Kansas forts and posts facts for kids

Kansas has always been home to many forts and military posts. These places helped protect people and served as important centers for the military.

Kansas had a few military forts before 1854. That's when it became a territory of the United States. The French built Fort de Cavagnial near where Fort Leavenworth is today. This was the first military post in what is now Kansas. It was used from 1744 to 1764.

The United States gained most of Kansas in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. By 1854, the US Army had a few posts in Kansas. These forts mainly protected travelers on trails from attacks by Native Americans.

Kansas Territory: A Time of Conflict (1854–1861)

The Kansas–Nebraska Act was passed on May 30, 1854. This law created the new territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It also allowed settlers in these areas to decide if they wanted slavery. At this time, the North and South had very different ideas about slavery. This law caused a lot of trouble in the new territories.

Even before people officially moved in, groups from both the North and South sent settlers. These groups wanted people loyal to their side to settle in Kansas. Northerners and Southerners often settled very close to each other. Many felt that settling Kansas was very important for their cause.

Right away, a kind of civil war started in Kansas. This fighting went on and off until the main US Civil War ended in 1865.

Before the rush of settlers, only a few US Army posts were in Kansas. In June 1854, the Army only had Fort Atkinson, Fort Riley, and Fort Leavenworth. Fort Scott had already been closed. In western Kansas, Native Americans were often unfriendly to white settlers. In eastern Kansas, Native Americans were usually more welcoming. So, most settlers and forts were in eastern Kansas.

The arrival of settlers greatly changed the Army's job in Kansas. Different groups of settlers deeply mistrusted each other. The Army had to act like a police force. Their job was to stop the fighting and terrible acts between these groups.

Many temporary Army camps were set up to protect settlers from each other. Permanent forts had strong buildings. But these camps usually only had tents. One camp, Camp Sackett, even moved several times. This happened when the horses ate too much grass around the camp.

Army men who later fought on both sides of the Civil War served in Kansas Territory. Future Civil War generals like Nathaniel Lyon, J. E. B. Stuart, and Philip St. George Cooke were among them.

The fighting groups also built their own forts and camps. Most were log cabins that were made stronger in some way. They often had small holes for rifles. Some groups even had small cannons that could be moved easily.

Many forts were built from dirt, and at least one was made of stone. Some settlers also made their cabins and houses stronger. All these fortified homes had rifle holes.

Leaders like James Lane, James "Fighting Preacher" Stewart, and Sheriff Samuel Jones encouraged their followers to fight. Many battles happened, often to destroy the forts of the other side. People from Missouri also raided northern settlers in Kansas. And Kansas Jayhawkers raided into Missouri.

Also, radical abolitionists (people who wanted to end slavery) like John Brown stirred up more trouble. Surprisingly, only about 50 men were killed in this fighting during the territorial times.

The most serious fighting began with the Wakarusa War in late 1855. During this time, Lawrence was first threatened by groups from Missouri. The situation calmed down, but on May 21, 1856, another southern army attacked Lawrence. They caused a lot of damage. Two days later, John Brown's group killed five Southerners near Osawatomie. A real war then began. Peace only returned when four southern forts (Fort Titus, Fort Saunders, and forts in Franklin and New Georgia) were taken over.

Some settlers in quiet areas built new forts. These were to protect their communities from Native American raids. Examples include two forts in Washington, Kansas, a fort in Iola, and Fort Drinkwater.

The number of forts in the territory changed over time. In 1854–1855, there were five forts. This number grew to 17 in 1856. It then dropped to nine by 1858. By 1860, the number increased again to 17.

Kansas During the Civil War (1861–1865)

On January 29, 1861, Kansas joined the United States as a free state. This was a loss for the Southern cause. Even so, many Southerners remained in eastern Kansas. When the Civil War began, about 20,000 Missouri men joined the Union Army. About 1,000 joined the Confederate forces. However, many Southerners in Kansas strongly supported the Union. They wanted Kansas to remain their home.

Becoming a state changed the types of forts in Kansas. The fighting between settlers ended. But many settler forts still protected against Native American attacks. Only one camp, Livingston's Hideout, might have been a Confederate post in Kansas during the Civil War. All other forts were on the Union side. The number of forts also grew. Kansas had 26 forts in 1861, and this number increased to 43 by 1864. By the end of the war in 1865, the state still had 36 forts and posts.

