Fort Cobb facts for kids

Fort Cobb was an important United States Army base built in 1859. It was located in what is now Caddo County, Oklahoma. The main reason for building it was to protect Native American tribes who had moved there. These tribes needed protection from raids by groups like the Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne.

Major William H. Emory was in charge of the fort. He left Fort Cobb at the start of the Civil War in 1861. The fort stayed empty until it was used again in 1868. After the Army built Fort Sill, Fort Cobb was no longer needed. Today, not much is left of the old military base.

Major Emory, who also commanded Forts Washita and Arbuckle, started Fort Cobb in October 1859. It was built on the west side of Pond Creek, close to where it met the Washita River. The fort was named after Howell Cobb, who was the Secretary of the Treasury at that time. In 1973, the site of Fort Cobb was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special place in history.

Why Fort Cobb Was Built

Several Native American tribes, including the Anadarko, Caddo, Tonkawa, and Penateka Comanche, made peace with the Texas government in 1854. Because of this, Texas created two land areas for them along the Brazos River.

However, other groups like the Northern Comanche were more warlike. They often raided white settlements in northern Texas. White settlers worried about all Native Americans, even the friendly ones. They started attacking the peaceful tribes along the Brazos River.

Moving Tribes to Indian Territory

To stop more fighting, Federal Indian Agents decided to move the friendly tribes. They moved them from Texas to Indian Territory, along the Washita River. The U.S. Army helped with this move. Major George H. Thomas led the escort, which began on August 1, 1859.

Before the move, leaders from nine different tribes met with Army officers. These tribes included those from the Brazos River area and the Wichitas. The Wichitas already had a reservation in Indian Territory. This meeting happened at Fort Arbuckle.

The government promised to protect the tribes from both white Texans and other hostile tribes. In return, the chiefs agreed to move their people near the Wichita Mountains. An area near Medicine Bluff had already been approved for a military post in 1855 and 1858. This approval came from Agent Douglas H. Cooper.

Choosing the Fort's Location

Elias Rector, who was in charge of Indian Affairs, was to pick the final spot for a new agency. His office was at Fort Smith. Rector went on a trip to Medicine Bluff, arriving on June 22, 1859. Several Indian Agents and the chiefs of the Caddoes and Wichitas joined him.

Rector reported that the Medicine Bluff site was not good. Heavy spring and summer rains made creeks flood and hard to cross. Hot summer winds caused "miasma," which was an old term for bad air. Also, malaria outbreaks had caused much suffering to the local Wichitas.

So, Rector's group marched further north to the Washita River. There, Rector found a good spot near Pond Creek. This creek was later renamed Cobb Creek. This is where Fort Cobb was finally built.

Fort Cobb During the Civil War

When the Civil War began, Fort Cobb had four companies of Federal troops. Colonel Emory ordered two companies to go to Fort Washita. The other two stayed at Fort Cobb. On April 17, 1861, Confederate troops from Texas took over Fort Washita.

On the same day, orders from Washington, D.C., told all Federal troops in Indian Territory to march to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Colonel Emory received this order while he was marching to Fort Cobb. A small group of Confederate troops, led by William C. Young and Indian Agent Mathew Leeper, then occupied Fort Cobb.

Confederate Control and Native Relations

In May 1861, Colonel Young made a "peace treaty" with the local Native tribes. He promised them the same protections they had with the U.S. government before the war. However, no official treaty was signed until Albert Pike, a Confederate Commissioner for Indian Affairs, arrived. He signed treaties with the chiefs on August 12, 1861.

But relations between the Confederates and the tribes became difficult. The Confederate government could not keep its promises. Agent Leeper, in particular, was very difficult with the Native people. In return, the chiefs were rude to Leeper and demanded he be removed. Leeper moved his family to safety in Texas. Many Native people, fearing trouble, left the Fort Cobb area. They went to live in Kansas until the Civil War ended.

Around thirty men from tribes allied with the Confederacy joined the Confederate Army. They were armed to guard the fort in 1862. No regular troops were sent there until May 1862. These men collected and guarded abandoned supplies through the summer. However, they left the fort in August.

After the War

On January 6, 1869, the last soldiers left Fort Cobb. They moved to Medicine Bluffs. There, they set up Camp Wichita on January 8. Fort Cobb was officially closed on March 29, 1869. Camp Wichita was then renamed Fort Sill. General Hazen moved the Kiowa and Comanche Agency to Fort Sill.