Mount Oread Civil War posts (Lawrence, Kansas)

Lawrence · Kansas · Civil War

Quick BriefAfter William Quantrill's devastating guerrilla raid on August 21, 1863, Union soldiers were permanently camped on Mount Oread by early 1864. Construction began on Fort Ulysses in July 1864, with a battery of cannon placed atop the hill. The military complex remained in use until the end of the Civil War.

Civil War

History & Significance

Lawrence was poorly defended before the Civil War until William Quantrill's guerrilla raid devastated the town on August 21, 1863. Early 1864 saw Union soldiers permanently encamped atop and along the slopes of Mount Oread, positioned southwest of the town.

The initial camp was named Camp Ewing, after Brigadier General Thomas Ewing. A cannon battery was positioned on Mount Oread's summit, and Fort Ulysses construction commenced in July 1864.

Lawrence citizens participated in building the fort. The fort's completion date remains unknown; it was still under construction in December 1864 and may never have been finished.

In October 1864, Confederate General Sterling Price's advance through Missouri raised urgent pressure to protect Lawrence. The threat subsided when Price was defeated at the Battle of Westport on October 23. After the war, these installations were eventually abandoned and dismantled.