Fort Adobe Walls

Fort Adobe Walls (1845-1848) - A trading post fort established in 1845 by William Bent in present-day Hutchinson County, Texas. Abandoned in 1848. Also known as Fort Adobe and Bents Fort. Fort Adobe Walls 28 Defenders Monument Fort Adobe Walls Battlefield Monument to the Three Defenders Killed Fort Adobe Walls Battlefield Indian Monument History Built as a log trading post by partners William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain in 1845 and later converted to adobe structures by Mexican adobe makers. The adobe fort was eighty feet square, with nine-foot walls and one entrance. Frequently attacked by hostile Comanche and Kiowa Indians during its life. Unable to stop the attacks, William Bent blew up the interior structures leaving only the exterior adobe walls standing and he abandoned the Fort. The First Battle of Adobe Walls In 1864 Colonel Kit Carson, 1st New Mexico Volunteer Infantry, and a force of 335 men used the fort remains as a defensive position against some 7,000 hostile Indians. Carson's strategic use of his cavalry and two mountain howitzers enabled him to hold off the superior Indian force. On 27 Nov 1864, Carson retreated from the area and back to Fort Bascom having lost only three killed and 25 wounded. The Indian losses were estimated at 100 to 150. The mountain howitzers on prairie carriages under the command of 1st Lt. George H. Pettis, Company K, 1st California Volunteer Infantry were responsible for breaking up the mass charges of the Indians and saving the day. The Second Battle of Adobe Walls On 27 Jun 1874, a group of buffalo hunters was attacked at Fort Adobe Walls by Chief Quanah Parker and 700 Comanche, Cheyenne and Kiowa Indians. The Indians were attempting to stop the slaughter of the plains buffalo but they clearly picked on the wrong group. The 28 hunters (and one woman) drove off the hostile Indians after three days with the loss of only three of the twenty-eight killed. Current Status Multiple markers in multiple locations, Huchinson County, Texas. Site is on private property without public access. Markers commemorating the Adobe Walls battles are at the gate of the property and accessible by the public. The battleground is in the publicly accessible area but the fort is not. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Near Sinnett, Huchinson County, Texas. The marker map points are accurate but the Fort map point may not be accurate. Maps & Images Lat: 35.889722 Long: -101.158056 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 2,668' GPS Locations: 35.88972, -101.15806 Fort Adobe Walls 35.74410, -101.41758 Fort Adobe Walls Markers 35.89326, -101.16192 Fort Adobe Walls Battlefield Markers Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 749 The Project Gutenberg EBook of Frontier service during the rebellion by George H. Pettis Links: North American Forts - Fort Adobe Walls Wikipedia - Adobe Walls Handbook of Texas On Line Texas Escapes - Adobe Walls, Texas Ghost Towns - Adobe Walls Visited: 29 Mar 2013