Dale,
Did you get up to the Flat Rock Creek area last week?

Curtis Payne probably has done the most extensive research of those who have posted on this board -- at least as far as I am aware.

Wagonmaster Robt Peck stated that the hay camp was 35 miles down the Texas Road from Cabin Creek. He stated this was the northern most of several hay camps and was the largest. Also, that this area was open prairie except for the timber along creeks and rivers to about where present Okay is located. I believe Watie and others stated in the ORs that the hay camp was 12-15 miles from Ft Gibson. The ORs state the camp was on (adjacent to) the Texas Road.

The Confederates were headed to Alberty's up near present Chouteau on the Texas Road. They crossed the Verdigris at the Sandtown Ford which I believe is close to the present Hwy 51 bridge. They came to a mound from which Gano viewed the hay camp. There is a mound just north of Hwy 51 (which runs east-west connecting Coweta and Wagoner) that is presumed to be the mound from which Gano viewed the hay cutters but I speculate the Confederates were moving northeast from the Sandtown Crossing and were on another mound farther north from Hwy 51. There is mention of another closer mound or low ridge from which they again viewed the hay cutters. The hay cutters were working in the open praire, of course, and were far enough from the Grand River timber line that the Confederates got between them and the river. Old maps show the Texas Road bows to the west, away from Grand River along this stretch. I speculate the the hay camp was north-northwest of present Wagoner and south of Flat Rock Creek.

This was a running battle (or massacre) so where the majority of the fight took place is unclear but there was apparently fighting and killing over a large area from the hay camp on the Texas Road to, perhaps, the timber lines of the Grand River and/or Flat Rock Creek. I am told some artifacts have been found near what is now Flat Rock Bay on Lake Ft Gibson which would be fairly close to the mouth of Flat Rock Creek on the Grand. However, there were also reports of occassional encounters of Union scouts or train escorts with bushwackers in this same area so the origin of the artifacts is uncertain. Robt Peck stated that they picked up the bodies of the massacred men of the 1st Kansas Colored but was certain they didn't find them all as they were scattered over a large area. (Only 5 men of this company -- Co. K, if I remember right -- were taken prisoner).