Brief
History of Fort Leavenworth
During the1700s, the French and the Spanish competed for the Missouri river region. The French had more success mostly because they had better trading relations with the Native Americans. Because the French wanted to promote this trade, they founded Fort de Cavagnial in 1744 near present-day Fort Leavenworth. Later, France ceded territories west of the Mississippi to Spain and in 1764 evacuated Fort de Cavagnial.
For a short time, the territory reverted to France, but in 1803 it became a part of the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Beginning with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the Frontier Army took part in exploring, charting, and describing the vast new reaches of the country.
For over thirty years, the region including
Fort Leavenworth was known as the "Permanent Indian Frontier". Both
the Plains Indians and the immigrant eastern tribes who had been relocated west
of the 95th meridian lived in the region. The Frontier Army protected the
Indians from settlers. It worked to slow down the liquor traffic coming into
the Indian villages.
The Army also labored to reduce inter-tribal wars. It also worked to regulate and protect legal trade.
Protecting trade became a main responsibility
after Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico’s independence
increased the opportunity for trade with Santa Fe.
However, as trade increased, so did the need for military protection from hostile Indians along the Santa Fe Trail. The result was the establishment of Fort Leavenworth. Colonel Henry Leavenworth founded the fort in the spring of 1827.
Infantry soldiers from Fort Leavenworth began their escort duties in 1829. However, more mobile troops were needed to respond to the Plains Indians. First, the Battalion of Mounted Rangers was formed in 1832 as a temporary fix. Then, mounted regulars, known as dragoons, were established in 1833.
They replaced the infantry at Fort Leavenworth in 1834. Throughout the 1830s and 1840s the dragoons continued with both peace keeping missions and exploratory expeditions.
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Tension over territory increased between Mexico and the United States in the 1840s. Fort Leavenworth grew as a base of operations for the "Army of the West" in the conflict. Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny and his troops left from Fort Leavenworth in 1846 to secure New Mexico, California, and adjoining territories. After the capture of Santa Fe, they linked up with other American forces to retake California.
Other troops from Fort Leavenworth included those under Colonel Alexander W. Doniphan and Colonel Sterling Price. Support troops included the Mormon Battalion under Philip St. George Cooke.
The Mexican War concluded with the signing of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.
Resource: War with Mexico by William
Jay Jacobs (ISBN:
1-56294-366-9)
With the end of the Mexican War, traffic increased not only along the Santa Fe Trail, but also on the Oregon Trail. The discovery of gold in California turned this traffic into a torrent. More and more, whites encroached on the Native Americans' land. Troops from Fort Leavenworth were increasingly called on to safeguard the trails.
The fort became an essential supply depot and arsenal for forts further to the west. Military expeditions from Fort Leavenworth under General Albert Sidney Johnston assisted in 1857-58 with bringing the Mormons in Utah under Brigham Young back under federal control.
With the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the
Army spent much time attempting to keep the lid on the pot of trouble between
the proslavery bushwhackers and the free soil jayhawkers. During the Civil War,
thousand of recruits were recruited and mustered out from Camp Lincoln at Fort
Leavenworth.
Between 1861 and 1865, the regular army formed the foundation on which volunteer forces were built.
Fort Leavenworth was considered a rich prize by Confederate General Sterling Price. He advanced towards the fort in 1864. Before reaching the fort, however, he was defeated in the battle of Westport on October 23, 1864.
Railroads in the west came under increasing attack
by the Plains Indians during the Civil War. Because the western posts were
undermanned, confederate prisoners were called upon to help fight the Indians.
Five of these regiments were outfitted at Fort Leavenworth. After the Civil
War, many regular and volunteer troops saw the frontier army as a good
opportunity.
However, the Army was reduced to its pre-war status, with one new change. Four segregated black regiments, two cavalry and two infantry, were added. The first commander of the 10th Cavalry was Colonel Benjamin Grierson.
His unit gained fame as "Buffalo Soldiers", a name given them by the Indians. The 10th Cavalry transferred from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley to guard the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railroad. They eventually returned to Fort Leavenworth in 1931.
Between 1866 and the end of the Indian wars in the 1890s , the Frontier Army engaged in over one thousand battles and skirmishes with Native Americans. The Indians wanted to maintain their lands and freedom. The United States government wanted to place the Indians on reservations.
With the constant breaking of treaties and an inability to send the Indians promised supplies, the Indians did not feel compelled to keep the treaties.
Fort Leavenworth was directly involved in the Indian wars through 1878, when Chief Joseph's Nez Perce tribe was detained at the fort after their defeat in 1877.
Even as the role of the Frontier Army in
controlling the Native Americans began to diminish, the role of Fort
Leavenworth continued to expand in other ways. The military prison opened in
1875.
Prisoners produced military goods such as shoes, boots, and chairs. They quarried rock and constructed buildings. The prison's commitment to rehabilitation continues today with many vocational training programs.
In 1881, the School of Application for Infantry and Cavalry, the forerunner of today's Command and General Staff College was formed.
Although breaks in service came as a result of the wars of the 20th century, the schools have continued to produce many prominent students and instructors. These include George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, William Mitchell, "Hap" Arnold, Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, and George S. Patton, Jr.
Meanwhile, the Frontier Army performed its last
services for the United States. In 1870, the Army's Signal Corps developed a
national weather service. The Frontier Army also patrolled the first national
park, Yellowstone, to protect it from vandalism and poaching.
By 1886, Army engineer officers had become the superintendents of all national parks. They continued in this role until 1916 when the National Park Service took over.
The Frontier Army's final military actions took place in Mexico in 1916-17 as American troops sought to bring Pancho Villa to justice after he had attacked and looted the town of Columbus, New Mexico.
As America readied to enter World War I, the international American Expeditionary Force took over the reins.
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