NPS Photo
Candles lighting walkway
Robert E. Lee once said, "It is well that war is so terrible. Otherwise, we should grow too fond of it" From 1861-65, Americans experienced the 'terrible' consequences of war, feeling both fear and uncertainty as people throughout the nation clashed over issues of slavery and states' rights. The fighting on the Kansas-Missouri border took on an especially bitter tone as discord over ideology gave way to raids motivated by vengeance and greed. Kansans supported the war effort through recruitment of soldiers and rendering aid and comfort to the Union Army. Political and military leaders in Kansas recognized the strategic importance that Fort Scott could play in the defense of Kansas and the border and began concentrating soldiers in that area during the latter part of 1861.
In commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, 2011's candlelight tour focused on regional events in 1861 as the nation answered a call to arms. Six scenes took visitors from scenes of Kansas statehood through the opening shots of the Civil War and then to the latter part of 1861 when the war intensified as violence escalated along the border.
The first scene of the tour took place in late January of 1861 when Kansas became the 34th state to be admitted to the U.S. Celebrations of statehood were tempered by orders that directed soldiers protecting Fort Scott to march to St. Louis to secure the federal arsenal there. In this scene, infantry soldiers prepared to depart Fort Scott to march to a destiny that many would never come home from.
Scene two of the tour took place in April of 1861 as citizens of Fort Scott received the news that Fort Sumter has been fired on. Following this action, President Lincoln issued a call for 90-day volunteers. In this scene, the citizens of Fort Scott reacted to both pieces of news as they considered how to respond to the beginning of a war that would grip the entire nation.
While war is terrible, the women of Fort Scott did their best to support the efforts of the men in the field in order to bolster their spirits. One of the ways that they did so was to make a flag for the "Frontier Battalion" a unit raised locally for defense of Fort Scott. In the third scene on the tour, women prepared speeches while sewing a flag that would serve as a symbol of honor for their boys in blue.
In the tour's fourth scene, Fort Scott town leaders called on its citizens to join the army and defend their homes. This was the only scene where the tour participants interacted with the audience.
By August of 1861, the army had recognized the need to defend Fort Scott and had begun concentrating units in the area. Military action in Missouri led to battle at Wilson's Creek. Following the battle, the Confederate army marched northward threatening Fort Scott. Union commanders prepared to evacuate and burn Fort Scott to prevent the military stores there from falling into Confederate hands, but some citizens refused to leave their homes. This scenario was the basis for scene five.
As the war intensified, violence increased along the Kansas-Missouri state line. Jayhawkers and Bushwhackers burned, pillaged, and looted on both sides of the border. Due to the presence of men like James Lane, James Montgomery, and Charles Jennison, southeast Kansas became a base for Jayhawking activities in the latter part of 1861. These activities were the focus of the sixth and final scene of the tour.
The tour concluded in the Grand Hall with music and refreshment, which was also indicative of Fort Scott in the Civil War. Even though violence and chaos swirled all around them, the citizens of Fort Scott still did their best to support the war effort and to keep up the spirits of the town and the soldiers fighting to protect it.
Candlelight Tour Ticket Policy
