Finding Fort Africa and the battle site

With most of the key locations associated with Island Mound identified and located - I turned my attention to finding the location of the Toothman home and the actual site of the climactic fight of the engagement.

Per the accounts of the engagement, the 1st KCV marched from Fort Lincoln, Kansas to clear out  a gang of bushwhackers on Hog Island. They commandeered the Toothman house, tore down the farm's split-rail fences to erect a barricade around the house. Raising a Union flag they dubbed their defenses "Fort Africa."
 
Per the deed of sale, we knew where the 80 acres that was the Toothman farm was located - but where on those 80 acres was the farm house (Fort Africa) that figured so prominently in accounts of Island Mound?

At the time I was conducting my initial research (late 1990s) the land that was the Toothman farm was divided between two separate land owners - with the north 40 acres under one owner and the south 40 under another. I made contact with both - told them about my research and requested permission to access their land to try and find the Toothman home. The owner of the south 40 acres had no interest and denied my request, but the owners of the northern part of the Toothman farm were very interested and granted me full access to that portion of their land.The boundaries of the Toothman farm are outlined in red on the map below. (The black, dashed line shows the demarcation of ownership of the farm when I was conducting my research.)

Modern Topographic Map

 Armed with the Island Mound accounts, topographical maps, binoculars and a compass, I began my search.  

The earliest map of the area showing land ownership and buildings, the  1877 Atlas of Cass and Bates Counties indicated that the  the Toothman farm was then owned by J. Cowgill. The boundaries of the Toothman farm are outlined in red on the map below.

1877 Cass and Bates Counties Atlas

 Per the map, a Methodist Episcopal Church was located in the northwest corner of the former Toothman farm and another structure, presumably the Cowgill house, was located in the southeast corner.  Could one of these have been the Toothman home? 

As I only had access to the northern portion of the Toothman farm, I focused my efforts on the former church site. Nothing remained of the church, but a clump of trees. (I had learned that as farmers encountered obstructions on their land, as they farmed, they would simply work around those obstructions. Over time, trees would grow up around the obstruction - leading to such clumps of trees in otherwise cleared land.) 

Perhaps this was the site of the Toothman house, but I was skeptical that an existing structure would have been converted to a church.  There was another clump of trees to the southeast from the former church site, but still on the northern 40 acres of the Toothman farm.

Suspected site of Toothman house

Within this clump of trees there was no evidence of any house, but there was an old well that had been capped by a large field stone as well as iris flowers and a rose of sharon bush. Although these flowers do occur in nature - their proximity to the well was very intriguing.

Capped well at suspected Toothman house site

Also, the view to the south (towards Hog Island) from this site was commanding.

View to south from suspected site of Toothman farm house

On the photo above, the treeline immediately to the south is the boundary line between the northern and southern sections of the Toothman farm.

Although I did not have access to the southern portion of the Toothman farm to investigate the building site indicated on the 1877 map, I was able to view that portion of the property from the north 40 acres and from the township and range road that bordered the western edge of the property. Based on these observations and studying the topographical map, the southern structure was located at a lower elevation than the suspected site in the northern section that would not have provided  much in the way of a view shed - nor have been very defensible by the 1st KCV.

Based on information in the accounts of the engagement, the climactic fight between the 1st KCV and the bushwhackers occurred about 1 mile south of the the Toothman home (Fort Africa) and involved a mound and a ravine. The topographic map indicated the existence of both of these features almost exactly 1 mile to the south of the suspected site of the Toothman house - in the clump of trees with the well on the northern portion of the property.

View from top of mound looking southwest (direction that the 1KCV detachment would have retreated)

 

View of mound looking north (from the south)

After many days walking the ground - maps and accounts in hand I was confident that I had located Fort Africa and the battle site. It was time to get the word out.

Relating the findings of my research from the top of the mound with Arnold Schofield.

Showing Arnold the site of the Toothman home (Fort Africa)

At the site of the Toothman farm (Fort Africa) with Arnold - The battle site on the mound is in the distance, between Arnold and myself.