Fort Hamilton, Kansas, though not an official military installation, holds a significant place in the volatile history of Linn County during the turbulent era known as Bleeding Kansas. This site, initially a formidable log cabin, served as a crucial stronghold for pro-slavery forces under the notorious Charles A. Hamilton. The story of Fort Hamilton, Kansas, is inextricably linked to one of the most brutal acts of the Kansas-Missouri Border War: the Marais des Cygnes Massacre.
Situated near the trading post of Marais des Cygnes River, an area rife with bitter pro-slavery sentiment, the
