Visit to Fort Phil Kearny

We learn something every time we go to one of these forts.  And, I have to say, with the history of this Army fort and the nearby battles between the Native American Indians and the military, I am ashamed and embarrassed of what this country's directive was those years ago.  As I read in one of the displays at the fort - "the only good Indian is a dead Indian" - and the Army went all out to annihilate the Natives.  No wonder the Indians retaliated to the broken treaties, the lies, the blatant disregard to peace negotiations by the Army.

Relief map of Fort Phil Kearny, Wagon Box Fight, Fetterman Fight

Long story short - in 1866 the Army built a fort here in Buffalo called Fort Phil Kearny.  It's main purpose was to protect the miners who were traveling along the Bozeman Trail (runs right along here which was a short cut from Fort Laramie near Scotts Bluff, Nebraska to the gold fields in Virginia City, Montana) and to keep the Indians occupied so they would not bother the construction of the railroad being built in southern Wyoming.  However, with every fort and movement of people comes those settlers who would remain behind and these settlers were on Indian land, and, the Indians were very upset about this.

Many battles happened around here

Skirmishes happened, massacres took place (atrocities done by both Army and Indians), settlers were murdered, whole Indian villages were wiped out by the Army - it goes on and on.  An ah-hah happened while visiting this fort - Jim Bridger was there and warned Colonel Carrington of the Indians intentions, was disregarded and the result was the Fetterman Fight.

And we learn about Jim Bridger here also

Fort Phil Kearny only lasted 2 years, being abandoned in 1868.  The moment the Army left the Indians burned down the fort.  When we visited the fort yesterday, there were no buildings to see, only plots on the ground and markings as to what was where.  Well documented but sad just the same.  Within 50 miles of this fort are many skirmishes and battles between the Army and the Native Americans. And it was this fort and it's broken treaties that the Indians combined forces and developed attack strategies, perfecting them so that in 10 years time, Custer and his group would fall victim to the Indians' well developed strategy for warfare.

Flag on top of Signal Hill to keep fort informed of movement
outside of fort 

Was a very large fort!. Flagpole was 140 feet tall!