Fort Smith

Fort Smith. The Union's hope to hold St. Joseph. , Fort Smith was erected in September 1861 as a Union fortification. St. Joseph was of great importance to preservation of the United States and the security of the goldfields of California for the war effort., A military presence in St. Joseph became essential. St. Joseph was evenly split in its sentiments between the Union and Confederacy. The city had been controlled several times by Union and Confederate forces up to and during the early part of 1861., A riot in May 1861 led by former mayor, M. Jeff Thompson, brought a unit of dragoons from Fort Leavenworth and the 2nd Iowa Infantry. When these troops left in late August, St. Joseph was again open to Confederate occupation. In September, the Confederates left when word came that the 16th Illinois Infantry had been ordered to occupy St. Joseph., In late September 1861, the 52nd Illinois Infantry and the 39th Ohio [Infantry] Regiment joined the 16th Illinois Infantry, setting up camp on Prospect Hill, then known as Telegraph Hill [image on] (left). This hill, north of the business district overlooked the Missouri River to the west and the city to the east. The soldiers built an oblong circle of earthworks and named it Fort Smith, for their commander Col. Robert F. Smith (inset image)., Men who were accused, or found to be guilty of Southern sympathies were often put to work building the fort. The Union troops stationed here were able to see both up and down the Missouri River and had a clear view of the city. It was fortified with 12 cannon., In December 1861, two of those cannons were fired over the city for target practice. Afterwards, a signed petition was presented to Col. Smith asking that he notify civil authorities before opening fire on the city again, so women and children could be evacuated. Fort Smith became critical to the United States in these early months. By 1862, Missouri had been secured for the Union. Troops remained throughout the war to protect the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad and enforce martial law., [Map inset caption reads] , 1861: Union in Crisis , Within a span of roughly two months, the Union had been defeated in three successive battles. The Confederacy was well on its way to gaining military control over the state of Missouri., main image: , Fort Smith atop Telegraph Hill