick black smoke could be seen by people in Braggs 15 miles away. 2:30 P.M. The black soldiers left the flaming remains of Honey Springs' wagon depot for the last time and headed back to camp. As they marched, many of them wondered if the little town and community would be rebuilt after the war. The burial detail finished its work and returned to camp. |
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39 The American Slave, Vol. 7: 53-64. 40 Ibid, 53-64. 41 Ibid, :53-64. |
