The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-07-27
FROM the Frontier Scout,
Fort Rice. D. n.

- onnk OF the Missouri, just above Two Bes
Creek. The particular site was selecte
by him. His orders from the War Depar
msnt we're to establish fort in the neigl
borhood Of Long Lake. He thought {
!, flrst Of locating It at Beaver Creek, br
upon examination Of different sites, at las
n determined upon this. It is about te
miles above the confluence Of the Oanno
Ball River and the Missouri. 1t is a littl
further north than Fort Abersrombie
which is on the Red river. that separate
Minnesota from Dakota Fort Rice is il
North Latitude 4s degrees, 80 minutes, an,
/ q degrees, 30 minutes West Longitude
1t Is on line with Mars Hill, Aroostool
county, Maine, Oregon City, Clacama
! county, Oregon, and Fond du Lac, Mich
, II Is near the northern extremity OF th
. most barren strip even OF land In Dakota
with the exception Of the Mauvaises Terre,
or Bad Lands. Above the aoil soon grow,
more fruitful. and at Fort Berthold large
crops are some times raised.
The cold here in winteris often extreme
being for days 40 degrees below zorro. Tn
Spring and Autumn the winds are yerv
high. The dust flies in clouds. and the
landscape borrows the appearance Of the
I.vbfan desert when q simeon ia raging
Tn Summer the heat is extreme. but often
nv sudden changes becomes very cold
Some seasons there il scarcely any rain.
This Spring there has .been moro rain than
common. and the prairies and treeless hill.
are covered with beautiful garment of
verdure. There is large supply Of wood
in this vicinity, principally cottonwood.
II is on the bottoms Of the river and in tho
ravines. Experiments have been made
with gardens. but grasshoppers are so thick
that everything disappears before them.-
Tn the immediate neighborhood of the Fort
game is not very abundant. The grand
highway Of the buffaloos in their migra-
tions North and South is considerably
above here. What the Tunnel is to the
Thames. what an oasis is tothe desert. what
n caravan is to India. is Fort Rico to the
Atlantic and Pacific States. Through this
barren region must civilization march on
her grand western tour. The American
flag m it first waved above Fort Rice, sa-
luted a landscape that had never seen it
floating SO high and magnificently before.
In this Ultima Terra it was the fortune of
the lst U. s. V. Infantry to unfurl the ma
tional colors. When we hailed Fort Rice,
Oct. 18th, 1864. we saw no flag kissing the
breeze to welcome us. but on the 25th OF
December, the same day that Christ was
born. whose mission was "peace and good
will to men, WAS unfurlcd i'm the mid air
that flag whose mission Is one and the
same. ...rs -..-- Re-
Tho regiment was assembled, and Col.
Dimon made some appropriate remarks,
dndicatinu tho Tort IN ca-----, s---,,---,
consecrating II to the memory of Brigadier
General Rice. whose name 1t bears, and
who died Gallantly fighting for his country
in the battle Of the Wilderness. He was
followed by Capt. Adams, who threw down
the glove to the British lion, whose paw
once rested on Dakota. The cheering was
long and loud when tho flag fell open and
swept out upon the breeze, M II instinct
with the life that pervades our free insti-
tutions. The day was one OF festivitv.-
An Indian feast was given at which the
Colonel explained, through the interpreter
Frank la Frombois, his mission and the
potency Of the United States 10 the wild
sons OF the forest and prairie. Variegated
as Joseph's cont was the garb of these Beau
Brummers of the Wilderness. Bears claws,
hears teeth, feathers, fringes, beads and
porcupine qnills, and an abundant supply
Of red and yellow paints, helped to COM
plete their costume. To what was said
they all uttered gutteral show" but the
way they slowed away tho groceries in
their human bread baskets was a caution
to beholders. As the camels drink water,
stomach enough to last him for q week.
In the evening the Colonel gave n supper
to his oficers and the citizens Of the Post.
1t was very good, and many speeches
wasted their sweetness on the desert air,
which il uttered in the States might have
been handed down to future generations.
The plan Of tho Fort is very elaborate,
and II completed according to the pros
postus, it will be the finest fertilization on
tho Missouri river. That it is in such .
state of forwardnsss Is greatly owing to
the energy OF Colonel Dimon, assisted by
the unwearied activity Of Lieutenant B. S.
Wilson, whose labors are now forever over.
The climate impedes work Of this kind
so, that one that has never lived in this
region can form no just idea how much
labor must have been bestowed to make
the Fort what it is to-day. The s0th Wis
consin regiment commenced it, and did
we'll for the time they had, and the LIST o..
s. ". Infantry received it at season Of the
year most unpfopitious for building
| While other Forts have bsen built by cons
tract at great expense to the Government,
Fort Rice is free-will offering Of the 30th
Wisconsin and the lat U. S. v. Infantry to
the we'll drained treasury Of the United
States. Let Fort Rice stand as monu-
mont of what soldiers, once rebel, now
Union, can do for the cause they have ss-
poused. In this inhospitable region, this
desert sea OF land, they have reared a light
house whose beams shall conduct in safety
the Ship of State across these vast shoals,
into the broad and deep bays Of the Pacific,
Peace to the heroes of Fort Rice, the living
and the dead sleeping on yonder hill, and
let all the world say "Amsn."
They have gone from the barren hills Of Rice
To the beautiful valleys Of Paradise,
But their memory as grateful fragrance
throws,
As over the landscape Dakotian rose.
From Fort Laramie. aB
Fort Laramie, July IL,
During the 10 days ending june 80, 2,24,
smigrants passed this point bound wss
with nearly Is. 900 head Of cattle. Nearly