Farewell (Fort Wallace)

As the Butterfield Overland Despatch Stage departs, a Cavalry officer bids his family farewell.  Established in 1865, Fort Wallace protected westward migrants from Indian attacks as white settlements encroached upon native hunting grounds.  This military post stood at the center of conflict and progress, engaging in battle, securing the peace, and witnessing the coming of the railroad to the Plains and the West.  It served as an important installation on the Smoky Hill Trail.