Honey Springs Battlefield in Checotah, Oklahoma, will host its annual memorial service on Saturday, July 19, at 10:30 a.m. The event marks the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Honey Springs. It will take place outside on the lawn of the visitor center.
The program will begin with opening remarks from Molly Hutchins, director of Honey Springs Battlefield. The 24th Missouri Infantry and 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery will present the colors. Rev. Samuel Cunningham from Mount Olive Baptist Church in Checotah is set to lead the invocation. Remarks will be delivered by OHS Executive Director Trait Thompson and OHS State Historian Dr. Matthew Pearce. An artillery salute and a performance of “Taps” by Jim Spillars from Fayetteville, Arkansas, will follow.
The Battle of Honey Springs was a significant Civil War engagement in Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma. It occurred on July 17, 1863, involving around 9,000 Union and Confederate troops, many of whom were Native and African Americans. The battle resulted in approximately 200 casualties and ended with a decisive Union victory that shifted control north of the Arkansas River away from Confederate forces.
For further details about the event or directions to Honey Springs Battlefield, interested parties can call 918-617-7125 or email honeysprings@history.ok.gov.
Honey Springs Battlefield operates under the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS), which aims to preserve and share Oklahoma’s history and culture since its founding in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association.
