“First Kansas Colored Infantry and Native Home Guard regiments at the Battle of Honey Springs” presentation by Art T. Burton

Honey Springs Battlefield will host a special presentation about the African American soldiers who fought for the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry and the Native Home Guard Regiments at the Battle of Honey Springs. The presentation will occur on Sunday, June 25, at 3 p.m. inside the Honey Springs Visitor Center.

Retired professor and award-winning author Art T. Burton will discuss the relationship of African Americans and Native Americans in the Indian Territory during the Civil War for combatants and noncombatants. Professor Burton will discuss what made the Battle of Honey Springs unique and important to Oklahoma and Southwest history.

Burton specializes in the research of Black Americans in the Wild West and how they shaped history. He was a history professor at Prairie State College and South Suburban College for 38 years until his retirement in 2015. He also worked as an African American Student Affairs administrator for Benedictine University, Loyola University, and Columbia College, all in Chicago. As a Wild West historian, his career has led him to participate on panels, appear in documentaries for the History Channel, and give national presentations.

Burton is the author of “Black, Buckskin, and Blue: African American Scouts and Soldiers on the Western Frontier,” written in 1999, which was a first of its kind. Burton has since written two biographical works: Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves (2008), and Cherokee Bill: Black Cowboy—Indian Outlaw (2020). In his most recent book, Burton details how a 1st Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment veteran, Deputy US Marshal Ike Rogers, captured the notorious Indian Territory outlaw Cherokee Bill. His work has brought him countless awards and recognitions, including earning a Living Legend Award from the Bare Bones Film Festival in Muskogee in 2015.

Honey Springs Battlefield is located east of US Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville. The Visitor Center is located on a hill near the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in Rentiesville. Take the second left after reaching the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame Museum (driving from the west).