Fort Arbuckle (Oklahoma) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Arbuckle Site
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | Garvin County, about 0.5 mi. N of Hoover on SR, Hoover, Oklahoma |
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| Nearest city | Davis, Oklahoma |
| Built | 1852 |
| Architect | U.S. Army |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001064 |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1972 |
Fort Arbuckle was an important military outpost built by the United States Army in 1850. Its main job was to protect people traveling west to California and the homes of the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations. These groups lived in what was then called Indian Territory, which is now part of Oklahoma. The fort helped stop raids from some Plains Indian tribes.
Building Fort Arbuckle
Captain Randolph B. Marcy was chosen to find the best spot for the new fort. He also supervised its construction. The fort was named after General Matthew Arbuckle, who had recently passed away.
The chosen site was inside the land of the Chickasaw Nation. It was located on the bank of the Washita River. This spot was about 6 miles (10 km) west and 1 mile (1.6 km) north of where the town of Davis, Oklahoma is today.
The fort itself was quite large, originally covering an area of 12 miles (19 km) by 12 miles (19 km). This big space allowed friendly Native American tribes to camp safely under the fort's protection.
Captain Marcy and his soldiers built the fort in a rectangular shape. The soldiers' living areas, called barracks, were on opposite sides. The supply and food storage buildings were at the ends. Eventually, the fort had thirty buildings. They were made from cut logs and had stone chimneys.
Life at the Fort
In 1858, Major William H. Emory was put in charge of both Fort Arbuckle and Fort Washita. He found that Fort Arbuckle needed a lot of work. Many of the buildings were in poor condition. The fort also didn't have enough weapons or supplies. They even had to bury extra ammunition and gunpowder to keep it safe from the weather.
Before the soldiers could fix these problems, they received new orders. They were told to build another fort, which would be named Fort Cobb.
The Civil War and Beyond
When the American Civil War began, Major Emory gave an important order on May 3, 1861. He told the troops at Fort Arbuckle and two other forts to leave. The soldiers went to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, which supported the Union side.
The government of the Chickasaw Nation had already decided to support the Confederacy. Fort Arbuckle was briefly taken over by Confederate troops. However, no battles happened near the fort, so it didn't play a big role in the war.
After the Civil War ended, soldiers returned to the fort. Troops from the Sixth Infantry and Tenth Cavalry were stationed there. From Fort Arbuckle, the United States Army began new campaigns against the Plains Indian tribes further west.
In 1868, General Philip Sheridan planned to use Fort Arbuckle as a supply base. He needed a place to store food and other items for his campaigns against the Comanche people. By the next spring, a large amount of hay and grain had been brought to the fort. Many of Sheridan's horses were sent to Fort Arbuckle to be fed. Four companies of the Tenth Cavalry came to the fort for this purpose.
Why the Fort Closed
Fort Arbuckle became less important by 1869. This was because a new fort, Fort Sill, was built farther west. Fort Sill was in a better location for the ongoing military actions.
Most of the soldiers from Fort Arbuckle were sent to Fort Sill. This happened after their horses had eaten all the remaining supplies. Fort Arbuckle was permanently left empty in 1870. Today, only a single stone chimney remains as a reminder of the old fort.
