Fort Belmont (Woodson County, Kansas)

Woodson County · Kansas · Civil War

Quick BriefFort Belmont, built about 1860 in southern Woodson County, Kansas, protected settlers from Border Ruffians and Indian attacks. More than 240 Creek Indian refugees perished there during the winter of 1861/62 after fleeing Confederate forces in Oklahoma, including the leader Opothleyahola and his daughter.

Civil War

History & Significance

Established around 1860 near Belmont, Kansas, this militia-staffed fort protected settlers during the Kansas-Missouri Border War. The fort comprised three or four officer cabins, a redoubt (an earthwork and log structure measuring 150 feet by 60 feet) a quarter mile to the north, and a parade ground a mile east.

Local militiamen led by Captain Joseph Gumby manned the post. A Federal agency for Osage and Creek Indians operated at the fort.

Most significantly, in 1861 Creek leader Opothleyahola led approximately 10,000 followers to Kansas fleeing Confederate pursuit; after insufficient provisions at Fort Row, survivors relocated to Fort Belmont where more than 240 died during the harsh winter of 1861/62, including Opothleyahola and his daughter, buried in nearby unmarked graves. On October 30, 1864, Governor Thomas Carney relieved the militia and permanently closed the fort. Though it stood until about 1871, the structure quickly deteriorated, leaving no visible remains today.