Fort Davis, Oklahoma was established in 1861 on the south bank of the
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...
two and one-half miles northeast of present-day
Muskogee, Oklahoma to serve as a
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
headquarters in
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
.
[Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] The fort's name honored
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...
Jefferson Davis.
[Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] First called
Cantonment Davis, its purposes were to help retain the loyalty of the
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
to
the Confederacy
The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized Secession in the United States, breakaway republic in the ...
and to prevent
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
invasions into
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
from the north.
[Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.]
When
Brigadier General Albert Pike was given command of all
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
troops in
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
in the fall of 1861,
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] he first located his headquarters at
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...
, which had been abandoned by
Federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
troops in 1857.
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] When
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
forces began to make inroads into the
territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
from the north, he withdrew his troops from
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...
to a more defensible site just across the river on the
Texas Road
The Texas Road, also known as the Shawnee Trail, Sedalia Trail, or Kansas Trail, was a major trade and emigrant route to Texas across Indian Territory (later Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri). Established during the Mexican War by emigrants rushin ...
, an important supply line, and began the construction of Fort Davis in November, 1861.
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] When complete, the fort comprised 13 wooden buildings, including
barracks, a
commissary
A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop.
In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...
,
stables, and other outbuildings
[Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] covering an area of about eight acres, without a
stockade.
[Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] The
post
Post or POST commonly refers to:
*Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries
**An Post, the Irish national postal service
**Canada Post, Canadian postal service
**Deutsche Post, German postal service
**Iraqi Post, Ira ...
centered on a
prehistoric mound that helped conceal troop activity and provided visibility of the surrounding area from its elevation.
[Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] Troops from the
Five Civilized Tribes
The term Five Civilized Tribes was applied by European Americans in the colonial and early federal period in the history of the United States to the five major Native American nations in the Southeast—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
, and
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
garrisoned the fort.
[Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.]
In 1862, Pike and his
Native American troops were ordered out to support
General Earl Van Dorn in northwest Arkansas. Despite valiant service by the
Indian Territory
The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...
soldiers, the
Confederates lost two key battles, the
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place in the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Federal f ...
in March and the
Battle of Prairie Grove
The Battle of Prairie Grove was a battle of the American Civil War fought on December 7, 1862. While tactically indecisive, the battle secured the Union control of northwestern Arkansas.
A division of Union troops in the Army of the Front ...
in December, and northwest
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and most of the
Cherokee Nation fell under
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
control.
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.]
With the
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
defeat at the
Battle of Pea Ridge
The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place in the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Federal f ...
, Fort Davis became increasingly vulnerable to attack.
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] When
Fort Gibson
Fort Gibson is a historic military site next to the modern city of Fort Gibson, in Muskogee County Oklahoma. It guarded the American frontier in Indian Territory from 1824 to 1888. When it was constructed, the fort was farther west than any ot ...
was seized by
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
troops, Pike put
Brigadier General Douglas H. Cooper in charge of Fort Davis and moved most of the
Native American regiments farther south, and Fort Davis's key role in the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
came to an end.
[Jonita Mullins: "Three Forks History: Fort McCullough replaced Fort Davis" in ''The Muskogee Phoenix'', https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/three-forks-history-fort-mccullough-replaced-fort-davis/article_d407c1a9-e2b2-5cfe-b02a-a8f658efca04.html, Mar 13, 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.]
On December 27, 1862,
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
troops led by
Colonel William A. Phillips burned Fort Davis.
[Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.] The fort's site was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1971.
[Kathy Weiser-Alexander: ''Fort Davis, Oklahoma'', https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-davis-oklahoma/, updated December 2017, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.][Jon D. May: "Fort Davis", Oklahoma Historical Society, ''The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'', http://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=FO032, last accessed 27 Oct 2018.]
References
External links
''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' article on Fort Davis
{{Oklahoma
United States Army posts
Davis
Davis may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Davis (Antarctica)
* Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago)
* Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land
Canada
* Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community
* Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...
Native American history of Oklahoma
Pre-statehood history of Oklahoma
Davis
Davis may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Mount Davis (Antarctica)
* Davis Island (Palmer Archipelago)
* Davis Valley, Queen Elizabeth Land
Canada
* Davis, Saskatchewan, an unincorporated community
* Davis Strait, between Nunavut and Gre ...
1861 establishments in Indian Territory
Military installations established in 1861