Nestled on the south bank of the Verdigris River in what is now Wilson County, Kansas, lay a modest yet profoundly significant outpost during the American Civil War: Fort Row. Established in the summer of 1861 under the command of Captain John Row, this small headquarters for the Union Army’s local volunteer-mounted militia was designed to protect the region from Confederate guerrilla raids. However, its most enduring legacy stems from its unexpected role as a desperate refuge for thousands of Native Americans caught in the brutal crossfire of the conflict.
The Construction and Purpose of Fort Row
Constructed in the fall of 1861 on land owned by John Shaffer, Fort Row was a pragmatic defense. It comprised three sturdy blockhouses, each measuring 16 by 24 feet and built from heavy logs. These structures were fortified by a six-foot-tall log stockade on three sides, with the steep riverbank providing a natural barrier on the fourth. An additional earthwork embankment and strategically placed rifle portholes completed its defenses, offering the 70-80 militia troops stationed there a commanding view of the surrounding prairie. That winter, approximately 80 militia troops and their horses occupied the fort, ready to defend against Confederate incursions.
Opothle Yoholo and the Creek Nation’s Ordeal
As the Civil War raged, its repercussions extended far beyond traditional battlefields, deeply impacting Native American communities. In Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma), the respected Creek Indian leader Opothle Yoholo sought to maintain his people’s neutrality, desiring to avoid entanglement in a war that was not theirs. Despite his efforts, neutrality proved impossible. Confederate forces, hoping to sway his sizable following of 12,000-13,000, instead forced him into a tragic exodus.
Having already endured forced displacement from their ancestral lands in Alabama and Georgia years prior, Opothle Yoholo and his people were staunchly loyal to the federal government. In August 1861, he appealed directly to President Abraham Lincoln for aid. The Union promised asylum and assistance in Kansas, instructing him to lead his followers to Fort Row.
The Trail of Blood on Ice: A Desperate Journey to Kansas
In November 1861, Confederate Colonel Douglas H. Cooper initiated a campaign to compel Opothle Yoholo’s followers to join the Confederacy or drive them from the territory. Believing in the Union’s promise, approximately 9,000 Creek, Seminole, and mixed Black and Indian people embarked on a harrowing journey north toward Kansas. This desperate trek, often called the
