Camp Drywood (Crawford County, Kansas)
Crawford County · Kansas · Civil War
History & Significance
Camp Drywood was established in fall 1862 about fifteen miles south of Fort Scott to serve as a Union military post guarding the area against Confederate guerrillas. However, the camp's primary historical significance lies in its role as a humanitarian refuge.
Beginning in late 1862, approximately 2,000 Cherokee and Creek Indians from Indian Territory who remained loyal to the Union were sheltered there, though they lacked adequate food and clothing. William G. Coffin, superintendent of Indian affairs, initially attempted to relocate them to the Sac and Fox reserve along the Kansas-Nebraska border, but the Indians refused.
In March 1863, Brigadier General James G. Blunt began moving the Indians back to Indian Territory, with Coffin providing food, clothing, seeds, and farming implements to help them sustain themselves once relocated. The relocation was completed in April 1863, and Camp Drywood was soon abandoned. The camp exemplifies the complex humanitarian challenges Union authorities faced managing displaced Native American populations during the Civil War.
Key Facts
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Drywood
- https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm
- https://www.history.com/articles/civil-war-native-american-indian-territory-cherokee-home-guard