Fort Robinson, Nebraska

Fort Robinson RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska Records, etc.: 1874-1988 Cubic ft.: 16 Approx. # of Items: 23 reels of microfilm, 25 Boxes, 288 microfiche, and uncounted Oversize blueprints of Fort HISTORICAL NOTE In March 1871, the United States Government authorized the establishment of a military camp at the Red Cloud Agency on the White River. Home of some 13,000 Indians, the agency was one of the most troublesome spots on the Plains. The camp was named Camp Robinson in honor of Lt. Levi H. Robinson, who had been killed by Indians the previous month. In May 1874, the camp was relocated west of the agency and in June 1878 was officially designated Fort Robinson. Between 1876 and 1890, Fort Robinson played an active role in the Indian Wars. In May of 1877, Crazy Horse surrendered at Fort Robinson and was killed there on September 5, 1877, while resisting imprisonment in the post guardhouse. The following year, Cheyenne Indians led by Chief Dull Knife escaped from their reservation in the Indian Territory and a group of some 150 were finally captured by troops from Fort Robinson. Imprisoned in a cavalry barracks, the Cheyenne refused to return to the Indian Territory and attempts were made to starve them into submission. Finally, on the night of January 9, 1879, the Cheyenne escaped and began a running fight with the Fort Robinson garrison. During the next two weeks, troops from the fort pursued the Indians in the nearby Butte country, and finally killed or captured the last of them on January 22nd, 1879. During the 1880’s, Fort Robinson reverted to garrison life and in 1885 the Ninth Cavalry, an all Negro unit, arrived to occupy the post. During this time, the Fort was enlarged and military training was a major activity. With the advent of the Ghost Dance religion among the Sioux in 1890, troops from Fort Robinson served in a campaign which culminated in the Battle of RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska i ADDED ENTRIES: Allison, W. B. (William Boyd), 1829-1908 BIRTHS—NEBRASKA—FORT ROBINSON Brisbin, James S., 1837-1892 Burt, A. S. (Andrew Sheridan), 1839-1915 Carleton, C. H. (Caleb Henry), 1836-1923 Carpenter, L. H. (Louis Henry), 1839-1916 CHEYENNE INDIANS Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company Coates, E. M. (Edwin Morton), 1836-1913 COURTS MARTIAL CRAZY HORSE (TASHUNCA-VITCO) (OGALLA SIOUX), c.1849-1877 Crook, George, 1828-1890 DEATHS—NEBRASKA—FORT ROBINSON DULL KNIFE (TAH-ME-LA-PASH-ME) (CHEYENNE CHIEF), d.1879 Egbert, A. R. (Augustus R.) [1st Lt., 2nd Inf] Fletcher, J. S. (Joshua S.) Jr. [Lt Col 2nd Infantry] FORTS—NEBRASKA—CONSTRUCTION Hatch, Edward, 1832-1889 HORSE BREEDING HORSE SHOWS Humphrey, B. S. (Ballard S.) [Lt., 9th Cavalry] INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA—GREAT PLAINS MARRIAGES—NEBRASKA—FORT ROBINSON McCrary, George W. (George Washington), 1835-1890 MILITARY LIFE--Nebraska MILITARY RESERVATIONS—NEBRASKA PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS—Nebraska PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS—SOUTH DAKOTA PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMPS—WYOMING Sheridan, Phil H. (Philip Henry), 1831-1888 Sherman, W. T. (William Tecumseh), 1820-1891 United States Adjutant General United States Army. 8th Cavalry United States Army. 9th Cavalry United States Army. 10th Cavalry United States Army. 12th Cavalry United States Army. Fourth Field Artillery Battalion United States Army Continental Command United States Army Expeditionary Forces United States Army Veterinary Corps United States Bureau of Indian Affairs United States Department of Agriculture United States Provost Marshal General WAR DOG TRAINING CAMPS--NEBRASKA RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska ii Wessels, H. W. (Henry W.) Jr. RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska 3 Wounded Knee on December 29, 1891. Following this, the last major battle of the Indian wars, the Fort was garrisoned by the Tenth, Eighth, and Twelfth Cavalries. During the First World War activity at the Fort was reduced due to the demand for troops to serve in Europe. In 1919, Fort Robinson became a quartermaster remount depot which eventually became the largest such facility in the world. Thousands of horses and mules were bred and trained for use by the Army, and remount stallions were distributed to breeders throughout the area greatly improving the local stock. The fort was also the home of the Fourth Field Artillery Battalion from 1928-1932, and during the Second World War became the site of a K-9 corps training center and a German prisoner-of-war camp. In 1948-1949, Fort Robinson was de-activated as a military post and the reservation became a beef cattle research station operated by the United States Department of Agriculture. Today, in addition to being a beef cattle research station, Fort Robinson is a Nebraska State Park. The University of Nebraska and the State Historical Society both operate branch museums at the Fort, and it is jointly administered with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE This collection is comprised of original and microfilmed records relating