The farmlands were to the north of the fort where crops are grown today. Corn was the Indians' principal crop but they are also grew wheat, beans, melons, pumpkins, and sorghum.
Despite the Indians' best efforts, the agricultural experiment was a disaster. Cutworms ravaged the cornfields from 1864 to 1866. The crops of 67 were a total failure due to early drought and late hailstorms. The Indians refused to plant the following year. These losses obliged the U.S. Government to supply the 7000 prisoners with foodstuffs. Rations were always minimal, but food expenses still ranged up to $1,500,000 annually.
