Explore the real-world places that appear in Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Fort Scott, Bussey Farm Area (Linn County, Kansas), Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern), Cassville and Southwest Missouri Camps, Fayetteville, Arkansas and 7 more.
Fort Scott, Kansas — Union post on the frontier
Jeff Bussey, a sixteen-year-old Kansas farm boy, joins the Union army and drills with the Kansas volunteers who march from this frontier region. The fort represents the Union supply line that Jeff's regiment protects, and it anchors his early ideals about the war.
Fort Scott was established in 1842 as a US Army post on the Permanent Indian Frontier. During the Civil War it served as a major Union supply base and recruiting point for Kansas regiments, including units of Black soldiers.
Fort Scott National Historic Site preserves the restored fort buildings, parade ground, and tallgrass prairie. Visitors can tour the officers' quarters, hospital, and dragoon barracks.
Visit: Fort Scott National Historic Site (historic site)
Eastern Kansas — Jeff's home country near the Missouri border
Jeff Bussey leaves his family's Kansas farm, where his father holds strong Union and abolitionist views, to enlist in the Union army. He is eager for glory, and the farm marks the innocence he carries into the war.
Eastern Kansas near the Missouri border was bloodied by Bleeding Kansas violence and guerrilla raids before and during the Civil War. Many settlers there were fervent free-state supporters.
The area is rural farmland and small towns, with Mine Creek Battlefield nearby preserving local war history. The specific farm is fictional, so there is no site to visit.
Pea Ridge, Arkansas — Battle of March 1862
Jeff's early campaigning follows the Union Army of the Southwest in northwest Arkansas, where the army confronts Confederate forces. Jeff learns the grim realities of battle, hunger, and marching, which shatter his romantic ideas of war.
The Battle of Pea Ridge, fought March 7-8, 1862, secured Missouri for the Union. Union forces under Samuel Curtis defeated Earl Van Dorn's Confederates, including Cherokee troops under Albert Pike and Stand Watie.
Pea Ridge National Military Park preserves the battlefield, the rebuilt Elkhorn Tavern, and an auto tour road with interpretive markers.
Visit: Pea Ridge National Military Park (historic site)
Cassville, Missouri — Union marching route
Jeff and his company march across southwest Missouri and endure harsh conditions, foraging and drilling. He bonds with comrades like Lieutenant Clardy and Noah Babbitt, and starts to see the war's human costs.
Cassville was a contested town in the Civil War, briefly the Confederate-leaning state capital in 1861. Union troops passed through repeatedly while securing southwest Missouri.
Cassville is a small Missouri town with Civil War heritage and nearby Roaring River State Park. The historic Confederate capitol site is commemorated locally.
Fayetteville — Union-occupied town in the Ozarks
Jeff passes through Arkansas towns like Fayetteville, where civilians are split in loyalty. Here he encounters Southern families whose kindness complicates his hatred of the enemy.
Fayetteville changed hands multiple times during the war. The Battle of Fayetteville occurred in April 1863, and the town suffered heavily from occupation and burning.
Fayetteville is home to the University of Arkansas. The Headquarters House museum and Civil War sites are open to visitors.
Visit: Headquarters House Museum (museum)
Prairie Grove, Arkansas — Battle of December 1862
Jeff and his comrades fight in northwest Arkansas campaigns where Union forces try to hold ground against Confederate attacks. The brutality of combat and sight of wounded men deepen Jeff's doubts about the war.
The Battle of Prairie Grove on December 7, 1862, was a Union victory that secured northwest Arkansas. Troops from Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Indian regiments fought on both sides.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park preserves the battlefield, Borden House, and a museum with a living history program.
Visit: Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park (park)
Boston Mountains, Arkansas — Early engagement
Union forces skirmish with Confederate cavalry in the rugged Boston Mountains. Jeff experiences hard fighting in difficult terrain, learning the elusive tactics of Watie's raiders.
The Battle of Cane Hill on November 28, 1862, was a Union action under James Blunt that pushed Confederates back before Prairie Grove. Cane Hill had a college and many Cherokee-connected residents.
Cane Hill is a quiet rural community with a historic marker and a preserved college site. Local museums touch on its history.
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma — Union stronghold in Indian Territory
Fort Gibson is the Union's base in Indian Territory and a key setting as Jeff serves in the region. The fort anchors the effort to protect supply wagons and fight Stand Watie's Cherokee Confederate raiders.
Fort Gibson was founded in 1824 and served as a frontier military post. During the Civil War it was held by Union forces and was the target of Confederate raids, including the 1863 Cabin Creek supply train fights.
Fort Gibson Historic Site features reconstructed log fort buildings and exhibits. It is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Visit: Fort Gibson Historic Site (historic site)
Near Pryor, Oklahoma — Supply train ambush
Union supply trains bound for Fort Gibson are the target of Watie's forces. Jeff takes part in the struggle to protect the wagons, seeing the Confederates' fierce raiding methods firsthand.
Two battles at Cabin Creek, in July 1863 and September 1864, involved Confederate attempts to capture Union supply wagons. The 1864 raid under Stand Watie and Richard Gano captured a large train.
Cabin Creek Battlefield is a preserved site and National Register property with markers, operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Visit: Cabin Creek Battlefield (historic site)
Near Checotah, Oklahoma — Battle of July 1863
Jeff's regiment is involved in the campaign culminating at Honey Springs, where Union forces defeat the Confederates in Indian Territory. The battle shows the divisions among Native American soldiers on both sides.
The Battle of Honey Springs on July 17, 1863, was the largest Civil War battle in Indian Territory. Union troops, including the 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, defeated Confederate forces and secured Union control of the territory north of the Arkansas River.
Honey Springs Battlefield is a historic site with a visitor center, walking trails, and interpretive signs.
Visit: Honey Springs Battlefield Park & Interpretive Center (historic site)
Webbers Falls, Oklahoma — Watie's Cherokee homeland
Jeff is sent as a spy into Confederate lines and rides with Stand Watie's Cherokee Mounted Rifles. Living among them, he comes to respect his enemies and struggles with divided loyalties as he discovers the Confederates' hardships and humanity.
Webbers Falls was a Cherokee Nation town on the Arkansas River and a Confederate-aligned area. Stand Watie, the Confederate Cherokee general, operated across this region.
Webbers Falls is a small Oklahoma community on the Arkansas River, with Lake Webbers Falls nearby. Little physical Civil War heritage is on display.
Tahlequah, Oklahoma — Cherokee Nation capital
The Cherokee Nation's lands around Tahlequah form the backdrop of the war in Indian Territory, where families were torn between Union and Confederate allegiance. Jeff's time among Watie's soldiers reveals the nation's deep divisions.
Park Hill was a center of Cherokee education and culture after the Trail of Tears. Tahlequah served as the Cherokee capital, and its people were bitterly divided during the Civil War.
The Cherokee Heritage Center at Park Hill offers exhibits, a living history village, and a museum on Cherokee history.
Visit: Cherokee Heritage Center (museum)
More by Harold Keith: All Harold Keith books
Other nearby maps: True Grit by Charles Portis locations map · The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard locations map · The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton locations map · The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins locations map