Fort Phil Kearny

Fort Phil Kearny (1866-1868) - Established as Fort Carrington by Col. Henry B. Carrington of the 18th U.S. Infantry in Jul 1866. Renamed for popular Union General, Philip Kearny, finally abandoned 31 Jul 1868.

Fort Kearny, circa 1867	Fort Phil Kearny

History of Fort Phil Kearny

Built to protect emigrants traveling the Bozeman Trail north to the gold fields of Montana, and also to prevent intertribal warfare between Native American tribes.

Fort Phil Kearny was the largest of three forts constructed along the Bozeman Trail. The stockade enclosing the fort was 8' high, 1,496' long, 600' wide on the North end and 240' wide on the South end.

Chief Red Cloud redoubled his efforts in the spring of 1867 against the three northern forts and travel on the Bozeman Trail was all but cut off. For over a year the southern forts had scarcely any communication from Fort C.F. Smith (1) except from one band of Crows that reported all was well.

As a result of the military reversals and increasing pressure from the Indians under Red Cloud the U.S. Government capitulated and negotiated the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which resulted in the abandonment of the three northern forts (Fort Reno (2), Fort Phil Kearny, and Fort C.F. Smith (1)) and the cessation of travel on the Bozeman Trail. The Sioux Indians destroyed the three forts immediately after the troops had left the country.

Current Status

In 1963 the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark and today portions of the fort site and the Fetterman and Wagon Box battlefields are included within the Fort Phil Kearny State Historic Site boundaries. There is a partial restoration of the front of the stockade and one "bastion".

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Location: 2 miles from Exit 44 of U.S. Hwy. I-90, between Sheridan & Buffalo, Johnson County, Wyoming. Maps & Images Lat: 44.532225 Long: -106.826205 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 4700'

Sources:

• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 202
• Field, Ron, Forts of the American Frontier 1820-91: Central and Northern Plains, Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom, 2005, ISBN: 1 84176 775 1, page 18-19
• 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 861

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Phil Kearny
• State Historic Site
• Travel to Wyoming
• State Park
• Wikipedia - Fort Phil Kearny
• Society of the Military Horse thread on Ft. Phil Kearny

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