to the history and administration of the fort as well as original and microfilmed drawings of fort buildings and structures. The collection is divided into 11 subgroups: 1) Records on microfilm, 1874-1940; 2) Livestock Records (Vet Hospital), 1923-1949; 3) Personnel Records, 1936-1948; 4) Administrative Records, 1876-1964; 5) Licenses, Leases and Agreements, 1885-19495); 6) Remount Depot, 1919-1945; 7) Prisoner-of-War Camp, 1944-1947; 8) Fire Station, 1844-1946; 9) War Dog Training Camp, 1943-1946; 10) Historical Records, 1874-1949; and 11) Building Records, 1884-1998. Records relate to the history of Fort Robinson, Nebraska, 1874-1949. The first Subgroup consists of microfilm copies of official records held by the National Arc hives and Records Service. These records relate to general military affairs and activities at Fort Robinson, 1874- 1929 and include material relative to troop strength, hospital records, post orders and returns, and to military campaigns. The microfilm was copied from various collections held by the National Archives including RG98, Records of the United States Army Commands; RG94, Records of the Office of the Adjutant General; RG120, Records of the A.E.F.; and RG393, Records of the U.S. Army Continental Commands. Subgroups Two thru Nine consist of 19 boxes of archival material relating to the operation of Fort Robinson, 1874-1949. The bulk of this material covers the period 1930-1948 during the time that the fort was Quartermaster’s remount depot and a war dog training center. Included are remount stallion records, personnel records, War Dog training manuals, and general administrative records. Included is an original guard report book, 1877-1878. Subgroup Ten includes historical records collected and preserved regarding the early history of Fort Robinson. RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska 4 Subgroup Eleven includes all building and structure records relating to the Fort, 1874- 1947. Included are two volumes on microfilm containing a complete building inventory of the fort, 1905-1942, with photographs of salvaged, destroyed, or existing buildings kept by the U.S. War Department. The original volumes are housed in the Archives. This subgroup also includes building drawings on microfiche, located in the East Reference Room of the Historical Society, and many oversize drawings relating to construction at the fort. An inventory of these drawings follows the regular collection inventory. Some drawings and additional historical material are located at the Fort Robinson museum. Copies of the microfilm can also be found there. The microfilmed portions of this collection were selected from the National Archives by James C. Olson in 1955. Additional microfilm was purchased by the State Archives. The structure inventory volumes of Subgroup Eleven were microfilmed by the Historical Society in 1968. One box of correspondence for the remount depot was accessioned in 2007. Related Collections: RG500 U.S. War Department RG014 Nebraska State Historical Society RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska 5 DESCRIPTION SERIES ONE RECORDS ON MICROFILM, 1874-1946 SUBSERIES ONE CORRESPONDENCE, 1879-1900 Roll #1 Special File, 905-M-1879, U.S. Army NARS Commands, Division of the Missouri, RG098 Inquiry into the Cheyenne Outbreak, 1879 (1960) 35mm pos. #20,204 Roll #1A 8705AGO - Letters Received by Adjutant Gen. MC666 Correspondence relating to confinement of AR449 (1966) nearly 150 Northern Cheyenne at Fort NARS RG094 Robinson, their refusal to return to Indian Territory, their escape from the Fort, and the attack by Capt. Henry Wessel’s Co., 1878 Dec. 20, 1878 thru FEb. 5, 1879 NOTE: With Introduction and letter coding glossary Roll #2 Selected Post Letters Sent, 1884-1890 GSA (1955) U.S. Army Commands, Fort Robinson #20,205 (NARS, RG098), cont. to reel 3 Roll #3 Selected Post Letters Sent, 1890-1894 GSA (1955) U.S. Army Commands, Fort Robinson NARS (RG098) from March 13, 1890-July, 1894 #20,206 continued to reel #4 Roll #4 Selected Post Letters Sent, 1894-1902 GSA (1955) U.S. Army Commands, Fort Robinson NARS (RG098) Aug. 3, 1894 - Dec. 31, 1902 #20,207 Selected Post Letters Sent, 1898-1900 U.S. Army Commands, Fort Robinson March 1, 1898 - p.264, Jan. 8, 1900 Selected Quartermaster Letters Received 9th Cavalry Log Book, Jan. 8, 1873 - p.39, June 10, 1890 Roll #5 Item #3, Roll #4 continued, pp. 40-440 GSA (1955) June 10, 1890-March 17, 1891 #20,208 RG0501 Fort Robinson, Nebraska 6 SERIES ONE RECORDS ON MICROFILM (cont) SUBSERIES ONE CORRESPONDENCE (cont) Roll #11 U.S. Army Continental Commands, Ft. Robinson GSA (1968) Letters and Endorsements Sent, V.1, 1901-1902 NARS RG393 (see also xerox copy, B.20, f.8-10 SUBSERIES TWO POST ORDERS, 1874-1897 Roll #5 Item #2, Post Orders, 1874-1880 cont. February 27, 1874 - April 28, 1880 Roll #6 Post Orders, 1880-1882 NARS (1955) Apr. 29, 1880 - March 20, 1882 RG098 (R.4) includes court martial, John Smith #20,209 Roll #7 Post Orders, 1882-1888 NARS (1955) March 22, 1882 - April 8, 1888 RG098 (R.5) (includes court martials) #20,210 V.1 cont., thru Order #192, 12/29/1885 V.2, p.1 - Order #1, Jan.

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