Fort Baxter (Kansas)

Fort Baxter was a short-lived U.S. Army outpost established in southeastern Kansas in 1863 during the American Civil War. It was located near the confluence of Cow Creek and the Spring River, close to the modern-day town of Baxter Springs. The fort’s primary purpose was to protect the military supply route known as the Military Road, which stretched from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). This road was vital for supplying Union troops operating in the region and controlling Confederate sympathizers and guerilla activity.

While officially named Fort Blair in honor of Montgomery Blair, Lincoln's Postmaster General, it was commonly referred to as Fort Baxter, named for the nearby town of Baxter Springs, which itself was named for Abner Baxter, an early settler.

The fort's garrison consisted primarily of volunteer units, including African American troops. It was a small installation, more of a fortified camp than a full-fledged fort.

On October 6, 1863, Fort Baxter was the site of a devastating Confederate attack led by William Quantrill. Quantrill's Raiders, disguised as Union soldiers, surprised and overwhelmed the fort's garrison, resulting in a significant number of Union casualties, including the massacre of unarmed soldiers and civilians. This event, known as the Baxter Springs Massacre, is a notable and controversial episode in the history of the Civil War in Kansas.

Following the massacre, the fort was briefly reoccupied and strengthened, but its strategic importance diminished as the war progressed. It was abandoned in 1865 after the conclusion of the Civil War. Today, little remains of the original fort site. A historical marker commemorates the location and the events that transpired there.