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FORT SISSETON Vvj STATE PAR J { FORT SISSETON vvJ STATE PAR J rarr.N.S.C. HISTORY AND TOUR GUIDE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORICAL PLACES SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF GAME. FISH AND PARKS DivISIon of Parks and Recreation NOrl h Dakota .,_ . _ ._- -- - -. _ . _ ., _ . South Dak ota 25 HISTORY OF FORT SISSETON ort Sisseton, a military outpost for 25 years, stands as a F reminder of the conflicts between Indians and settlers on the western frontier The fort was established in 1864 to provide military protection of settlers in this new region. In 1862, some bands of Santee Sioux living along the Minnesota River, a short distance east of here, rebelled because 01 unfair trading practices, unkept treaty promises, and because settlers were homesteading their lands. This uprising, led by Chief Little Crow, raged for five months. There were nearly 1,000 casualties and loss of homes and possessions for many more thousands during the uprising. It created panic on the frontier Settlements were abandoned to await the arrival of the military to secure the region. The tragedy ended with the conviction and execution of the ringleaders. Many Indians, whether or not they participated in the outbreak, fled in fear westward into Dakota Territory. Gen. John Pope, commander of the Military Department of the Northwest, headquartered at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, proposed a series of forts, with patrols between these forts, as the best defense against further conflicts on the frontier Pope's Dakota campaign plan was to "sweep the region now occupied by hostile Indians north of a line from Fort Pierre to Fort Abercrombie." General Pope assigned one of his field generals, Henry H. Sibley, to head this assignment. After completing the "sweep," Sibley was to establish two forts, one near Devils Lake, 160 miles north of here, and another on the James River, 40 miles west of here. The latter fort was to be called Fort Wadsworth. Sibley, a trader with more than 20 years experience in the West before being called to military service, made a counter recommendation to General Pope. He suggested the head of the Coteau des Prairies (hills of the prairie) area as a fort site instead of the James River site. He thought the 600-foot rise above the plains could control the access to Lake Traverse, Big Stone Lake, and the Minnesota River valley. Sibley considered the Devil's Lake post unnecessary Many of the soldiers in Pope's command were ordered to fight in the Civil War, and Pope had too few men left to garrison a fort at Devil's Lake. Pope continued to insist on the fort site on the James River until a 1 CHIEF LITTLE CROW "T', _ C),!...(o:~ (" Itt ,., .. Cr· ..... • SAMUEL J. BROWN COL HENRY H SIBLEY 2 detachment of Sibley's command under Maj . John Clowney confirmed Sibley's report of the lack of timber on the James. After investigating the head of the prairie hills, Clowney selected this site on the south side of the Kettle Lakes for the fort. At the time, water in the chain of lakes surrounded the fort site, allowing passage only from the south. Clowney was convinced the site was good because of its natural defenses, the abundance of lake water for drinking, the thick stands of trees on the lakeshore, and other natural resources. On August 1, 1864, he sent a messgae to his headquarters which ended, "I have today located Fort Wadsworth." The reservation was ultimately 9 by 15 miles and contained 82,000 acres. Horses were considered as valuable as men for survival on the frontier, and the first building constructed was a log stable with a roof of North Dakota Minnesota • F f L incoln • FI, Yo/~ s South Dakota eFt. Meod~ -Fl. S ully - Fl. Ridgley • Fl. P,erre branches and slough grass. Within two months, a mule-powered steam sawmill was in operation. By 1866 the unit had been replaced by a 20- horsepower steam sawmill. The lime and fine clay for making bricks and an abundance of field stone for building purposes were some of the natural resources that impressed Major Clowney These materials may be seen in the beautiful stonework and uniquely colored brick structures that were built to replace the unhewed log facilities. The light coloring of the bricks is caused by an absence of iron in the clay. Part of Sibley's command was a group of Indian scouts led by Joseph R. Brown, chief of scouts. Brown, like Sibley, was well acquainted in the vicinity He had operated area trading post~ and had earned the confidence and friendship of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Indians. He located his scout headquarters about one mile east of Fort Sisseton. Shortly after establishing scout headquarters, Joseph R. Brown secured an appointment as the first sutler, or trader, at Fort Wadsworth. 