| Summary: | Troops Eiiilt and Manned Long Series of Forts (Editor's Note: Following is the second installment of Linda Warfel Slaughter's "Fortress to Farm" which The Tribune originally published in 1893-94.) Chapter 2 General Sully's third northwestern Indian expedition arrived on its return march, at Berthold, Aug. 8, 1865, and here Gen. Sully issued an order directing the evacuation of Fort Union at the mouth of the Yellowstone. The evacuation was completed on Aug. 31 and from that time until the establishment of Fort Buford in 1868, Berthold was the extreme northern garrison in the valley of the upper Missouri. On June 14, 1867, the troops moved from Fort Berthold to a point 17 miles further east, where a post at that time called New Fort Berthold was about to be established. Fort Berthold was never armed by the government, nor was any rent charged for it. The use of it being given by the agent to the Northwest Fur Co. in consideration of the protection afforded the trading post by the presence of the troops. At this time, however, it was found necessary to establish a permanent military post in the vicinity not only to afford military protection to the friendly Indians and whites at Fort Berthold, but to serve as a base of supplies to the post, then about to be built at Devils Lake (Fort Totten). It was also necessary to have an intermediate post on the river, between the distant forts of Rice and Buford, and further, as a link in the chain of posts along the proposed "Northern emigrant route" from Minnesota to the gold mines in Montana. It was also necessary to remove the garrison from Fort Berthold, as no suitable military reservation of land could be made, which would not include the cornfields or gardens of the friendly Indians. As a base of supplies to Fort Totten (the goods to be brought up the river by steamboat from St. Louis, Mo., and sent across the country to Devils Lake, 130 miles east by wagon train under military escort. It was deemed advisable to build the Fort at the point where the Missouri quits its easterly course and bends to the south, but as there was not sufficient timber at that place, or a good steamboat landing it was built seven miles west of there and named Fort Stevenson. During the summer of 1867, while the fort was being built, the Sioux made three raids on the camp in force, and one attack by a small party. The troops were compelled to labor very hard to build the fort, and being lodged in tents with poor food, they suffered greatly in health and many died. The fort was completed Jan. 3, 1868. Fort Buford was 250 miles by water above Fort Stevenson and 150 miles by land. It was established as a one company post in 1866, and increased to five companies in 1867. It was built near the site of old Fort Union, on the north side of the Missouri river, at the mouth of the Yellowstone. The territory on the north side of the Missouri was claimed by the Assiniboine Indians, from White Earth river, 65 miles east of the post, to Milk River 150 miles to the west. The Assiniboines were originally a part of the Yankton tribe of the great Sioux nation, and according to tradition, split off from that tribe and became a separate people, because of some trouble about a woman. They called themselves "Hokes" and claimed to be Dakotas. The name Assiniboine means "stone boilers" and was given them by their neighbors on the north, the Cres, because of their method of cooking meat, by dropping red hot stones into water. Assiniboines were always friendly and rendered valuable services to the troops at Buford by keeping them constantly appraised of the movements of the hostile Sioux. They were constantly at war with the Crows on the west, the Cres and British half breeds on the north, and the Yanktonais, Gros Ventres, Arickarees, Mandans and Teton Sioux on the south. On the south side of the Missouri were the Teton Sioux, who were hostile, and with a band of the Onkpapas made frequent raids on the post killing at various times 11 men — five soldiers and six citizens. On Aug. 28, 1868, they made an attack in force on the forts killing three men and wounding three, and capturing 200 of the government herd of cattle. In addition to this constant war on the forts, the Sioux constantly harrassed the Assiniboines, because of their friendship for the whites. Fort Buford is miles south of the Canadian line. There were two mail routes from Buford to the states. The first was via Forts Stevenson, Totten and Abercrombie to St. Paul, Minn. It took from three to six weeks for a letter to go to the department headquarters at St. Paul. The Indians were very troublesome between Forts Stevenson and Totten, and in 1868 at different times killed five mail carriers on that route, three of whom were soldiers and two citizens. The second route was via Forts Rice and Sully to Sioux City, la. Mail by this route was slower than the Totten route, and on both it was so subject to interruption that the fort was frequently without mail for three months at a time. Up to the early seventies the medical, hospital and commissary supplies for the Missouri river forts, were brought from St. Louis by a line of steamers, run by the firm of Durfee and Peck, but after that date the base of supplies was transferred to Sioux City, la., the nearest railroad point on the south: The nearest Fort on the Missouri River to Sioux City was Fort Randall on the right bank of the river 100 miles above Yankton, which was established by Gen. Harney in 1856. The next above was Fort Sully, situated on the east bank of the Missouri, 20 miles below the mouth of the Cheyenne River, and 200 miles by river above Fort Randall. It was about the same distance to Fort Rice above. This post was half way between the head of navigation — Fort Page Eighteen Scanned with Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-page TIFF Editor.
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