Fort Date Creek
Encyclopedia
Fort Date Creek, also known as Camp McPherson or Camp Date Creek, was a United States
Army post established in 1867 sixty miles south of Prescott
, Arizona
. It was built to safeguard American settler
s in Yavapai County.
James B. McPherson
at its founding on January 23, 1867. The fort was initially a temporary base protecting the road from La Paz
to Prescott during the Hualapai War
. Just after being founded, it was abandoned for a new post named Camp Skull Valley, twenty-five miles to the north in March of 1867. On May 11, 1867, the fort was reopened and renamed Camp Date Creek and later Fort Date Creek. The fort itself was moved a short distance twice, but always remained along the creek. In 1868 the garrison
included two infantry
companies from the 14th Regiment and beginning in 1869, the area became an important center for fighting hostile native American
s. A temporary reservation
was established at the fort in 1869 for the Hualapai people but by 1874 the United States Secretary of War
declared that it was no longer needed for military purposes. Fort Date Creek then became a settlement for American pioneers for several years. As of today a few adobe buildings and a cemetery mark its location.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army post established in 1867 sixty miles south of Prescott
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, USA. It was designated "Arizona's Christmas City" by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in the late 1980s....
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. It was built to safeguard American settler
American pioneer
American pioneers are any of the people in American history who migrated west to join in settling and developing new areas. The term especially refers to those who were going to settle any territory which had previously not been settled or developed by European or American society, although the...
s in Yavapai County.
History
Fort Date Creek is located along Date Creek near Date Ranch and was originally named Camp McPherson for GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
James B. McPherson
James B. McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
at its founding on January 23, 1867. The fort was initially a temporary base protecting the road from La Paz
La Paz, Arizona
La Paz was a short-lived, early gold mining town along the Colorado River in La Paz County on the western border of the U.S. state of Arizona. It was the location of the La Paz Incident in 1863, the westernmost confrontation of the American Civil War. The town was settled in 1862 in what was then...
to Prescott during the Hualapai War
Hualapai War (1865-1870)
The Hualapai War, or Walapai War, was an armed conflict fought from 1865 to 1870 between the Hualapai native Americans and the United States in Arizona Territory. The Yavapai also participated on the side of the Hualapai and Mohave scouts were employed by the United States Army...
. Just after being founded, it was abandoned for a new post named Camp Skull Valley, twenty-five miles to the north in March of 1867. On May 11, 1867, the fort was reopened and renamed Camp Date Creek and later Fort Date Creek. The fort itself was moved a short distance twice, but always remained along the creek. In 1868 the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
included two infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
companies from the 14th Regiment and beginning in 1869, the area became an important center for fighting hostile native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s. A temporary reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
was established at the fort in 1869 for the Hualapai people but by 1874 the United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
declared that it was no longer needed for military purposes. Fort Date Creek then became a settlement for American pioneers for several years. As of today a few adobe buildings and a cemetery mark its location.