Breaking the Confederate Line

Breaking the Confederate Line. Honey Springs Battlefield. In the confusion of battle, the 2nd Indian Home Guard on the right crossed into the line of fire of the 1st Kansas. Lt. Col. Bowles ordered the 1st Kansas to cease firing so they would not kill fellow soldiers. Lt. Col. F. W. Schuarte of the 2nd Indian Home Guard ordered his troops to fall back from the line of fire. Confederate Col. Bass assumed the Federals were retreating. He ordered the 20th and 29th Texas Cavalry, both fighting dismounted, to charge. The Confederates attacked just as the 2nd Indian Home Guard cleared the rifles of the 1st Kansas. The Texans' advance was checked by fire from the 1st Kansas. The superior firepower of the Federal infantry was devastating, and the Confederate center began to collapse. , We then moved... within 300 yds. of the enemy's line... every man stepped promptly and firmly in his place, advancing within 40 paces of the concealed foe. Col. Williams then gave the command to "fire" and immediately there were two long lines of smoke and flame, the one from the enemy putting forth at the same instant... firing was incessant along the line, except on the extreme right, where some of our Indians had ridden into the brush between us and the enemy. I immediately ordered them to fall back and to the right. The enemy supposed from the command that we were giving way in front, and like true soldiers commenced to press as they supposed a retreating foe. They advanced within 25 paces, when they were met with a volley of musketry that sent them back in great confusion and disorder. Their color-bearer fell, but the colors were immediately raised, and again promptly shot down. A second time they were raised, and again I caused a volley to be fired on them when they were left on the field by the enemy. , Lt. Col. John Bowles, 1st Kansas Colored , Volunteer Infantry, USA