History

Fort Hays was an important frontier outpost of the United States Army in the western state of Kansas between 1865 and 1889. It's original name was Fort Fletcher (after Governor Thomas C. Fletcher of Missouri), and became operational on October 11, 1865. Fort Fletcher was originally located about five miles south of present day Walker, Kansas. The army garrisoned the fort to protect the stage and freight wagons of the Butterfield Overland Despatch traveling along the Smoky Hill Trail to Denver. // United States In the United States, the frontier was the term applied to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of existing settlements of Americans. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Official language(s) none Capital Topeka Largest city Wichita Area  Ranked 15th  - Total 82,277 sq mi (213,096 km²)  - Width 211 miles (340 km)  - Length 417 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ... Thomas Clement Fletcher (January 21, 1827 – March 25, 1899) was the Governor of Missouri during the latter stages of the American Civil War and the early part of Reconstruction. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ...

Flecher troops spent much of their time away from their post, guarding stage stations and escorting travelers. Fort Fletcher was closed in early 1866. There are several reasons why it was closed. The army was shorthanded, needed funds to maintain the post were unavailable, and Indians temporarily had forced the stageline from the route. This abandonment was not permanent, however, and Fort Flecher was reestablished in October 1866. Soon after its reoccupation the fort's name was changed. The Fort received the name "Fort Hays" from Civil War general Alexander Hays, who had been killed in 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... Alexander Hays (July 8, 1819 – May 5, 1864) was a Union Army general in the American Civil War, killed in the Battle of the Wilderness. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 101,895 61,025 Casualties 18,400 11,400 The Battle of the Wilderness was the first battle of Lieut. ...

New Location

The troops at Fort Hays continued to aid the railroad crews, but the post's location proved to be unsatisfactory for two reasons: the railroad was following a route to the north of the old trail and the post was located in a floodplain that could be destructive. General Winfield Scott Hancock, made the decision to move the post nearer the railroad while visiting there in early 1867. He determined that the post could better serve the railroad if it were moved to a site near where the railroad crossed Big Creek. The new and final location of Fort Hays would be located just south of present day Hays, Kansas. The new Fort Hays site was offically occupied on June 23, 1867. Portrait of Winfield S. Hancock during the Civil War Winfield Scott Hancock (February 14, 1824 – February 9, 1886) was a career U.S. Army officer who served with distinction as a general in the American Civil War and ran unsuccessfully for President of the United States in 1880. ... Hays is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, near the intersection of Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 183. ...

The new fort, like other Plains forts, was not a true fortification but appeared to be more like a frontier settlement. There was no wall around the post, and the only defensive structure was a blockhouse. The post was designed as a base for supplies and troops who could be dispatched into the field to protect vulnerable people and places when Indian resistance appeared.

Abandonment

Fort Hays was abandoned on November 8, 1889. A decade later, Congress transferred the original land to the State of Kansas to be used for a branch of the state agricultural college. Fort Hays State University, the only state university in the western half of Kansas, evolved from this. Four of the original buildings: the stone blockhouse, stone guardhouse, and two of the frame officers' quarters still stand as a museum administered by the Kansas State Historical Society. November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas. ...

Trivia

• In 1868 General Philip Sheridan reported seeing a herd of 300,000 buffalo near Fort Hays. He estimated the herd covered a territory 90 miles in length and 25 miles wide.
• Fort Hays has been featured in three movies: Dances with Wolves starring Kevin Costner, the CBS-TV movie Stolen Women, Captured Hearts, and the 1937 movie The Plainsman starring Gary Cooper.

Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. ... Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film which tells the story of a United States cavalry officer in the 1860s who befriends a band of Sioux, sacrificing his career and ties to his own people. ... Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an Oscar winning American film actor and director who has often produced his own films. ... The Plainsman is a 1936 Western movie directed by Cecil B. DeMille that presents a highly fictionalized account of the relationship between Wild Bill Hickok (Gary Cooper) and Calamity Jane (Jean Arthur), with a villainous Charles Bickford inciting the Indians to battle. ... Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor of English heritage. ...

Blue Light Lady

There is an often reported paranormal sighting known around Fort Hays. Known commonly as the 'Blue Light Lady,' the ghost is allegedly the spirit of Elizabeth Polly, who was a nurse during the time Fort Hays was an operational military fort. The sightings of a blue light center around Centennial Hill, which was a favorite spot of Polly, who asked to be buried on top of it. Centennial Hill has a burial marker, but reports are mixed as to whether or not she is buried there. Some contend that the grave found at the base of the hill was not Polly, but rather a Mexican cattleman, based on the marker's Spanish inscription. In fact the "Lonely Grave," as it is called, may not be an actual burial site at all as no remains were found in attempts to fulfill Miss Polly's wishes by moving her to the top of the hill. An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ...

Notable and Temporary Residents

Wild Bill Hickok James Butler Hickok (May 27, 1837 – August 2, 1876), better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a legendary figure in the American Wild West. ...

Buffalo Bill Cody Buffalo Bill (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was born William Frederick Cody in the American state of Iowa. ...

General Nelson Miles Nelson Appleton Miles ( August 8, 1839 – May 15, 1925) was an American soldier who served in the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War. ...

General Philip Sheridan Philip Sheridan Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career U.S. Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. ...

Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. ...

References

• Fort Hays history

• Hays History and Trivia [1]

• Fort Hays Historic Site [2]