In 1842 a large log fort was built at Trading Post by the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

, upon the order of Gen.

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as Commanding General of the United States Army from 1841 to 1861, and was a veteran of the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, Mexica ...

. This fort was on the Fort Leavenworth-Fort Gibson Military Road. The completed fort was fairly elaborate. It included space to house a company of

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

s and their horses. Also, it contained a hospital and store houses. Gaps along the outside walls of buildings were filled in with stockade walls. The buildings were built around a large interior open area. In spite of the considerable work going into the fort's construction, it was used for only a short time, possibly only weeks. The troops there abandoned the fort and moved further south to build Fort Scott. Private individuals made use of the fort and troops did not use it until 1861, when the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

erupted. The first time the use of Trading Post's fort was mentioned during the Civil War was when troops were stationed there in September 1861, although it appears they soon left. Between early 1862 and June 1864 Trading Post was almost continuously occupied by troops. In 1862 Col. Charles R. Jennison led troops stationed there, but the settlers complained about their unruliness. Jennison's men were then removed. In October 1864 the troops at Trading Post were removed and sent to

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to meet Confederate forces under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price. After Price was defeated October 23 in the

Battle of Westport The Battle of Westport, was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union Army, Union forces under Major General (United States), Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumber ...

, his forces moved south along the Kansas-Missouri border. The next day some of his men occupied Trading Post and two imposing hills north of town. Price himself was with them. Union forces arrived in the evening and at 3 AM October 25 the Battle of Marais des Cygnes began. The Union forces dislodged the Confederates from the hills and then about daylight charged into Trading Post, capturing 100 Confederates. All Confederate forces retreated south and later that day the Battle of Mine Creek forced the Confederates to continue their southward march toward Arkansas. Soon after Price left the area troops were sent to garrison Trading Post again. A stable and some living quarters were built in February 1865. Troops remained until at least early June 1865. After troops left for good, the old fort was occupied for a time by two families. Later it was demolished, as a road was built through the fort.Col. U. B. Pearsall, report, ''The War of the Rebellion'' (1896), Series I, Vol. XLVIII, Part II, pp. 785–6.

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Linn County, Kansas Forts in Kansas United States Army posts 1842 establishments in the United States