Battle of Old Fort Wayne

Other Names: Maysville, Beattie's Prairie, Beaty's Prairie

Location: Fort Wayne, Oklahoma (Indian Territory at the time)

Campaign: Operations North of Boston Mountains (1862)

Date: October 22, 1862

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt [US]; Col. Douglas H. Cooper [CS]

Forces Engaged: 1st Division, Army of the Frontier [US]; 1st Brigade [CS]

Casualties and losses: 164 total (US 14; CS 150)

Result(s): Union victory

Brief Description:

Brig. Gen. James G. Blunt and his troops attacked Col. Douglas H. Cooper and his Confederate command on Beatties Prairie near Old Fort Wayne at 7:00 am on October 22, 1862. The Confederates put up stiff resistance for a half hour, but overwhelming numbers forced them to retire from the field in haste, leaving artillery and equipage behind. This was a setback in the 1862 Confederate offensive that extended from the tidewater in the east to the plains of the Indian Territory of the west. The Confederates retreated nearly 70 miles to Fort Gibson. The Union Army once again had undisputed possession of Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River. For his decisive victory, Blunt was appointed major general of volunteers.