I received a copy of the portion of Rampp's thesis dealing with Phillips' Feb. 1864 expedition (Many thanks, Robert!). I was told that "it's not worth the paper it was printed on". Having read it, I think that assessment was overly gratious.

Rampp states the expedition began with Maj. MBC Wright's (2nd IHG) advance to Rhea's Mill, AR to "gather flour and forage for the main body which was to follow". Besides the obvious -- that Rhea's Mill is in the opposite direction of Phillips' expedition -- Wright's report in the ORs states that Wright was still at Rhea's Mill on Feb. 8th when Phillips was already over 75 miles southwest of Ft Gibson. Wright went to Rhea's Mill to get provisions for Ft Gibson, not for the expedition.

Rampp states Phillips moved southwest from Ft Gibson and "Going into the Creek and Seminole Nations, then turning south on the Texas Road...". Unless he is speaking of another 'Texas Road', the statement makes no sense. The Texas Road runs down the eastern boundary of the Creek Nation. The Seminole Nation was technically about 60 miles west of the Texas Road (moved west in the late 1850s) though there were still Seminole living in the area from present Wetumka around Holdenville, which is still 40 miles west of the Texas Road.

He then states, without citing a source, that Phillips sent the 1st IHG on ahead to Boggy Depot. This would be over 40 miles from the Canadian. Also, Confederate reports state Phillips did not reach Boggy Depot and Phillips never mentions this move in any reports. Rampp further states Phillips reached Boggy Depot with his main force on Feb 9th. The itinerary of the expedition, in the ORs, states that Phillips sent his advance on the 9th to Little River which the whole command reached on the 11th -- over 40 miles north-northwest of Boggy Depot.

My opinion of Rampp is unchanged -- inaccruate and unreliable.

Ken