The forts still served similar purposes as before. The Army kept some to protect travelers and settlers from Native Americans. Some new Army posts were built to protect communities along the Kansas–Missouri border. These protected against Confederate soldiers and guerrilla fighters.

Other Army posts, like Fort Scott, Fort Leavenworth, and Fort Riley, were main headquarters. They were part of a chain of forts across the West. Forts Leavenworth and Scott also became major bases. From there, Union forces tried to take back parts of Indian Territory, Missouri, and Arkansas from the Confederacy.

Riley, Leavenworth, and Scott were used for other things too. Sometimes, all three held Confederate prisoners. Leavenworth was even used to turn captured Confederates into "Galvanized Yankees."

Galvanized Yankees: A Special Kind of Soldier

"Galvanized Yankees" were Confederate prisoners. They were organized into new Union Army units. These units were used to staff frontier forts in Native American lands. They were never used to fight other Confederates. This was because they might have refused to fight their former allies. Most Galvanized Yankees probably joined these units to escape the harsh conditions in prison camps.

Other Union soldiers often looked down on these "reformed" Confederates. They saw them as traitors to the Union first, and then to the Confederacy. So, they were seen as having no good qualities. Also, Galvanized Yankees could not expect respect back home in the South for joining the Union Army. It's not surprising that many of them deserted once they were sent out.

Fort Zarah and Fort Larned had many of these former Confederate prisoners for a time. The Union used Confederate prisoners because the Army had few men to spare. They needed soldiers to protect trails and settlers.

Many forts built by the Army were sometimes staffed entirely by volunteer or militia forces. These groups were raised to fight Confederates. Other jobs for Army forts included serving as post offices. They also became headquarters for Native American agencies. One fort, Fort Lincoln, was used as a prison for captured Confederates for a time.

Once the Civil War started, many communities built forts. Most of these were made of logs. Some had special duties. In Humboldt, one fort was a strong mill. Another was a strong dry goods store. Fort Drinkwater served as a post office. Fort Montgomery (Eureka) was even used as a school house.

The strength of military and community forts varied a lot. Surprisingly, some community forts were stronger than some military ones. However, a few of the strongest forts were built by the Army. Fort Sully, built near Fort Leavenworth, was in a location that made it almost impossible to capture. Camp Ben Butler, at Baxter Springs, was also in a very strong location.

Weaker forts included Fort Larned, which was first built mostly of adobe. Many military forts started as groups of buildings and dugouts with sod roofs. These would have been hard to defend against big attacks. Forts Dodge and Zarah also started as weak forts. Fort Zarah later became one of the state's strongest forts.

Three events caused Kansas to build more forts quickly after the Civil War began. One was the Army's failed attempt to get rid of Confederate guerrilla attacks in eastern Kansas. Twice, in 1861 and 1862, regular Confederate forces moved into southeast Kansas. Also, Confederate Native American forces tried to take Fort Larned in southwest Kansas in May 1862. But the Native Americans lost interest and never reached the fort. The Army's main concern was to protect Kansas from guerrilla groups. These groups terrorized people on both sides of the Kansas–Missouri border.

On March 13, 1863, Col. Thomas Ewing, Jr. was promoted to general. He was given command of the District of the Border. This area included all of Kansas and parts of other places. Ewing's job was to keep the border safe from guerrilla attacks. To do this, Ewing decided to build Army posts along the Kansas–Missouri border. They stretched from the Missouri River in the north to the Indian Territory border in the south. He wanted the posts to be no more than ten miles apart. New posts like Coldwater Grove, Potosi, and a series of posts at Baxter Springs were built.

By summer 1863, people thought the line of posts would stop guerrilla attacks in Kansas. However, many small raids still happened. One even occurred as far west as Council Grove. The guerrillas often escaped the Army's troops. Many of these troops were too new to their patrol duties. Also, Union forces often had horses and weapons that were not as good as those of the guerrillas. Finally, some of the Union officers under Ewing were not very good at their jobs.

Still, people felt a false sense of security. Lawrence, for example, even passed a rule stopping its residents from having guns in the city. All weapons and ammunition were to be locked in the town's armory. Even the new soldiers in two camps in town had no ammunition. The commander of the troops in Lawrence had to keep his own sidearms in the armory.

This false sense of security was suddenly broken on a hot August day. On the afternoon of August 20, guerrilla leader William C. Quantrill and almost 450 followers rode into Kansas. They headed for Lawrence. Surprisingly, some people knew about Quantrill's movements. The soldiers at Aubry, west of the Missouri border, watched the guerrillas pass near their post. The commander there did not even try to find out who the passing force was.

