“Indian Territory, 1863: Strategy & Logistics in the Decisive Year” presentation by Dr. Zac Cowsert (virtual)

Honey Springs Battlefield will host “Indian Territory, 1863: Strategy & Logistics in the Decisive Year,” a live virtual lecture on Friday, February 12 at 2 p.m. CST (3 EST). In this hour-long lecture, Dr. Zac Cowsert will explore both Union and Confederate strategies, logistical hurdles, and key engagements of the Civil War’s most decisive year in Indian Territory. A unique theater of the Civil War, commanders in Indian Territory commanded biracial and triracial armies, managed large refugee populations, and struggled to keep food and supplies flowing across hundreds of miles. These strategic factors shaped the military campaigns waged throughout 1863, which resulted in important clashes at First Cabin Creek, Honey Springs, Devil’s Backbone, and more. By the end of the year, United States forces secured control over much of Indian Territory and the Arkansas River Valley. Dr. Cowsert’s talk will examine how Confederate strategies failed and Union forces triumphed, and how Union victories altered the war in Indian Territory and the Trans-Mississippi. Time will be reserved for discussion and questions at the end of the talk. Participants can enjoy this online presentation on the Honey Springs Battlefield Facebook page at www.facebook.com/honeysprings.

A native of Oklahoma and Arkansas, Dr. Zac Cowsert holds a Ph.D. in 19th-Century US History from West Virginia University, where his dissertation explores the Civil War in Indian Territory. He earned his BA in History and Political Science from Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport. His work has been published in The Chronicles of Oklahoma and North Louisiana History, as well as Hallowed Ground, the magazine of the American Battlefield Trust. Dr. Cowsert also co-edits Civil Discourse: A Civil War Era Blog.

For more information regarding this virtual presentation and the Honey Springs Battlefield, please email honeysprings@okhistory.org or alynn@okhistory.org, or call 918-473-5572. 

Dr. Zac Cowsert