The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-05-11
FORT MCKINNEY.
A Description Of the Place. Together with
Other Matters OF Interest.

This place though isolated now, was
n lively place from 1866 to 18GS-the
years it was established and abandoned
as u military stamping ground. Three
miles below the post is the site upon
which Fort Reno stood, with its stock
ade and Fashioned angles. 1t was the
last post ingloriously surrendered in
the year 1S6S-the troops from posts
c. F. Smith and Phil Kearney concern
trating there preparatory to the final
departure. The troops had hardly
reached the high bluffs two miles east,
before the Indians entered the post,
and commenced It's demolition, setting
fire to those buildings easily ignited.
Those posts were established to guard
the travel to Montana, in which,
through paucity Of numbers, they COM
pletely failed. In the abandonment of
these posts millions Of money was ALSO
lutely thrown away.
The Omaha Herald says that Can
Torment Reno, now Fort Mckinney,
named after an officer OF the Fourth
cavalry, who was killed G here, Is on
the left bank of the Powder river, On a
low fiat considerably below the level Of
the surrounding country, and is only n
few feet from the river bank, which is
being rapidly carried away by the spring
freshets. If this constant abrasion of
the water keeps up, one entire flank of
the post will in a few years be sub
merged. To remedy this, n canal, face
tiOusly styled the Dutch Gap, has heen
dug to flank the dangerous bend, but
according to the prevailing opinion it
will not remedy the difficulty.
The post is built In the form of n
rcctangle. The officers nuts, eighteen
in number, are arranged in one turn
of the west flank. The mems huts and
quarters of the cavalry, twenty-five in
all, with n kitchen to each company,
are in one turn on the south and east
Hanks, and the officers, storehouses,
guardhouse, traders store, cavalry and
quartermaster's stables on the north
flank.
The infantry companies We're the first
to arrive and establish the cantonment,
and have worked hard. The canton
ment Is to be rehabitated under its
new and permanent title, Fort McKin-
ney. The cavalry have been here less
than n year, but in that time have per-
formed hard service.
The infantry, especially since their
arrival here, have put up with many
~deprivations, and long for u change.
This post will be of considerable i'm
portance for several years to come to
protect the interests CT pioneers who
are rapidly settling in the country, and
to serve as a barrier against Indian
raids, it will he the essence of folly to
patch the environment into n post, rs
the green cottonwood logs Embarked
and damp, will rot in n few years and
become worthless. But aside from this
the sanitary condition of the huts and
the low fiat upon which they are con-
structed, is the worst that could posi-
bly, be selected for n permanent post.
During the last storm which continued
most of three weeks, Off and on, the
place was flooded in and out in conse-
quence of the imperfect drainage. The
officers, their wives and children, as
well as those of the soldiers, were
forced to flee their beds as late as mid
night, and later, to escape the shower
bath of the alkali water pouring down
from the roof.
Now Is the time TO decide where the
post shall be before the reorganization
begins. 1t is to DO hoped, therefore
that Gen. Sheridan will cause the post
to be moved to Clear Fork where there
is a pleasant site, clear palatable water,
the reverse of Powder river, and an
abundance of fine timber from which a
first class frontier post might be ON
structed. Besides Clear Fork would
be about a midway station between
Fort Fetterman and the post in
Montana. The Powder river valley
might then be secuted in the summer
when circumstances render it necessary.
The expedition of three companies of
cavalry, a detachment Of 20 infantry
and 2l Indians under the command of
Captain Pollock have after a seventeen
days scout, just returned 10 the post.
They ranged rs far us the head waters
Of the Little Missouri without seeing
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