Fort Abercrombie
Encyclopedia
Fort Abercrombie, in North Dakota
, was an American fort established by authority of an act of Congress, March 3, 1857. The act allocated twenty-five square miles of land on the Red River
in Dakota Territory
to be used for a military outpost, but the exact location was left to the discretion of Lieutenant Colonel John J. Abercrombie. The fort was constructed in the year 1858. It was the first permanent military settlement in what became North Dakota
, and is thus known as "The Gateway to the Dakotas".
) Indians for more than six weeks during the Dakota War of 1862
. The fort was abandoned in 1877 and the town of Abercrombie, North Dakota
, was founded a half mile west in 1884. Abercrombie Township was settled, in part, due to the early presence of the fort.
The fort served as a transportation hub as it guarded the Red River Trails
used by the Red River ox cart
trains of the late fur trade
, military supply wagon trains, stagecoach routes, and steamboat
traffic on the Red River.
The original buildings were either destroyed or sold at public auction
when the fort was abandoned, but a Works Progress Administration
project in 1939-1940 reconstructed three blockhouse
s and the stockade
(fence) and returned the original military guardhouse to the site. More recent renovations include dismantling the southeast blockhouse and using salvageable materials to renovate the two remaining blockhouses and the guardhouse.
A new stockade was constructed and native grasses are allowed to grow in the locations of the missing buildings for visitors to get an idea about the size and shape of the buildings. A visitor's center was built in the summer of 2007. Today it is known as Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site and includes a modern museum and pavilion in the town of Abercrombie
. The fort itself is a quarter mile east.
Wounded:
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, was an American fort established by authority of an act of Congress, March 3, 1857. The act allocated twenty-five square miles of land on the Red River
Red River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
in Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
to be used for a military outpost, but the exact location was left to the discretion of Lieutenant Colonel John J. Abercrombie. The fort was constructed in the year 1858. It was the first permanent military settlement in what became North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and is thus known as "The Gateway to the Dakotas".
History
Because the original location was prone to flooding, a new fort was built at a higher location in 1860, north of the original location. It was besieged by the Dakota (SiouxSioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
) Indians for more than six weeks during the Dakota War of 1862
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
. The fort was abandoned in 1877 and the town of Abercrombie, North Dakota
Abercrombie, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 296 people, 118 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was 482.6 people per square mile . There were 138 housing units at an average density of 225.0 per square mile...
, was founded a half mile west in 1884. Abercrombie Township was settled, in part, due to the early presence of the fort.
The fort served as a transportation hub as it guarded the Red River Trails
Red River Trails
The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States...
used by the Red River ox cart
Red River ox cart
The Red River cart was a large two-wheeled cart made entirely of non-metallic materials. Often drawn by oxen, though also by horses or mules, these carts were used throughout most of the 19th century in the fur trade and in westward expansion in Canada and the United States, in the area of the Red...
trains of the late fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
, military supply wagon trains, stagecoach routes, and steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
traffic on the Red River.
The original buildings were either destroyed or sold at public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
when the fort was abandoned, but a Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
project in 1939-1940 reconstructed three blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
s and the stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
(fence) and returned the original military guardhouse to the site. More recent renovations include dismantling the southeast blockhouse and using salvageable materials to renovate the two remaining blockhouses and the guardhouse.
A new stockade was constructed and native grasses are allowed to grow in the locations of the missing buildings for visitors to get an idea about the size and shape of the buildings. A visitor's center was built in the summer of 2007. Today it is known as Fort Abercrombie State Historic Site and includes a modern museum and pavilion in the town of Abercrombie
Abercrombie, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 296 people, 118 households, and 73 families residing in the city. The population density was 482.6 people per square mile . There were 138 housing units at an average density of 225.0 per square mile...
. The fort itself is a quarter mile east.
Dakota War of 1862
During the Dakota War of 1862 a citizen soldiers company was mustered in by Fort Commandant Captain J.Van Der Horck and commanded by Captain T.D. Smith. Another unit was Captain Ambrose Freeman's Company of Mounted Men, the "Northern Rangers."Casualties
Killed: Sgt Edward Wright (Sept 23, 1862)- Corporal James Bennett (with party sent to Breckinridge)
- Ostler Charles W. Soell (Sept 6, 1862)
- Private Augustus Ruchenell
Wounded:
- Private C.P. Lull (Severely; Sept 23, 1862)
- Private Edwin M. Wright (Severely; Sept 3, 1862)
Further reading
- Barnes, Jeff. Forts of the Northern Plains: Guide to Historic Military Posts of the Plains Indian Wars. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2008.