23. The attack on the steamboat J. R. Williams
Logistics to support Union troops in the Indian Territory were a nightmare for their leaders in 1863. Slowly moving wagon trains, drawn by mules, were a frequent target of the guerrilla bands in the Indian Territory. Living off the land for large troop formations was impossible by 1864, after three years of nearly continuous fighting. Following the Battles of Cabin Creek, the Union had control of the Arkansas River, which was navigable by steamboats, and sternwheel steamers became the preferred method of supplying the Union troops, as well as moving them about as needed. One such steamboat was J. R. Williams. On June 15, 1864, J. R. Williams was at Pleasant Bluff on the Arkansas River when it was attacked by Confederate troops under the command of Stand Watie.
Ironically, the steamboat was carrying commissary supplies intended for the Indian refugees sheltering at Fort Gibson when it was attacked by troops comprised of Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. The only Union defenders aboard were two dozen men of the Kansas Volunteer Infantry. The Confederates attacked with cannon and infantry fire, and after a brief resistance, the Union troops abandoned the ship. The Confederates then looted the vessel of all that it contained of value. Most of the Indian troops considered whatever they removed from the vessel their personal property, and many deserted with it, weakening Stand Watie’s remaining forces. The action temporarily boosted Southern morale, but had no impact on the outcome of the war.