Page 94 - 2007 DT 12 Issues

December Frontier Forts, continued from p.1 dians then burned Fort C.F. Smith and
Fort Kearny to the ground. Though it
D e s k S c h e d u l e usually the tedium of routine tasks. was a particularly bitter pill for the army,
Discipline was commonly very harsh the Indian victory was short-lived.
Sat/1 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck for even minor offenses, enough to There was a brighter side. Forts
Sun/2 T./N. Hughes OPEN make the average soldier long for ac- were not merely protective; they were
Mon/3 S. Stenzel D. Powers tion. Journalist De B. Randolph Keim, meeting places and trading posts, and
P. Boghossian compared it to “a ship at sea; isolation even the site of revelry on special
Tues/4 OPEN V. Sperry occasions. Fort Union, on the North
Wed/5 G. Fazio R. Porche Dakota/Montana border,
K. Jackson P. Herman was a very important trad-
Thurs/6 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett ing post from the 1820s
R. Rossnagle F. Davis into the 1860s. Blackfeet,
Fri/7 P. Oleson D. Kavula Crow, Cree, Hidatsa and
D. Reid other tribes traded furs for
assorted goods like beads,
Sat/8 P. VanDooremaal P. Kepner knives, cloth, guns and
Sun/9 T./N. Hughes E. Meeks cookware. Old Bent’s Fort
Mon/10 R. Kinn D. Powers in Colorado was another
Tues/11 M. Slagle E. Rothfuss popular trading post, main-
M. Pults taining good relations with
Wed/12 G. Fazio R. Porche the Cheyenne and Arapaho,
P. Herman who hunted in the area. As
Thurs/13 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett within and desolation without.” Things for recreation, civilians and soldiers
R. Rossnagle F. Davis were better for officers; they could showed unusual creativity—parades,
Fri/14 P. Oleson D. Schoengold have families with them, they lived in balls, concerts, horse racing and even
D. Reid P. Williams the Officer’s Quarters, and they had theater sometimes relieved the routine
Sat/15 J. Kisosondi K. Nelson certain privileges. For the enlisted of everyday life. Women added a spe-
K. Deyl man, his wife might be one of the four cial flavor to everything and were good
Sun/16 D. Langdon T./N. Hughes laundresses assigned to each company. at organizing.
Mon/17 S. Stenzel K. Jackson Regardless, they both endured the same With the end of the Indian wars
Tues/18 M. Slagle J. Geier harsh and dangerous life. But it was in the 1890s, the need for frontier forts
the officers who made the decisions by
Wed/19 G. Fazio R. Porche which men lived and died. In 1866, Fort disappeared. Many of them simply crum-
V. Sperry Phil Kearny was almost under siege by bled away, their memory handicapped
Thurs/20 G. Wojciechowski Jerry Barrett Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho. Anyone by isolated locations. Others have
E. O’Sullivan F. Davis venturing out from the fort risked his been rescued, preserved and partially
Fri/21 P. Oleson M. Goessmann life. When a party sent out to get logs restored by agencies of the state. Bent’s
D. Reid was attacked, the commander, Col. Old Fort in Colorado, reconstructed in
1876, is one of the best. Nevada’s Fort
Sat/22 K. Nelson P. Kepner Henry Carrington, ordered Captain Churchill, built in 1860-61 to protect
E. Meeks (10-2) C. McLaughlin W. J. Fetterman to support the wood settlers from Indian attacks and guard
Sun/23 D. Langdon L./M. Utah train while advising, “Do not engage the Pony Express route, was abandoned
Mon/24 E./P. O’Sullivan C. McLaughlin or pursue the Indians.” The impetuous only nine years later. Ruins can still be
Tues/25 Christmas Day — Closed Fetterman ignored the orders, attacked seen in this picturesque area, located 8
Wed/26 G. Fazio D. Powers and fell into an ambush. His command miles south of Silver Springs, just off U.S.
Thurs/27 G. Wojciechowski J. Barrett of approximately 80 was wiped out to 95. It is now a State Historic Park.
Fri/28 Lea Mills M. Goessmann the man by an overwhelming force of It is 1871. Your name is Lt. Frederick
P. Williams Indians, estimated at close to 2,000. E. Phelps, and you have just been assigned
Sat/29 K. Deyl P. Kepner Just two years later, the Indians scored to Fort Bayard, New Mexico. The near-
Sun/30 D. Schoengold L./M. Utah a far greater success when government est railroad is hundreds of miles
Mon/31 J. Frank D. Schoengold peace commissioners yielded to Red away. It’s lonely. A coyote howls in
Cloud and his warriors, agreeing to the distance. Maybe he’s lonely, too.
Changes? Call Kate at 515-5350 abandon the Bozeman Trail. The In- That helps . . . a little. q
Page 6 FORRC/December/2007