Hi gang,

I saw many of you at the Battles of Cabin Creek reenactment in September. I wanted to post the following press release for those who weren't able to be there.
Please pass this info on to anyone you know who might be interested.

Thanks and Happy Holidays,
Steve Warren

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 26, 2004

Civil War Battle of Cabin Creek, Indian Territory Documentary Now Available
for the First Time on DVD

(SPOKANE, Washington) It was called "one of the most brilliant and daring raids of the entire war" in a congratulatory order published in October of 1864 by Lieutenant General Edmund Kirby-Smith, the commander of all Confederate forces west of the Mississippi River. Now Last Raid at Cabin Creek, the award winning 90-minute television documentary, which tells the true story of the brilliant raid, is now available on DVD for the first time.

Last Raid at Cabin Creek chronicles the successful raid led by Confederate brigadier generals Richard M. Gano and Stand Watie. On September 19, 1864, their rag tag force consisting of 2,000 Texas and Indian troops, surprised and captured a Union supply train of 300 wagons, including 1,800 mules and horses at the Cabin Creek station, Cherokee Nation. The Confederate force made it safely back to the their lines with 130 wagons filled with much need supplies and 740 mules. The captured supplies were later estimated to have been worth more than $1.5 million in 1864 dollars. Watie, Gano and their respective commands received a special commendation from the Confederate Congress in January of 1865 for the capture of the wagon train.

The documentary has won numerous awards, including recognition from the state of Oklahoma. The program was added to the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History in 1998.
Several noted historians wrote personal notes to Steven L. Warren, the documentary's producer, expressing their overall satisfaction with the program. Author and Civil War historian Shelby Foote wrote, "I enjoyed watching the video because I felt like I was learning something and because it addresses a major fault in Civil War history which is the gross neglect of events in the Western Theatre." Edwin C. Bearss, former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, said "I found the video to be a good example of a professional production that will command attention of those interested in the Civil War in Indian Territory and along the Texas Road. The video provides a thought-provoking and educational dimension missing from most Civil War videos." And Civil War author and historian Brian C. Pohanka wrote "I think you have done a great service by exploring the little-known and regrettably neglected subject of the Civil War's Western Theatre. The story deserves to be told and you tell it well."

The DVD makes a great gift for the history buff in your family. Individuals may order the Last Raid at Cabin Creek DVD by mailing a check or money order for $32.95 (price includes postage) to: Steve Warren
5209 S. Sunward Drive
Spokane, Washington 99223
E-mail: civilwarren@yahoo.com
Credit card orders for the DVD may also be made through the online payment service PayPal at www.paypal.com.

Warren, a native Oklahoman, wrote and produced Last Raid at Cabin Creek. His research for the documentary took him to archives in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. He located and brought to light new eyewitness information about the second battle of Cabin Creek, which had not been seen in more than 90 years. It also led him to write the book Brilliant Victory: The Second Civil War Battle of Cabin Creek, Indian Territory, which was published in 2002.

An authority on the Civil War battles at Cabin Creek, Warren has made presentations to historical and genealogical groups throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Washington State. He has been a featured speaker at the Battles of Cabin Creek Civil War reenactment sponsored by the Friends of Cabin Creek Battlefield and the Oklahoma Historical Society. A veteran of the television industry, Warren is a descendant of both Union and Confederate veterans. He received his MA in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in 1983 and his BA in Communications from the University of Tulsa in 1982. He is a 1978 graduate of Claremore High School, Claremore, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Civil War Preservation Trust, Friends of Cabin Creek Battlefield and the Friends of the Hunley. He and his wife Amy and their two daughters currently live in Spokane, Washington.

The Cabin Creek Battlefield Park is located three and one-half miles north of Pensacola, Oklahoma from Oklahoma State Highway 28. The park is owned by the Oklahoma Historical Society and is maintained by the Friends of Cabin Creek Battlefield, Inc., a local volunteer group. The park is open from daylight to dusk, 365 days a year.

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Press contacts:
Steve Warren (509) 443-2343
E-mail: civilwarren@yahoo.com