Article Title: Fort Robinson, Nebraska, Army Remount Depot, 1919-1945
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Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: Fort Robinson, Nebraska, Army Remount Depot, 1919-1945 Full Citation: Miller J Stewart, "Fort Robinson, Nebraska, Army Remount Depot, 1919-1945," Nebraska History 70 (1989): 274-282. URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1989FtRobinson.pdf Date: 5/21/2013 Article Summary: Fort Robinson, situated on the White River in northwest Nebraska, has a long and distinguished history. It was established in 1874 and played an active role in the subjugation of the Sioux and northern Cheyenne in the 1870s and was the center of control for the Red Cloud and Pine Ridge Indian Agencies. In 1919 the War Department established a permanent remount depot at Ft Robinson. The depot received, processed, and issued horses and mules for the military service; conducted a horse breeding program; trained personnel in animal management and administration; trained remount troops, and trained personnel in horseshoeing and saddlery. Cataloging Information: Names: Edwin N Hardy, Edward C Clavert, Sumner M Williams, William F Morrison Jr, Lauren L Lawson Place Names: Front Royal, Virginia; Lexington, Kentucky; Sheridan Wyoming; San Angelo, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Pomona Quartermaster Depot, Pomona, California; Fort Robinson, Nebraska; Crawford, Nebraska; Fort D A Russell, Wyoming; Chadron, Nebraska; Harrison, Nebraska; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort McIntosh, Texas; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Tunisia; Sicily; China-Burma-India theater; Fort Carson, Colorado Keywords: horse drawn units; remounts; US Army Remount Service; Colorado Springs Purchasing and Breeding Headquarters; Quartermaster Corps; US Army Olympic Equestrian Team; Fourth Field Artillery Battalion; military mechanization Photographs / Images: Fort Robinson Remount Depot; Fort Robinson headquarters and parade ground, 1941; Horses being received at Fort Robinson; Colonel Edwin N Hardy riding Mr Worlich, 1938; Train of pack mules; Soldiers playing polo FORT ROBINSON, NEBRASKA, By Miller J. Stewart Fort Robinson, situated on the White the military service (2) receive, condi River in northwest Nebraska, has a tion, and issue stallions used in connec long and distinguished history. tion with the army's horse breeding Established in March 1874, the post program (3) train personnel in animal was named for First Lieutenant Levi H. management and administration (4) Robinson, killed by Indians the pre train remount troops, and (5) train per vious month. Fort Robinson played an sonnel in horseshoeing and saddlery. active role in the subjugation of the These tasks could not be well per Sioux and northern Cheyenne in the formed outside the remount depots. 1870s and was the center for control of Military units trained animals specif the Red Cloud and Pine Ridge Indian ically for work with the cavalry or field agencies.' After Wounded Knee and artillery but rarely had men capable of the end of the Indian wars, the post was first conditioning them or giving pre relatively quiet. The garrison was liminary training. greatly reduced by the assignment of Fort Robinson was an ideal location the Twelfth U.S. Cavalry to the Mexi for a remount depot, with 23,000 acres can border area in 1916, which left only of rolling prairie sparsely covered with twenty-two enlisted men and one small pine trees, fertile soil, and a officer at the fort.2 sixteen-square-mile timber and wood Remounts for mounted and horse reserve. In addition, a Chicago and drawn units in the U.S. Army were at North Western Railroad siding on the this time in great demand, because post aided the smooth receipt and thousands had been used during World issue of animals. "Fort Robinson," War 1. To deal with this need, the War declared Colonel Edwin N. Hardy, Department in 1919 created the chief of the U.S. Army Remount Ser Remount Board, consisting of regular vice in 1941, was "the best of the three army officers and prominent civilian Remount Depots in the country."6 horsemen, and appropriated funds for In early 1920 Lieutenant Colonel a military remount program beginning Edward C. Calvert, Fort Robinson's with fiscal year 1921.3 A small horse commanding officer, and his men breeding program under the U.S. began to prepare the fort for its new Department of Agriculture was taken role. The troops removed from the post over by the army and expanded.4 Per for duty on the Mexican border had left manent remount depots were estab a reduced garrison inadequate to keep lished at Fort Reno, Oklahoma; Front the post in proper