Fort Blair (Fort Scott) facts for kids

Fort Blair was a small but important fort built during the American Civil War in Fort Scott, Kansas. It was one of three blockhouses constructed in 1864 to protect the town from Confederate soldiers and raiders. Today, Fort Blair is the only one of these original forts that still exists.

Fort Blair: A Civil War Stronghold

In the spring and summer of 1864, three special buildings called blockhouses were built to help defend the town of Fort Scott. These were Fort Blair, Fort Henning, and Fort Insley. Fort Blair was surrounded by a strong wall made of tall, pointed logs, called palisades. This log wall was covered on the outside with dirt, forming earthworks. Around all of this was a wide, deep ditch. These defenses were meant for armed soldiers and cannons to use if Confederate raiders or soldiers attacked the town. A drawing of Fort Blair showed its log wall was about waist-high.

Building Fort Blair

Fort Blair was named after General Charles W. Blair. This fort was built with thick, sawed boards and covered with rougher boards. It had special openings for rifles and small cannons. The roof was made of wood shingles. The building was two stories tall, with three gun openings on the second floor and one on the first floor. Fort Blair also had two large 24-pounder cannons.

Location and Size

Fort Blair was the second largest of the three blockhouses. It measured sixteen feet by sixteen feet. It was located in the southern part of Fort Scott, between Main Street and Scott Avenue. The fort was several blocks south of the main military area of Fort Scott.

Fort Blair in Action

Fort Blair was ready to defend Fort Scott in late October 1864. This was when Confederate Major General Sterling Price led his soldiers through the area. Price was on a large raid into Arkansas, Missouri, and Kansas, but his plan was failing. He wanted to take over the defenders at Fort Scott. However, not a single shot was fired when Price's forces passed close enough to see the fort. Fort Blair helped keep Fort Scott safe without a fight.

What Happened to Fort Blair?

The military post of Fort Scott officially closed in October 1865. After the war, Fort Blair was the only one of the three blockhouses that was not torn down. Instead, it was carefully taken apart and moved at least two times. Finally, it was put back together and placed next to the Fort Scott National Historic Site. You can still see Fort Blair there today, standing as a reminder of the Civil War.