3 He built his trading post near the east entrance of the sod breastworks and ditch that enclose the lO-acre fort grounds. In 1866 he moved the 20- by 50-foot log headquarters to Browns Valley, Minnesota. Today it serves as a museum for some of the Brown family artifacts. Samuel J Brown was the son of Joseph R. Brown who had married a Sisseton. In 1866, Sam rode into history alongside other heroes of Meat from the anteiope hangs beside the tent to dry at this Fort Sisseton Indian scout camp. Twenty such outposts served as early warning stations for the fort. frontier America. As chief of scouts, he rode 120 miles in a snowstorm to alert an outpost of an impending attack by hostile Indians. The ride left him paralyzed. Sam Brown retired to his father's log house in Browns Valley to spend his remaining years. The event is recalled on panels in the post museum. There were about 20 outlying scout camps that served as warning stations for Fort Wadsworth. Each camp was manned by several Indian scouts and their families. The scouts proved to be brave and loyal soldiers. Some of their field experiences are recalled on panels in the fort's museum. Perhaps the greatest threat to peace in the area was created in the late 1870's by a band of Yanktonais Sioux led by Chief Joseph Drifting Goose. The chief and his roving band drew supplies from the reservation at Fort Thompson on the Missouri River during the winter months. In the spring, he would move his band to the Armadale Island area on the James River From this village site he could visit his friend Gabriel Renville, chief of the Sissetons,and would draw rations from the Sisseton Agency, east of Fort Sisseton. This nomadic band caused some concern to the garrison at Fort Sisseton, for they often harassed surveyors and settlers who trespassed on lands bordering the James River 4 In 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes declared three townships of the James River as the Drifting Goose Reservation. One year later, the chief was allowed concessions to move his band to Fort Thompson, ending the last barrier to white settlement. Fort Wadsworth's name was changed to Fort Sisseton in 1876 because of the nearby village of Sisseton Indians and because the army discovered it had named another fort on Long Island, New York, Fort Wadsworth. Age, weather and the sometimes hasty construction were beginning to show on the fort's buildings. Several severe storms had damaged some structures beyond repair A 1873 windstorm with near-hurricane force broke more than 1,200 windows, ripped roofs from several buildings, and caused walls to collapse. Some repairs to the garrison were never made. By the mid-1870's, railroads were beginning to move into Dakota Territory, bringing scores of new settlers. The discovery of gold in the Black Hills by the Custer Expedition in 1874 and the conflict at Little Big Horn two years later quickly focused attention to this new western frontier The continued need for a facility like Fort Sisseton seemed remote. In a report in 1878, Capt. Clarence E. Bennett reported the water level in the chain of lakes surrounding the fort had dropped 12 feet in the past 12 years. He blamed the drop to the loss of trees that had been cut for lumber and fuel or destroyed by frequent prairie fires. The trees caught and held winter snows to fill the lakes with fresh water in the spring. A lower lake level exaggerated the drinking water problem at the post. The alkaline water became unpalatable during the hot summer and the The row of cabins occupied by married soldiers was called Suds ville because many of the wives washed clothes for the garrison. This photo was taken about 1870. 5 troops had to rely on melted ice, cut from the lakes during the winter, for drinking. To add to these problems, putrid odors occurred from Hampson's Lake to the south of the post and the shallow pond to the west. The ground around the quarters became saturated with human waste from the nearby pit sinks (toilets) because no sewage disposal had been provided when the fort was built. But in spite of these conditions and the isolation of the post, frequent prairie fires, hot summers and severe winters, a doctor at the fort reported the general health of the men at the garrison was good. The fort was abandoned as a military outpost in 1889 after 25 years of operation. On June 1 the fort's last commander, Capt. Joe Hale, closed the fort. The post had served the purpose for which it was established. Its presence had assured a peaceful settlement of this region of Dakota Territory On November 2, 1889, South Dakota gained statehood.
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