History of FORT RICE NORTH DAKOTA By MRS. ANTON GARTNER ^asspN .-uKadLt4h ^^-•w • . ' * '3f r~ r» i i , [Oni 33105000403889 F 644 „F67 (32;-: Gartner? Mrs. Anton. History of Fort Rice* North Dakota NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY 604 EAST BOULEVARD AVE. BISMARCK, ND 58505-0900 l'F»>'?h • \r-.i-f.!.-. '"'.v!-- i :< - - '''Bi^wckJ'i) 53505 NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY 3 3105 00040 3889 r History of FORT RICE NORTH DAKOTA By MRS. ANTON GARTNER *mS* »1 rS rk«- ,i NORTH DAKOTA STATE LIBRARY Tribute to Fort Rice By Mrs. Axel Bendikson " Fort Rice was quite a busy place When it was at its best. But many changes have been made And its pioneers laid to rest. It was started in the early days When the Indians did roam, As they hunted the buffalo And called the prairies home. When the white man did move westward Across this prairie land, They struggled with the red men So the army took its stand, And started forts to guard all men In this Dakota land. The years have gone by swiftly 'Till they have counted a century So Fort Rice we salute you On your anniversary. Fort Rice - North kota9s First Missouri River Military St-^ By RAY H. MATTISON Among the most important historic sites on the souri and north of the Cannonball River. The ex­ Upper Missouri along the proposed Oahe Reservoir pedition set out early in May from Sioux City. By is that of old Fort Rice. Although this place will July 3, the command had reached a point on the east not be adversely affected by the construction of the bank a few miles above the mouth of the Cannon Oahe Dam, it is of such significance in the story of Ball. The instructions under which Sully acted were the Upper Missouri that it is given more than passing to build the post in the neighborhood of Long Lake. attention in the river basin historical studies con­ He found, however, no suitable location in that vici­ ducted by the National Park Service. Although nity on which to built the fort. After examining Rice remained for only a short time the farthest several sites he selected the one which he believed, outpost on the Upper Missouri, it continued to be because of its high sandstone banks and its proximity for a decade one of the most important ones. to several heavy belts of timber and good grass, to be most suitable. The place chosen was on the west When General Alfred Sully began his second bank of the Missouri about eight miles by water expedition into Dakota in 1864, only two military above the mouth of the Cannon Ball River. posts existed on the Upper Missouri. Fort Randall, which had been constructed in 1856, had served as The new post was officially established on July 7, the base of operations for his expedition the previous 1864. It was named by the Secretary of War for year. Old Fort Sully, which was to be moved to Brig. Gen. Clay Rice of Massachusetts, who was killed a new site 30 miles above three years later, had been in the Battle of the Wilderness in May, 1864. The established in the Fall of 1863 to serve as winter military reservation, comprising some 175 square quarters for several companies of cavalry and as a miles, was set aside by executive orders of Sept. 2, depot of supplies. However, the post later was also 1864 and Jan. 22, 1867. too far removed for a base for his operations in 1864, so it was necessary to establish a new fort some 250 When General Sully departed from Fort Rice on miles above. This new garrison, known as Fort Rice, his expedition on July 18, he left behind him several was to become, for a short time, the farthest Upper companies (authorities seem to disagree on the num­ Missouri outpost. ber of companies left at Fort Rice — some state four companies, others five, and some six) of the 30th For several years conditions on the Upper Mis­ Wisconsin Volunteers under Col. Daniel J. Dill. souri had grown steadily worse due to the fact that Work was begun immediately on the new post. No many of the employees of the fur companies were records appear to exist regarding the 30th Wisconsin pro-Confederate in their sympathies, south. It was at Fort Rice; however, they are credited with build­ also believed that the Canadians were inciting the ing, according to Washington Matthews in 1868, with Indians against the Americans. Although the Indian limited men and materials in a period of less than uprising in Minnesota in 1862 had been severely three months, what was considered as the best mili­ quelled, discontent had spread among the various tary post on the Missouri above Fort Leavenworth." tribes all