Fort McCulloch was a Confederate military fort built by CSA Brigadier General Albert Pike

Albert Pike

Albert Pike was an attorney, Confederate officer, writer, and Freemason. Pike is the only Confederate military officer or figure to be honored with an outdoor statue in Washington, D.C...

 in the Indian Territory

Indian Territory

The Indian Territory, also known as the Indian Territories and the Indian Country, was land set aside within the United States for the settlement of American Indians...

 during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 after the Battle of Pea Ridge

Battle of Pea Ridge

The Battle of Pea Ridge was a land battle of the American Civil War, fought on March 6–8, 1862, at Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, near Garfield. In the battle, Union forces led by Brig. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis defeated Confederate troops under Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn. The outcome of the...

.

History

After the southern states seceded from the United States of America, Albert Pike negotiated treaties between the Five Civilized Tribes

Five Civilized Tribes

The Five Civilized Tribes were the five Native American nations—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole—that were considered civilized by Anglo-European settlers during the colonial and early federal period because they adopted many of the colonists' customs and had generally good...

 and the Confederate

Confederate States of America

The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...

 government, promising that the Confederacy would take over the obligations that the Union failed to fulfill and take over defense for the Indian Territory. Pike was appointed commander of the Department of the Indian Territory.

Pike's Native American troops participated in the Battle of Pea Ridge near Leetown, Arkansas in March 1862. The battle was a defeat for the Confederate Army, and Pike retreated to the southern Indian Territory. On the west side of the Blue River

Blue River (Oklahoma)

The Blue River is a tributary of the Red River in southern Oklahoma in the United States. Via the Red River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River....

 near Nail's Crossing

Nail's Station

Nail's Station was a stage stand on the old Butterfield Overland Mail route and the Texas Road in Indian Territory. Sometimes called Blue River Station or Nail's Crossing, it was located on the east side of Blue River in what is now Bryan County, Oklahoma. It was operated by Joel H...

, he established Fort McCulloch, named for General Benjamin McCulloch

Benjamin McCulloch

Benjamin McCulloch was a soldier in the Texas Revolution, a Texas Ranger, a U.S. marshal, and a brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War.-Early life:...

, who fell in battle at Pea Ridge.

Fort McColloch was built to defend Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

from a Union attack. It had extensive earthworks designed to defend against any advance.

Further reading

• May, Jon D. Fort McCulloch
• Morrison, W. B. Fort McCulloch Chronicles of Oklahoma 4:3 (September 1926) 216-222
• Fort McCulloch