Press Release
January 31, 2025
Contact: Jennifer Frazee
Fort Gibson Historic Site, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 918-478-4088
fortgibson@history.ok.gov
www.okhistory.org/fortgibson
Learn How the Third Indian Home Guard Spent Life in the 1860s at Fort Gibson Historic Site
FORT GIBSON, Okla. — The February and March living history programs at Fort Gibson Historic Site will focus on how the Union’s Third Indian Home Guard would have performed daily maintenance on their firearms, uniforms and other equipment in the 1860s. The presentations will take place on February 1, 8 and 15 and again on March 8, 15, 22 and 29.
The Third Indian Home Guard was mostly recruited from pro-Union Cherokee, Creek and Seminole tribal citizens who joined the Union Army from refugee camps in Kansas. When the Civil War began, Indian Territory quickly fell under Confederate control, forcing pro-Union Native Americans to flee to Kansas to escape reprisals from their pro-Confederate neighbors. The Union Army eventually organized a successful Indian Expedition in 1863 with the goal to retake Indian Territory from Confederate control and restore pro-Union tribal members to their homes.
While the Third Indian Home Guard participated in many well-documented battles and skirmishes within Indian Territory, they also spent far more time living their daily lives as soldiers. Soldiers serving on both sides of the conflict spent months awaiting orders, marching and performing mundane but important daily chores of maintaining their weapons and equipment in anticipation of just minutes of combat. The Third Indian Home Guard also had the added responsibility of caring for their own refugee families once they returned to Indian Territory.
The Third Indian Home Guard was equipped as standard Union infantry during the war. They received the 1860 Union blue sack coat wool uniform, black leather cartridge boxes and belts and all the other equipment normally issued to the regular Union infantry. However, they also received two pieces of gear that made them unique: their rifles and hats. The hats issued to the Third Indian Home Guard wore Hardee hats instead of the usual kepi cap for regular Union infantry. They also received a unique rifle, the model 1841 rifle or Mississippi rifle, previously used by the U.S. military during the Mexican War. These rifles were stored in large numbers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and were the most convenient option to arm the Third Indian Home Guard when they were first formed as a regiment.
The program is included with paid admission to the site. For more information, please call 918-478-4088. The Fort Gibson Historic Site is located at 803 N. Garrison Ave. in Fort Gibson.
The Fort Gibson Historic Site is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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Editor’s Note: Photos of the Fort Gibson Historic Site are available upon request.
