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

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

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

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

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

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 outbuildingsKathy 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 ...

, 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

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

and most of the Cherokee Nation fell under

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

defeat at the

, 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

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,

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

1861 establishments in Indian Territory Military installations established in 1861