Fort Row, located on the south bank of the Verdigris River and east of the present town of Coyville, Kansas, was built in the fall of 1861, probably in October.
The militia was formed in summer 1861 to defend the area against raids by Confederate guerrillas who operated in eastern Kansas.
[1] Fort Row was built in a very flat area allowing for a good view of the surrounding land.
[2] The militia members stayed in the fort for the winter, keeping their horses inside the stockade.
Fort Row, however, is more well known for the fate of about 10,000 destitute Indians who arrived there in January 1862 seeking help to survive the harsh winter.
Confederate leaders hoped he would join them, but he sought to keep his people on neutral ground and avoid the conflict of the Civil War.
His plan for neutrality failed and in late 1861 the Creeks under him (defections to the Confederates cut his followers to about 9,000) and at least 2,600 Indians of other tribes headed for Fort Row.
They had no food and were forced to march 100 to 150 miles through snow and bitter cold before reaching Fort Row.
In late January or early February, William G. Coffin, the regional superintendent for Indian affairs, arrived to help.
He wrote back telling them if they could make it as far as fort Row his soldiers would be there to feed and protect them.
The locals do not view this as a conspiracy theory, but as a necessary evil, since the presence of so many hungry “savages” caused hardship on the surrounding communities and decimated the game they felt was rightfully theirs to feed their own families.
There is a small monument about a quarter mile away which says the site is unknown, but a little wandering soon allowed us to discover it beyond doubt.