Discover the foundational story of Cantonment Martin, the historic site recognized as the first military post established in Kansas under the authority of the United States Government. This pivotal outpost played a crucial role in early American westward expansion and the celebrated Stephen H. Long Expedition of 1819-1820.
Established in October 1818, Cantonment Martin was strategically located on Isle au Vache, or Cow Island, a significant landmass within the Missouri River, now part of present-day Atchison County, Kansas. The post’s creation was spearheaded by Captain Wyly Martin and a detachment of the Third Rifle Regiment, primarily serving as an essential base of supplies for Major Stephen H. Long’s ambitious scientific and exploratory journey into the American West.
The Arrival of the Western Engineer and Early Diplomacy
Major Stephen H. Long and his team of explorers reached the site of Cantonment Martin on August 18, 1819. Their arrival was marked by a significant technological feat: they traveled aboard the Western Engineer, the very first steamboat to successfully navigate the Missouri River. This groundbreaking vessel not only facilitated their journey but also symbolized the nation’s burgeoning technological prowess.
Before embarking on his celebrated scientific journey further into the Rocky Mountains, Major Long engaged in vital diplomacy at Cantonment Martin. He orchestrated a peace powwow with 13 members of the Osage and 161 members of the Kanza (Kaw) Native American tribes. Such meetings were crucial for establishing peaceful relations and ensuring the safe passage of expeditions through indigenous territories, underscoring the delicate balance of power and cooperation on the American frontier.
A Winter of Waiting and Frontier Life
As Major Long and his primary exploration party pushed westward, Captain Wyly Martin and his men remained behind on Isle au Vache to construct and maintain the military post. The fort itself was hastily erected using readily available cottonwood logs, a testament to the resourcefulness required for frontier settlement. The detachment spent the harsh winter of 1819 at Cantonment Martin, enduring the challenges inherent to a remote military outpost.
Life at the cantonment was supported by individuals like John O’Fallon, a prominent citizen of St. Louis, Missouri, who served as the post sutler. Sutlers were essential to frontier military life, providing soldiers with vital goods and provisions not supplied by the government. Captain Martin had initially planned to vacate the cantonment early in the spring of 1819 and continue his march westward, but unexpected delays in the arrival of crucial supplies forced him to remain. This unforeseen setback meant the Third Rifle Regiment endured an extended stay, diligently maintaining the supply base until the main body of Major Long’s expedition returned in July.
Abandonment and Echoes of History
After the full contingent of Long’s Expedition finally returned in October 1820, the strategic purpose of Cantonment Martin concluded, and the camp was subsequently abandoned. Its role as a temporary logistical hub had been fulfilled. However, the site’s military utility wasn’t entirely forgotten. In 1826, the location was temporarily reoccupied by the First United States Infantry and was briefly renamed Camp Croghan, indicating a continued, albeit sporadic, need for a military presence along the Missouri River.
The impermanence of frontier structures, coupled with the relentless power of nature, eventually claimed the physical remnants of Cantonment Martin. By 1832, continuous floods from the mighty Missouri River had obliterated any remaining buildings on Isle au Vache. The island lay unoccupied for decades until its historical significance was briefly rekindled during the American Civil War. On June 3, 1861, members of the First Kansas Volunteers utilized the island as a staging ground for operations against the Confederate town of Iatan, Missouri, situated directly across the Missouri River. This final military chapter added another layer to the island’s storied past, connecting it to a much later, defining conflict in American history.
Conclusion: A Fleeting but Formative Legacy
Though its physical structures long ago succumbed to the forces of nature, the legacy of Cantonment Martin endures as a vital, albeit brief, chapter in American frontier and Kansas history. As the first U.S. military post in Kansas, it symbolizes the early ambitions of a young nation expanding westward, laying the groundwork for future settlement and exploration. Its role in supporting Stephen H. Long’s pivotal expedition, facilitating early diplomacy with Native American tribes, and providing a base of operations on the rugged Missouri frontier underscores its importance. Cantonment Martin represents the ephemeral but critical military outposts that enabled the grand narratives of American exploration and expansion.
