[1] The area surrounding the fort was generally flat, providing an unobstructed view to the north, eat and west.
The Shirley County militia received twenty muskets and sixty boxes of ammunition for them from Fort Riley.
A number of settlers argued the site chosen could not be well defended if Indians hid in the brush across the river from it and fired upon it from there.
In a meeting concerning the planning of the fort an angry confrontation erupted and a number of settlers decided to take their chances with Indian attacks on their own.
In November 1864 the settlers requested Fort Riley's commander send soldiers to help guard the area.