Timbered Hill or Timber Hills. Just over 2 miles north of Ketchum OK. Cut and paste this URL into your browser.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=36.54798,-95.02247&z=14&t=T&marker0=36.56439%2C-95.02358%2C2.8%20mi%20N%20of%20Ketchum%20OK

Rebel Invasion of Missouri and Kansas, by R.J. Hinton

P.305

Major-General Herron being at Fort Smith, on a visit of inspection, and determining to return to New Orleans by way of Leavenworth and St. Louis, General Blunt accompanied him, moving to Fort Gibson, and thence North to Fort Scott.

The only incident of note occurred near Cabin Creek, six miles [sic] from Fort Gibson, where, just before the appearance of the small escort of the Generals, a party of seven persons, officers and others of regiments at Fort Smith, on their way to rejoin their commands, were pursued and overpowered by a band of guerrillas. They were driven, before being murdered, a short distance from the road traveled by the troops. As a consequence, the bodies were not seen by them, though traces of a struggle were plainly visible. This was made the basis of a charge against General Blunt, of having left these bodies without burial. The charge called for a reply from Captain Hinton, his Aide, published in the Conservative, Leavenworth, Kansas, which, as it give the facts in relation thereto, is here inserted. The Captain says:

"As I happened to be one among others with General Blunt, when some of our officers were murdered near Cabin Creek, perhaps the matter may be of sufficient public interest to warrant you in giving place to an account of the transaction, at least in so far as General Blunt is concerned.

“On the 19th of November, Major-Generals Blunt and Herron broke [p.306] camp at Cabin Creek, about 7 A.M. Some delay occurred, which caused the lateness of the march. The force with these officers consisted of less than one hundred and fifty men, about one hundred of whom were General Herron’s escort. Our animals were broken down and half-starved, and quite a number of the men were afoot. The advance guard was from General Herron’s escort, strangers to the country and character of the bushwhackers who infest the route.

“About four miles north of the stockade on Cabin Creek are some abandoned buildings, formerly used for stores, post-offices, etc. To the west of the road about two miles, is a heavy body of timber on Cabin Creek; east of and parallel to the road is the timber of Grand River. On the morning I speak of, when about half way between the creek and the post-office buildings, a faint report of small arms was heard apparently to the left of the road, in the direction of the timber spoken of, by the officers and main portion of the escort. Soon after, word was brought from the advance guard, that a party of about twenty men had crossed the road north of them and in full sight, moving towards the Grand River timber. Of course they were believed to be bushwhackers. By the time our main body had reached the post-office, the bushwhackers had gained the timber. The escort was halted for the purpose of enabling the dismounted men to close up. Neither General Blunt, General Herron, or any officer of their staffs, was then informed by the non-commissioned officer commanding the advance guard, of any further bushwhacking signs, or of any appearance of a party having been pursued by them. A report was made of two horses and a mule being found near the road, with fresh saddle marks on them. These were turned over to three of the dismounted men.

“The escort moved on, passed the timber hills, three miles further, and traveled at least six miles before the evidences of a party having been pursued by the bushwhackers were laid before either of the Major-Generals. It was then too late for us to retrace our steps, even if we had had horses fit to travel.

“It is an unmitigated falsehood to say that we passed in plain view of the bodies of our friends. No one of our party saw the bodies of our murdered comrades. On the contrary, there was no visible evidence to General Blunt, or any other officer, of any friend having been there. If any one was culpable, it was the advance guard in not reporting the signs they saw. These were the evidence before alluded to: the finding of a couple of Enfield rifles (new); of a plain blue vest, bloody, and having a bullet hole in the back, found near the road close to the post office; an invoice of clothing drawn from Captain Insley by Captain Martin Welsh, 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers, bearing the date Fort Scott, Nov. 15 – also bloody, and an Express receipt dated at St. Louis, made out to “Gardner,” supposed to be Chaplain Gardner of the 13th Kansas; of the tracks of a light vehicle turning off the road near where the vest, &c, were found; nor of the signs of the camp of this party at the Timber Hills, seen just off the road by some of the advance.

“None of these facts were made known to General Blunt, nor to any other officer, until after the command had passed some six miles north of the post-office building, and when it was manifestly improper to turn back with our small command and broken down animals.

“The party consisted of Captain Welsh, Captain Thrasher and Lieutenant Macy, of the 1st Colored Kansas; Chaplain Gardner, of the 13th, and three soldiers of Kansas Regiments, returning to Fort Smith. Captain Thrasher and two soldiers escaped; the others were murdered. Since then the loyal Pin Indians have killed six of the bushwhackers who murdered our friends.”

[p.307]
Captain Thrasher, who escaped, sent the following letter to the father of Lieutenant Macy, which more definitely give the names of the unfortunate victims. It corrects some mistakes of Captain Hinton:

Fort Smith, Arkansas, Dec. 15, 1864.
To Dr. E. G. Macy, Bloomington, Kansas:

Doctor: -- I have to communicate the sad intelligence of the death of your son, Lieutenant E.L. Macy. He fell in a fight with bushwhackers, six miles north of Cabin Creek, C.N., on the 19th of November last. Our party of seven – Captain Welch, Lieutenant Macy, Chaplain Gardner, Harbin, Collins, citizen Jones, and myself – where attacked by one hundred bushwhackers. A desperate struggle ensued. Captain Welch, your son, and Harbin, are known to have been killed. Gardner was wounded and captured, and was probably killed after capture. These three fought like brave men, and died as became the true soldier.

Most truly your friend,
L.A. Thrasher