The next morning, Quantrill's men attacked a defenseless Lawrence. They committed one of the Civil War's worst acts. Much of Lawrence was looted and burned. About 180 men and boys, almost all defenseless, were shot dead. About 6,000 Union soldiers and Kansas and Missouri militiamen tried to capture or destroy the guerrilla force. But almost all the guerrillas got away. The retreating guerrillas even briefly took over the post at Paola during their quick escape.

Ewing responded by issuing General Orders No. 11. This order forced almost everyone to leave a large area on the Missouri side of the border. Part of the idea was to take away the guerrillas' base of operations. However, the guerrilla attacks continued.

Quantrill even attacked Fort Blair (Fort Baxter), at present-day Baxter Springs, on October 6. The fort was successfully defended. But 91 Union soldiers and Army employees were killed, and about 25 were wounded. Estimates say three to 30 guerrillas were killed and at least three were wounded. Many Union troops who died that day had surrendered to Quantrill's men. They were then murdered in another terrible act of the war.

Most of the posts Ewing established remained, even though they didn't stop all guerrilla raids. They did provide some protection. Without them, there probably would have been more raids.

In 1864, more conflicts with Native Americans led to new community and Army forts being built. In March 1864, many Native American tribes held meetings. They discussed how to keep white settlers out of their lands. By late spring, Plains Native Americans began attacking white settlements and travelers in western Kansas. They wanted to force the whites out.

This led to raids to get horses from Fort Larned and Fort Ellsworth. Also, all available troops were sent to fight Confederates. So, Galvanized Yankee units were used to strengthen some garrisons. Some settler forts were used to guard communities against Native American attacks. A number of new Army posts and community forts were built to protect areas from hostile Native Americans. Western Kansas was under attack through the next winter.

In fall 1864, Maj. Gen. Sterling Price led a Confederate invasion (Price's Missouri Raid). He wanted to capture St. Louis and invade Illinois. This invasion began on August 28. Price started in southwest Arkansas with 12,000 poorly equipped troops. He expected to conquer St. Louis. When faced with 6,000 Union troops there, Price changed his plans. He decided to try and take back Missouri for the Confederacy.

Price was constantly met by Federal troops or Missouri state militia. He could not permanently hold any areas. His invasion became more like a big raid. He was cut off from Confederate support in Arkansas and Texas. However, when Price turned west from St. Louis, Kansas authorities became worried. By mid-October, Price was nearing Kansas City.

The threat from Price caused a big reaction. It changed the status of many forts in eastern Kansas. Many towns sent troops to meet the Confederates. A number of small Army posts were emptied or left with very few soldiers. This was so as many soldiers as possible could face Price's men. New forts were built to help defend Fort Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Topeka (the state capital) against Confederates.

The threat to eastern Kansas was very real. Price said he wanted to eat dinner at Fort Leavenworth. This showed he hoped to capture that important post. Price kept moving west. But he was strongly defeated on October 23 in the Battle of Westport. Westport was just southeast of Kansas City. This defeat ended the Confederate advances. It forced the invaders into a quick retreat toward safe territory.

This retreat was along the Kansas–Missouri border. The presence of so many Confederates broke up the line of posts Ewing had established. On the way south, a number of posts were threatened. Price's men briefly occupied the Army posts at Trading Post and Potosi. On October 25, the Confederates were defeated again in the Battle of Mine Creek. Mine Creek was near Mound City, which was the site of another major post.

On the day of the battle, the old post of Fort Lincoln was destroyed by Confederates. After threatening the city and post of Fort Scott, Price's troops left the area. Several posts abandoned by the Union during Price's raid were not reopened. The fighting left many wounded on both sides. Many of these were taken to Mound City and Fort Leavenworth.

With the end of Price's raid, guerrilla activity along the border decreased. It did not fully disappear until about a year after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered in Virginia in April 1865. Only then did most community and Army posts close. They were no longer needed.

Kansas Military Posts During World War II

During World War II, Kansas saw a lot of military activity. Existing posts trained many men for war. New facilities, mostly airfields, were built.