condition. Corrals Royal, Virginia; and Fort Robinson, and fences sagged; sheds and stables Nebraska.5 The largest was at Fort became dilapidated; bridges and roads Robinson. These depots, under the disintegrated. In addition, Lieutenant supervision of the Quartermaster Colonel Calvert faced problems caused Corps, were intended to (1) receive, by public and private roads crisscross process, and issue horses and mules for ing the military reservation, making it difficult to efficiently use the land for grazing and cultivation. After much Miller J. Stewart, a retired educator and wrangling, correspondence, and one Anny officer, is a free-lance historian and court case, this matter was resolved in author of the book Moving the Wounded. favor of the government.7 274 ARMY REMOUNT DEPOT, 1919-1945 275 Fort Robinson headquarters and parade ground, 1941. (NSHS-R659-81) However, the personnel problem sides. Other facilities constructed about five years of age. When these proved more difficult. The majority of included box stalls for stallions and animals arrived on the post, they were the enlisted men posted for duty in mares; new stables for brood mares quarantined to make sure they were 1919 were one-year soldiers; few had and yearlings; storage sheds for healthy and then trained by civilians intended to remain in the army and by machinery; hay and grain buildings; hired for that purpose.1 2 Before an late summer 1920 had been discharged. concrete dipping vat; concrete ford issue was made, each riding horse, From December 1919 to December across the White River; shelter sheds; equipped with flat saddle and snaffle 1920 the number ofenlisted men at Fort and new water systems.9 Of course, bit, was ridden until it was easily Robinson dropped from 136 to 44. 8 some older structures were demolished handled. Each draft animal was gen Soldier replacements were unobtain to make way for new ones. Five tled and accustomed to work with a able for a time, which made the depot barracks dating from 1887 were razed team. Colts purchased at the depot in wholly dependent upon a scarce and in 1923. 10 During major new construc the previous year were stabled, con uncertain civilian labor supply. tion begun in 1927, several elaborate ditioned, and gentled for issuance the The first task for the small number of horse stables were built. I I coming year. Unsuitable animals were enlisted men supplemented with Civilian laborers, both permanent condemned and destroyed.13 The first civilian laborers from nearby Crawford and temporary, continued to be group of over 200 was issued in 1921 to was stringing thirty-eight miles of employed at Fort Robinson throughout National Guard and ROTC mounted fence, rebuilding corrals, some stables, the remount depotera. A few long-term units. A group of 199 cavalry horses was and water troughs. Three bridges were employees experienced in handling shipped to a detachment of the Fif put in good order and some of the main horses were assured of long tenure. teenth U.S. Cavalry at Fort D. A. roads repaired. This rebuilding, repair, Most of the laborers were engaged in Russell, Wyoming. These animals and new construction went on at a construction, farm chores, and building received much favorable comment.14 furious pace, then slowed only to pick maintenance. This employment boost The role of Fort Robinson and the up again - an ongoing operation super ed the economy of Crawford and the other remount depots was of vised by quartermaster and noncom surrounding vicinity. Ranchers, who paramount importance, not only in the missioned officers. Particularly notable sold excess forage and sometimes receipt and issue of horses and mules was the fabrication and installation of animals to the remount depot, for the military, but in the army horse the Reno type bunk or feeder, a com benefited greatly. breeding program as well. The army's bination hay and grain rack so placed Most of the horses handled at the breeding program had come into full that animals could feed from both remount depot were purchased when operation in 1919 with the creation of 276 Fort Robinson the Remount Board and began at Fort only for locating and procuring the best the care and maintenance of the Robinson in early 1920 with the arrival available stallions, but also for placing stallions. At least twenty mares were to of 125 draft mares from Fort Keogh, them in the hands of civilian breeders be bred. The government was not Montana.ls All the mares had been throughout the country and for super obligated to buy the offspring of the bred to thoroughbred stallions the pre vising the actual conduct of breeding stallions, but normally about seventy vious spring and were in excellent con activities.