Established in 1866 to protect travelers along the Bozeman Trail, the fort was under virtual siege (1866-68) in the "Red Cloud War" as Sioux groups fought successfully to prevent White invasion of their hunting grounds. This was one of the few times when the Army was forced to abandon a region it had occupied.

Image: Fort Phil Kearny, from a drawing by Buglar Nicolai, June 23,1867. http://philkearny.vcn.com/fortphilkearny.htm

Information provided by the National Register of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service.