"Soldiers! I take you with me to clean out the Indian Nation south of the river and drive away and destroy rebels. Let me say a few words to you that you are not to forget .... Those who are still in arms are rebels, who ought to die. Do not kill a prisoner after he has surrendered. But I do not ask you to take prisoners. I ask you to make your footsteps severe and terrible. Muskogees! the time has now come when you are to remember the authors of all your sufferings; those who started a needless and wicked war .... Stand by me faithfully and we will soon have peace ...."
The Union troopers were men of the 14th Kansas and parts of the 1st and 3rd Indian Home Guards.
As his command made their way South they stopped at Southern homes. On one instance, the troopers went in a Southern home and pulled out all the furniture and piled it on the front lawn. They then proceed to burn the house while the lady of the house and her children looked on. They then moved to the pile of furniture and made ready to light it. The lady of the house pleaded with Phillips..."please Sir, might I not have a table to feed my children on?" Phillips replied, "oh no madam, I fear it is much to fine to be spared" and the fire was lit. Sometimes only the homes were burned. Often though, a ruse was employed. The Yankees pretended to be Southern Army soldiers who need assistance with wounded soldiers. When the male inhabitants came out to help they were killed.
The Confederate Army had a supply depot about 20 miles East of Ft Washita. Still 7 or 8 miles further East on the North side of middle Boggy creek, lay an outpost of around 90 men. It is thought that the men were members of Captain Adam Nail's First Choctaw and Chickasaw, elements of the Seminole Battalion of Mounted Rifles and a detachment of the 20th Texas Calvary. They were poorly armed and had no artillery.
On February 9 th, Colonel Phillips sent an advance of about 350 men under Major Charles Willets... three troops of the 14th Kansas Cavalry and two howitzers.
The Confederate outpost was completely taken by surprise when the first howitzer rounds exploded in their camps. Major Willets first shelled and then attacked them. However after recovering from the initial shock, the heavily outnumbered and outgunned Confederates fought desperately for around thirty minutes. The Union troops managed to overrun the Southern position and the rebels broke and ran for the safety of Boggy Depot where the rest of Colonel Jumpers Seminole Battalion were encamped.
Colonel Jumper and his troops were already on their way to the battle having heard the cannons firing. A few miles from Boggy Depot they met Captain Nail and the survivors of the battle. Thus reinforced they made all possible haste toward the outpost. However when they arrived on the scene they were only to be greeted by the grisly sight of approximately 47 of their soldiers dead on the field. Several were killed outright in battle but it was apparent that a great many wounded had been killed by having their throats cut.
The Union had learned of the approach of Col Jumper and retreated. The Federals reported no casualties. The Confederate dead were buried near the battlefield.
