Fort Gibson

When we arrived at the town of Fort Gibson, we  accidentally went to the city cemetery instead of the historic national military cemetery which was where we intended to go.  But we were glad we stopped there!

We made our way to the fort that was established in 1824.

Fort Gibson served as a vital military post on the western frontier for nearly 70 years.

This was a final stop on the Trail of Tears for thousands of Cherokee, Creek and Seminole families.  Fort Gibson served as a supply point and source of protection for the newly arrived and often starving victims of forced removal.

 

 US authorities decided that Fort Smith, AR was too far east to effectively maintain peace between the newly arrived Western Cherokee and the more established Osage.  The two tribes had been on the verge of open warfare virtually since the Cherokee began to arrive in the region.

 

The home below belonged to Henry Clay Meigs, the first postmaster of Fort Gibson.  When the Civil War broke out, the Cherokee were divided in sympathy between the North and South, and as in many other cases, the line of division cut through Henry and his brothers. His two brothers joined the Union army and he the Confederate service from 1861-62. He was a private in Company H, First Cherokee Mounted Rifles, and saw action at Chuisto-Talasah, Cherokee Nation.

Eventually there was another site for a new fort, built more along the plan of a modern military post. It served as an important base for troops marching south to Texas and Mexico during the Mexico-American war and also as an important supply point for those headed to the California Gold Rush.

Next - The historic frontier burial ground of the National Cemetery.