▁Confeder ate ▁force ▁at ▁the ▁out post , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 9 0 ▁poor ly ▁armed ▁men , ▁were ▁caught ▁off ▁guard ▁when ▁Wille tt s ▁attacked ▁them . ▁▁ ▁Out number ed ▁and ▁out g unn ed , ▁the ▁Confeder ates ▁held ▁off ▁the ▁Union ▁caval ry ▁attack ▁for ▁approximately ▁ 3 0 ▁minutes ▁before ▁retre ating ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁John ▁J um per ' s ▁Sem in ole ▁Battalion , ▁who ▁were ▁not ▁at ▁the ▁main ▁sk irm ish . ▁The ▁Confeder ates ▁retre ated ▁ ▁south west ▁down ▁the ▁Drag oon ▁Tra il . ▁The ▁Union ▁advance ▁continued ▁south ▁toward ▁F t . ▁W ash ita ▁the ▁next ▁day , ▁but ▁when ▁the ▁expected ▁rein for c ements ▁did ▁not ▁arrive ▁Phili ps ' ▁Ex ped ition ▁into ▁Indian ▁Territ ory ▁st alled ▁on ▁February ▁ 1 5 , ▁near ▁old ▁Stone wall . ▁ ▁Background ▁Union ▁Colonel ▁William ▁A ▁Phill ips ▁led ▁an ▁expedition ▁consisting ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁to ▁divide ▁the ▁Confeder ate ▁forces ▁in ▁Indian ▁Territ ory ▁along ▁a ▁line ▁from ▁Fort ▁Gib son ▁to ▁the ▁Red ▁River . ▁The ▁force ▁represented ▁three ▁companies ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁Kansas ▁Caval ry , ▁a ▁batt alion ▁of ▁Kansas ▁Infantry ▁and ▁two ▁reg iments ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Home ▁Guard , ▁supported ▁by ▁how itz ers ▁from ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁Regiment ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Home ▁Gu ards . ▁The ▁expedition ▁had ▁four ▁object ives : ▁(