174:
arrived with seventy-five cavalrymen, possibly adding to the original force. At this time the camp received its first name, Camp on Pawnee Fork. The Army found the site of the Camp very suitable for its escort protection needs, as it was located on an isolated stretch of the Santa Fe Trail. Steuart
178:
Since Bell had fewer horses, his force was not able to escort all the mail coaches. The men spent much time remaining alert for unfriendly
Indians and because of this, the name of the post was changed to Camp Alert on February 1, 1860. On May 4 Capt. Henry Wessels, the new post commander, arrived
179:
with more troops, increasing garrison to 160 men. Wessels looked for a better site for the post and moved it 3 miles (4.8 km) upstream, to the west. On May 29 the post was renamed
175:
was to protect the mail station, escort mail trains along about a 140 miles (230 km) stretch of the Santa Fe Trail and Lieut. David Bell, was reduced to thirty men.</ref>
301:
291:
171:
38:
155:, was founded by the U.S. Army to protect a mail station being built at a site called Pawnee Fork. This station, on the
180:
281:
167:
Indians who wanted the site left vacant. The first company of cavalry troops arrived Sept. 1, 1859.
286:
296:
25:
8:
265:"Camp Alert, Kansas," undated flyer (from the Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka).
156:
275:
53:
40:
73:
164:
133:
Capt. George H. Steuart, Lieut. David Bell, Capt. Henry
Wessels
160:
204:. Topeka: Kansas State Historical Society. pp. 5–9.
231:. Tucson: Western National Press Assn. pp. 5–6.
247:
208:
183:. The old site of Camp Alert was never again used.
235:
273:
19:Camp on Pawnee Fork (1859-60); Camp Alert (1860)
302:1860 disestablishments in the United States
292:1859 establishments in Kansas Territory
274:
253:
241:
226:
214:
199:
227:Utley, Robert M. (January 1, 1993).
13:
229:Fort Larned National Historic Site
14:
313:
202:Fort Larned on the Santa Fe Trail
259:
220:
193:
110:September 1, 1859, to May 1860
1:
186:
7:
10:
318:
102:September to November 1859
137:
127:
122:
114:
106:
98:
93:
85:
80:
69:
32:
23:
18:
282:United States Army posts
200:Oliva, Leo E. (1982).
26:Pawnee County, Kansas
170:On October 4, Capt.
123:Garrison information
149:Camp on Pawnee Fork
54:38.1738°N 99.1648°W
50: /
159:was threatened by
86:Controlled by
172:George H. Steuart
145:
144:
59:38.1738; -99.1648
309:
266:
263:
257:
251:
245:
239:
233:
232:
224:
218:
212:
206:
205:
197:
151:, later renamed
118:tents, wood, sod
81:Site information
65:
64:
62:
61:
60:
55:
51:
48:
47:
46:
43:
28:
16:
15:
317:
316:
312:
311:
310:
308:
307:
306:
287:Forts in Kansas
272:
271:
270:
269:
264:
260:
252:
248:
240:
236:
225:
221:
213:
209:
198:
194:
189:
129:
58:
56:
52:
49:
44:
41:
39:
37:
36:
24:
12:
11:
5:
315:
305:
304:
299:
297:Santa Fe Trail
294:
289:
284:
268:
267:
258:
256:, p. 5-6.
246:
234:
219:
217:, p. 5-9.
207:
191:
190:
188:
185:
157:Santa Fe Trail
143:
142:
139:
135:
134:
131:
125:
124:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
100:
96:
95:
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
78:
77:
71:
67:
66:
34:
30:
29:
21:
20:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
314:
303:
300:
298:
295:
293:
290:
288:
285:
283:
280:
279:
277:
262:
255:
250:
243:
238:
230:
223:
216:
211:
203:
196:
192:
184:
182:
176:
173:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
150:
140:
136:
132:
126:
121:
117:
113:
109:
105:
101:
97:
92:
88:
84:
79:
75:
72:
68:
63:
35:
31:
27:
22:
17:
261:
249:
244:, p. 9.
237:
228:
222:
210:
201:
195:
177:
169:
152:
148:
146:
94:Site history
181:Fort Larned
107:In use
57: /
33:Coordinates
276:Categories
254:Utley 1993
242:Oliva 1982
215:Oliva 1982
187:References
153:Camp Alert
130:commanders
45:99°09′53″W
42:38°10′26″N
115:Materials
89:U.S. Army
74:U.S. Army
165:Comanche
138:Garrison
161:Kiowa
99:Built
163:and
147:The
141:same
128:Past
76:post
70:Type
278::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.