over the northern plains region. Numer­ General Sully, meanwhile, had proceeded on his ous attacks were made on the steamboats traveling expedition to the Yellowstone River. After pushing on the Upper Missouri. As a result of these dis­ northwest for ten days the command, on July 28, turbing conditions, Indian agents, miners in Mon­ encountered a strong force of Indians, estimated to tana and Idaho, and the peaceful tribes such as those be about 5,000 warriors, in the Killdeer Mountains. at Fort Berthold, sought protection by the military. After a difficult fight, the Indians were slowly Sully's northwestern expedition of 1864 was sent out driven back and their camp was captured and their primarily with the view of punishing the Sioux and women and children fled to the nearby hills. The establishing military posts on the Upper Missouri expedition then retraced its steps to the Heart River and the Yellowstone. and proceeded up the stream to its head. It then With the purpose of chastising the Indians and entered the Badlands and camped on the Little Mis­ keeping a proposed road to Idaho open, General souri. On August 6 Sully again encountered large John Pope, the commander of the department of the numbers of Indians who contested every advance northwest, early in 1864 ordered the construction of of the expedition. ..The battle of the Badlands con­ four new military posts: (1) One of these was to be tinued well into the forenoon of Aug. 9, when they, near Devils Lake, in what is now North Dakota; beaten at every turn, withdrew. Emerging from the (2) Another was to be on the James River as near Badlands, the expedition marched to the Yellowstone, as practicable due west of the Coteau des Prairies; which it reached Aug. 12. Here two boats were (3) One of the four companies of infantry and four found laden with supplies for the expedition. Find­ of cavalry was to be constructed near the mouth of ing it impracticable to proceed further, the command Long Lake on the Missouri and (4) Another fort descended the Yellowstone to Fort Union, which was built on the Yellowstone River near the trading Snllv reached on Aug. 18. He left one company of the post of Alexander. 30th Wisconsin to garrison this post. The site of Early in 1864 General Sully began his preparation Fort Buford was selected. Sully resumed his march for a campaign against the Sioux west of the Mis­ (Continued next page) Tane Three Fort Rice The Frontier Scout, was published at the post from (Continued from preceding page) Jan. 3 to Oct. 9, 1965. This paper was first published to Fort Berthold Aug. 21 and reached that destination at Fort Union in July, 1864, and several numbers Aug. 29. He left a company of 6th Iowa cavalry &t were run. Later, the press was moved to Fort Rice this post to protect the peaceful Indians and fur where the Scout continued to be published for almost traders against the Sioux. Resuming his march ten months. While the file of this paper is far from Aug. 30, the expedition arrived at Fort Rice Sept. 9." complete, the existing files have preserved for us When General Sully reached the new post he a picture of garrison life which would otherwise be learned that the Fisk emigrant train had run into lost. During the first years at Fort Rice, disease took difficulties in the Little Missouri Badlands. This a heavy toll among the troops. Colonel Dimon, in expedition, in charge of Captain James L. Fisk, was reporting on his march from Fort Sully Oct., 1864, bound from Fort Ridgely, Minn., to the Montana with his six companies of troops, wrote that four men and Idaho gold mines. It comprised some 88 wagons had died en route from chronic diarrhea, "resulting and carts and some 200 men, women, and children. from stagnant water in the pools having been drunk It had left the Minnesota post on July 15 and had too freely." Between Oct., 1864 and May, 1865, 81 reached Fort Rice about a month later. Fisk induced men died at Fort Rice. The causes were listed as the post commander to supply him with an escort. follows: scurvy, 37; chronic diarrhea, 24; phtisis, 7; The emigrant train, after a short delay, continued typhoid fever, 3; other diseases, 3; and killed by In­ on its way, following the trail Sully's expedition dians, 7. During the first years at the Fort, scurvy had made the previous month, for 80 miles. seems to have been a formidable malady. The daily When this was found bearing too far northward, allowance of vegetables per man was steadily in­ the train continued westward with the view of strik­ creased until in 1873 it was 16 ozs.