Dates & times
All times are local to the venue · America/Chicago
- 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery at Honey Springs
Three 12-pounder mountain howitzers and a rare Confederate Mountain Rifle made up Lee’s battery at Honey Springs. On Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery will demonstrate both weapon types at the battlefield, with four scheduled programs during the day.
A rare rifle alongside the howitzers
Oklahoma Historical Society records describe Captain Roswell W. Lee’s battery as four guns: three 12-pound mountain howitzers and one uncommon Confederate Mountain Rifle. The rifle was an experimental bronze cannon, rifled to fire an explosive shell 2¼ inches in diameter. Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond made only 18 of these rifles, in 1862.
The event names a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle as the types to be fired. It does not say that the demonstration uses original battle artifacts, so the connection is to the weapons’ historical types, not to any confirmed provenance for the pieces on site.
Further reading: Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · The Battle of Honey Springs | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
A battery portrayal, not a full battle reenactment
The 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery will portray Roswell Lee’s Texas Battery of Artillery, interpreting its soldiers, equipment and artillery tactics. After each set of firings, Jim Spillars, the unit’s director, is scheduled to give a brief presentation.
The day has four listed program starts, but the event information does not give the length of each session. A two-hour gap separates the late-morning and early-afternoon starts; that is useful when planning a longer visit, but it is not described as a formal break.
Further reading: Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗
The artillery’s place in the battle
On July 17, 1863, Lee’s battery supported the 20th and 29th Texas Cavalry opposite the Union’s First Kansas Colored Volunteers. The Society’s account describes the Mountain Rifle as an uncommon weapon in the Confederate line; the program’s pairing of it with a mountain howitzer points visitors toward this specific battlefield history.
The Oklahoma Historical Society records more than 107 documented hostile encounters in Indian Territory and identifies Honey Springs as the largest. About 9,000 troops took part. Cherokee and Muscogee (Creek) regiments fought on both sides. The Union force included the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, which the Society identifies as the first African American regiment in the Union army.
This Nov. 7 artillery program is distinct from the biennial Battle of Honey Springs Reenactment. The next edition is scheduled for Nov. 5–7, 2027: that multiday event begins with an education day for school groups, continues with demonstrations on Saturday and Sunday, and includes reenactors’ camps and Sutler’s Row, with souvenirs, books and reproductions of 19th-century military equipment and clothing.
Further reading: Honey Springs Battlefield | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗ · The Battle of Honey Springs | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗ · Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗
Four scheduled programs
The two-hour interval between the late-morning and early-afternoon starts is the day’s longest listed gap. The event page does not state individual program durations or describe a formal break; the site’s trails and visitor center offer separate options for a longer stop.
2026-11-07 · Honey Springs Battlefield
- Artillery demonstration with shots from a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle, followed by a brief presentation from Jim Spillars.
- Artillery demonstration with shots from a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle, followed by a brief presentation from Jim Spillars.
- Artillery demonstration with shots from a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle, followed by a brief presentation from Jim Spillars.
- Artillery demonstration with shots from a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle, followed by a brief presentation from Jim Spillars.
Plan a visit
Saturday, November 7, 2026
The event is listed from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The individual programs have four separate start times; their lengths are not specified.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗
Honey Springs Battlefield, Checotah
The event address is 423159 E 1030 Road, Checotah, OK 74426. For questions about admission or event arrangements, the site lists 918-617-7125.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · Plan Your Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
The event fee is not specified
The event listing does not say whether the demonstration has a separate fee, whether general battlefield admission applies, or whether reservations are needed. Call the site to confirm before going.
The battlefield’s published general admission rates are: Oklahoma Historical Society members and Friends of Honey Springs Battlefield members, free; adults, $10; seniors 62 and older, $8; students ages 6–18, $5; children 5 and under, free. Veterans and active military with ID are listed as free. The page also lists dependents of active military and veterans as free from May 16 through Sept. 7, 2026, a seasonal period that ends before this event.
Other listed rates are $30 for a family of up to six people and $7 per person for groups of 10 or more. These are site admission rates, not confirmation of what the Nov. 7 event will charge.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · Plan Your Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Walking trails and a visitor center
The battlefield’s regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The event falls within those listed hours.
Getting to Honey Springs Battlefield
Destination and approach
The event is listed at Honey Springs Battlefield, 423159 E 1030 Road, Checotah, OK 74426. The Oklahoma Historical Society places the battlefield east of US Highway 69 between Oktaha and Rentiesville.
The Society says the visitor center is about 1.5 miles east of US Highway 69, off Gertrude Avenue. That direction identifies the visitor center, not a confirmed firing area or event entrance. The official information does not provide event-specific parking or public-transit details; map links can calculate directions from your starting point.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · Plan Your Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Before you make a plan
What happens during each artillery program?
Each program is scheduled to include a few shots from a Mountain Howitzer and Mountain Rifle, followed by a brief presentation from Jim Spillars, director of the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery. Session lengths are not listed.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗
Is this the Battle of Honey Springs Reenactment?
No. This is a one-day artillery demonstration. The next biennial multiday reenactment is listed for Nov. 5–7, 2027.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · Honey Springs Battlefield | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Does battlefield admission cover the demonstration?
The event listing does not clarify whether general admission applies or whether there is a separate event fee. The site’s general rates are published, but call 918-617-7125 to confirm what applies on Nov. 7.
Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗ · Plan Your Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗
Can visitors explore the site beyond the artillery program?
The battlefield has six signed walking trails and a visitor center with exhibits about the battle. The event listing does not identify these as scheduled parts of the demonstration.
Plan Your Visit | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗ · Visitor Center | Oklahoma Historical Society ↗ · Artillery Demonstrations with the 1st Arkansas Mountain Artillery | OHS Calendar ↗
Location & Google Maps
Honey Springs Battlefield
423159 E 1030 Road, Checotah, OK 74426
Map search by venue and address. Check the organiser’s entrance details before travelling.