In early 1862, with the Civil War spreading into Indian Territory,
the First Choctaw Mounted Regiment, Confederate States Army, was
organized at Atoka. In a list compiled by Asa KING, Sheriff of Blue
County in 1861, Ramsey Betts, his half brother David and some of the
Durant boys were listed as Warriors of Blue County, Choctaw Nation. This
was apparently a list of men eligible for military duty.
Ramsey joined the regiment on Aug. 15, 1862 and was assigned to
Company E. The regiment was commanded by Col. Samson FOLSOM. This unit
saw action throughout Indian Territory and even into Missouri and
Arkansas. They suffered several casualties at the battle of Newtonia,
MO. They were in both battles of Cabin Creek, the battle at Ft. Gibson
and a battle outside Ft. Smith, in addition to several smaller
skirmishes.
The following report was copied from a special edition of
"The Merry Green Press".
UNSCRUPULOUS PLUNDER & LOSSES REPORTED AT
POISON SPRING
"The Federal column captured at Poison Spring west of Camden
on April 18 contained wagons laden with corn, bacon, bed quilts, women's
and children's clothing, hogs, geese and other property stolen by
soldiers.
Confederates under command of Brigadier General Samuel B. MAXEY attacked
the Federal forage train commanded by Col. James M. WILLIAMS at Poison
Spring.
The train consisted of 198 six-mule wagons, artillery, and strong
escorts of infantry and cavalry. The Infantrymen of the First Kansas
Colored had earlier stripped the houses of the region of little baby
frocks, shoes, stockings, women's bonnets, shawls and cloaks which they
hoped to take home to their families in Kansas.
The Confederate Force included Indians of the 1st and 2nd Choctaw
Regiments who reportedly broke for the plunder of the train at one point
with demoniac war whoops which disconcerted even their own men.
One hundred seventy wagons, four cannon and their caissons, and
hundreds of small arms were captured along with stolen items. The
Federal loss was 301 of 1160 present on the field. Of 438 officers and
men in the battle, the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry lost 182 men, 117
listed as killed.
Captain ROWLAND of the 18th Iowa has informed our Camden
correspondent that three days afterwards, a burial detail was sent to
the field where six white officers and eighty men of the 1st Kansas
Colored Infantry were found. The white dead were all scalped and
stripped of clothing which was carried off by the Rebels. To add insult
to the dead officers, they were laid on their faces and a circle of
their colored soldiers made around them. Some wounded soldiers were
bitten by rattlesnakes. Confederate losses were 16 killed, 88 wounded
and 10 missing."
As far as is known, Ramsey came through the war unscathed. The
regiment was included in the surrender at Doaksville on June 23, 1865,
one of the last Confederate units to surrender. Ramsey returned to Blue
County and became a Baptist minister.
Submitted by Carl Phillips, Carl@jps.net
