Camp Hunter facts for kids

Camp Hunter was a temporary army camp built by Union soldiers during the American Civil War. It was set up in June 1862 near what is now Baxter Springs, Kansas. At the same time, Indian Home Guard regiments, made up of Native American soldiers who supported the Union, built their own camp nearby.

Why Was Camp Hunter Built?

Camp Hunter was named after a Union general named David Hunter. It was built on a hill overlooking Spring Creek. Together, the two camps held about 6,000 soldiers. The army had three main reasons for building these camps:

• Protecting Wagon Trains: One reason was to help protect supply wagons traveling south into Indian Territory. In this area, Native American groups who supported the Confederacy sometimes attacked Union wagons.
• Resting Horses: Another reason was to provide a place for tired cavalry horses to rest. The land west of the camps had lots of grass for the horses to eat. Soldiers from the camps guarded the horses.
• Fighting Guerrillas: A third reason was to fight against "bushwhackers" and Confederate Native American groups. These were small groups of fighters who roamed the area and attacked Union forces. A major group was led by Captain Thomas R. Livingston.

Fighting the Bushwhackers

As soon as the camps were ready, Union soldiers began to act against Livingston's fighters. Livingston and about twenty-five men had set up their own camp not far from Camp Hunter. Union forces, led by Colonel Charles Doubleday, attacked Livingston's camp. They captured many supplies and horses.

However, Livingston and his group were hard to catch. Union troops from Camp Hunter and other nearby areas often forced the guerrillas to scatter. But the fighters would simply disappear. They would then reappear later to attack Union soldiers. After the war, it was discovered that Livingston's group had a hidden camp. This secret camp was about five and a half miles east of Camp Hunter, just inside the Kansas border with Missouri.

A Confederate Attack

In early September 1862, the area around Camp Hunter faced a large attack from Confederate forces. The 31st Texas Cavalry, led by Colonel Tresevant C. Hawpe, marched toward the two camps. The Union soldiers quickly left their camps. Hawpe continued north but was defeated in a battle near what is now Pittsburg, Kansas.

After his defeat, Hawpe retreated back to Camp Hunter. He briefly took control of the camp. It is possible that Livingston and Confederate Native American groups, led by Colonel Stand Watie, also visited Camp Hunter around this time.

The End of Camp Hunter

From Camp Hunter, Hawpe then moved into southwest Missouri. There, he helped other Confederate forces defeat Union troops in the First Battle of Newtonia on September 30. After Hawpe left, Camp Hunter was never used by the army again. When Union forces returned to Baxter Springs in May 1863, they set up a new camp in a different spot.