Army Airfields in Kansas

Many US Army Air Force facilities in Kansas were training fields. Here's a summary of some World War II Army airfields:

• Coffeyville Army Airfield, Coffeyville, Kansas. This airfield opened in 1942 to train pilots. It closed in 1945 and later became the Coffeyville Municipal Airport.
• Dodge City Army Airfield, Dodge City, Kansas. This was a training base for pilots from different countries, including American women pilots. It closed in 1945 and later became the Dodge City Municipal Airport.
• Fairfax Army Airfield, Kansas City, Kansas. This was a civilian airport that the US Army leased in 1941. B-25 Mitchell bombers were built here. It also modified aircraft for specific war uses. Parts of it were military until 1954.
• Garden City Army Airfield, Garden City, Kansas. Construction began in 1942 for this training field. It later became a storage facility for aircraft. In 1948, it became the Garden City Regional Airport.
• Great Bend Army Airfield, Great Bend, Kansas. This training field was active until 1945. Part of it became the Great Bend Municipal Airport. A drag strip and the Barton County Speedway were also built on parts of the old airfield.
• Herington Army Airfield, Herington, Kansas. This airfield was built in 1942 to prepare planes, supplies, and people for war zones. It later became Herington Regional Airport.
• Independence Army Airfield, Independence, Kansas. Construction began in 1942 for this training facility. It later stored aircraft until 1947. It eventually became Independence Municipal Airport.
• Liberal Army Airfield, Liberal, Kansas. This airfield trained people who would work with B-24 Liberator bombers. It was active until 1945 and later became the Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport.
• Pratt Army Airfield, Pratt, Kansas. This training field, built in 1942, trained troops for B-29 Superfortress bombers. It closed in 1945 and became Pratt Regional Airport.
• Sherman Army Airfield, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This facility is still used by the military today.
• Smoky Hill Army Airfield, Salina, Kansas. This airfield, built in 1942, trained bomber crews. It later became Smoky Hill Air Force Base, then Schilling Air Force Base. Today, parts of it are used by the Kansas Army National Guard and the Salina Municipal Airport.
• Strother Army Airfield. This facility was between Winfield, Kansas and Arkansas City, Kansas. It was leased by the US Army during World War II for flight training. It later became Strother Field Airport, a municipal airport.
• Topeka Army Airfield, Pauline, Kansas. This airfield, built in 1942, trained B-29 Superfortress bomber crews. It became Forbes Air Force Base and was reactivated several times. Today, the Kansas Air National Guard uses part of it, sharing runways with Topeka Regional Airport.
• Walker Army Airfield, northeast of Victoria, Kansas. This field also trained B-29 Superfortress bomber crews. It closed in 1946 and is now privately owned and not used.
• Wichita Army Airfield, Wichita, Kansas. This airfield began as Wichita Municipal Airport in 1929. During World War II, the Army Air Force took it over. B-29 Superfortress bombers were made here. In 1951, it became McConnell Air Force Base and is still open today.
• Eight smaller auxiliary Army airfields were connected to these larger ones. After the war, some became farms again, or small private air strips.

Naval Air Stations in Kansas

Kansas also had two Naval air stations:

• Naval Air Station Hutchinson, Reno County, Kansas. This station, built in 1942, trained U.S. Navy pilots. It was reactivated from 1952 to 1958. Today, parts of it are used by the Federal Aviation Administration and a gliderport.
• Naval Air Station Olathe, northeast of Gardner, Kansas. This facility opened in 1942. It trained U.S. Navy pilots and was a transport center. Future astronaut John Glenn trained here. It is now a joint civilian-military airfield.
• Four auxiliary fields were connected to these two Naval air stations.

Other Military Facilities in Kansas

• Sunflower Ordnance Works, southwest of De Soto, Kansas. This plant opened in 1942. It made propellants for the war and employed over 12,000 people. It closed in 2001.

Prisoner of War Camps in Kansas

Kansas held prisoners of war (POWs) from Germany and Italy in fifteen locations. Some were kept at Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth. Others were in places like Camp Phillips, near Smolan, Kansas. Camp Phillips trained soldiers and also held about 3,000 German and Italian POWs.

• Camp Concordia, northeast of Concordia, Kansas. This was the largest POW camp in Kansas. It held over 4,000 German prisoners from 1943 to 1945. It had 300 buildings and 800 American soldiers working there.
• Lawrence site, Lawrence, Kansas. This small facility opened in 1945. It housed 100 German POWs. They helped build Danforth Chapel and plant trees on the University of Kansas campus. It closed in 1945.

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