Fort McPherson (North Platte, Nebraska)
North Platte · Nebraska · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Located on the banks of the North Platte River, at the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon, a strategic location near the junction of South and North Platte Rivers, Fort McPherson served as a critical hub for military operations and civilian protection during the Plains Indian Wars. It functioned as an outpost to protect travelers along the Oregon and California Trails, between Fort Kearny and Colorado and to keep the peace with the local Native Americans.
First known as Cantonment McKean and then Fort Cottonwood, the fort in February 1866 was named for Major-General James B. McPherson, and it served to protect the important Platte Valley line of travel and communication and was the base for innumerable scouting parties and for field campaigns in 1865, 1866 and 1869. General Carr's campaign in 1869 broke the power of the Cheyenne and cleared the surrounding area from more than temporary Indian threats.
The post attracted major military figures; the Russian Grand Duke Alexis prepared here for his famous buffalo hunt in 1872, and General Custer, Buffalo Bill, the North Brothers and their Pawnee scouts were often at the Fort. The fort was abandoned in 1880. On October 13, 1873, a tract of 107 acres was set aside as a national cemetery, which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McPherson,_Nebraska
- https://history.nebraska.gov/marker-monday-fort-mcpherson/
- https://mynehistory.com/items/show/347
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=180897
- https://history.nebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/doc_Fort-McPherson-Nebraska-RG503.pdf
- https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftmcpherson.asp