The cantonment was intended only as a temporary facility, having nothing but tents and a few wooden shacks.

In November 1830, the Army ordered the construction of a permanent fort in the area, as it had been assigned for the relocation of the Choctaw from present-day what became Mississippi, under the Indian Removal Act.

The new fort was reestablished as "Camp Phoenix" to protect the Choctaw Nation.

These structures were built of logs, 1.5 stories tall, with 3 feet (0.91 m) limestone foundations and covered porches facing south.

These were one story high, but had higher foundations, effectively creating basements.

A storm in the same month blew the roofs off several buildings and did some other damage to the facility.

At the beginning of the American Civil War, the Confederacy took over the remaining buildings of the fort.

They had created an alliance with the Choctaw, promising them and other tribes a state of their own if the Confederacy won their war.

The last remaining Confederate Army troops were commanded by General Stand Watie (Cherokee), a principal chief of his nation until the end of the war.