The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-26
THE MILITARY CITY.
A Brief Glance at Its Origin
and History.
A SKETCH OF ITS FOUNDERS.
The improvements Being Made and Those
in Contemplation-Th Finest
Fort in the West

Thinking sketch of this post from its
first establishment to the present day
would be interesting to the many HERALD
readers, 1 give the following as from the
recorded history of Fort Douglas. On
July 20, 1855, nearly thirty three years
ago, General (then colonel) Albert
Sidney johnson with his command emerged
from Emigration Canon upon the plateau
where the fort now stands, on his march
from Camp Scott TO Camp Floyd. On Oc-
tober 20, 1862 Colonel p. E. Conner, Third
California volunteers, with six companies
OF his own regiment and tour OF the Second
California cavalry encamped on the site of
the present military cemetery. TIE officers
Of the command were anxious to name the
post Camp Connor,'' but in Difference to
the expressed desire OF Colonel Connor. 1t
was named after Hon. Stephe A. Douglas
General Conner remained in command of
Camp Douglas until mustered out June l.
1866. He was succeeded by Colonel Potter
Fifth infantry and Major Lewis, Thirty
sixth infantry. The system of water
courses through the post was introduced by
General Gibbons, who was In command
about one year previous to August, 1870,
when ne was relieved by General de Tro-
brand, Thirteenth infantry, who, in DC
General Morrog of the same regiment !
Among the post improvements under the
MORROW regime can be noted the present |
wagon roads TO Salt Lake city new
chapel, three hundred trees being set cut
and the gravelling Of the roads and paths |
OF the garrison.
Colonel John E. Smith Fourteenth in |
fantry, succeeded General Morrow as COM |
mandlng the post and regiment on August |
y, 1914, having been relieved from com !
mand OF the Sioux expedition and district of |
the Black Hills. As per orders from head
quarters of the army dated July s, 1881, /
Colonel Lewis Z. Hunt, Fourteenth infan- 1
try, assumed command on July 30, 1881. /
Colonel A. d. McCooi1, Sixth infantry, |
was IN command from August %, 1881, TO |
TO May 4, 1856, when the command de-
Tolved upon Lieutenant Colonel n w. /
OSBORNE OF the same regiment Colonel Os-
borne was reviewed by the present Six
teenth infantry commander. Colonel NJ NJ
Blunt on June 9, 1883. The reservation is
two miles square, and was SO declared by
the president on September ., 1867 and |
announced IN General Orders Nc. &c, head
quarters Department of the Platte, De
cemDer Ia, 1863 An act approved Nav l6.
1874, set apart twenty acres for a cemetery
NOW known as Mount Olivet cemetery.) |
An act OF Congress approved March 3, 1881
granted right Of way through the reser-
Talon TO the Salt Lake and Fort Douglas
railroad. The altitude OF the post above
the city OF Salt Lake is 80 feet: above sea
leVel, 1904; latitude, 40 deg 46 min: lon
glpude, III deg. SO min; distance from bust
ness portion Of Salt Lake City in an east
erly direction, about two and one-half |
miles. The electric car line now being
built TO the post and which is expected to |
be IN operation by January l. 1891 is part 1
Of the Salt Lake City Street railway. 1t |
runs up Second South street to Tenth |
East, along this street to Fifth South, I'D |
ruth South TO point opposite Mount OF |
lvet cemetery, when it crosses the reserya- |
ion dIagonally TO the post, terminating at |
point facing Military avenue between |
the post chapel and adlutant's Office A |
waiting room will be built at the Fort |
Douglas terminus.
The company quarters, ten in number. face
outward from the north and south sides of |
the parade ground and are quite substan-
tai structures, the roomiest being that now |
occupied by Company Z, Twenty first in
fantry, as additions were built to these
quarters so as to accommodate the sixty
I'VE men Of Light Battery D, Fifth artil- |
lery. Two OF the buildings are two stories |
IN height and are built of stone uuarried on |
the reservation. The remaining buildings
are one story each and out of the ten, six |
are stone, the remaining four frame The
companies living on the south side, com
mencing at the east corner are and D. |
Sixteenth infantry, II, Twenty first in
tantry, B, Sixteenth infantry and f.
Twenty first infantry. On the north side
beginning at east corner are companies B
and D, Twenty first infantry, and G and
d, Sixteenth infantry. The quarters be-
tween b and d, Twenty first infantry.
IRE used as post canteen. The canteen is
Under the immediate supervision of First
Lieutenant Lassiter, Sixteenth infantry,
who has detailed Sergeant Lemon of
Company II, Sixteeath infantry, as
the non-commissioned officer in charge
Inc attendants are all enlisted
men and the profits accruing from the sales
OF beer, merchandise, etc, together with
restaurant receipts, are divided among the
nine companies and the band The canteen
is quite an improvement On the old sutler
system. The headquarters building lin
the north wall of which is inlaid a marble
tablet, commemorative of the establish
ment OF the post by General Conner and
Its rebuilding by General Smith, com
prlses the library and postofice combined
Nunder charge OF Lieutenant Chandler
Sixteenth Infantry a printing office now
closed Tor lack of a competent typo): the
sergeantmslor's office (presided over by
Serges ptMajor Bond, who has three
cIerksl the adiutant's Office (where Adju-
tant Dunnlng, Sixteenth infantry. tran
sacts the business OF the regiment and
post; and the office of the comm8ndinp
ofncer lat present-during the absence of
colonel NJ. NJ Blunt-Major j. n. An
drews, Twentyfirst infantry Immedi-
ately IN the rear of this building is the
band quarters, where lives the musical end
OF the Sixteenth infantry, and presided
over by Professor A. Feussell, who has
been band leader for many years The
guard house Is a strong stone building on
the south side OF the post, and comprises
room ample TO store all military
Offenders requiring confinement On the
same side OF the post are the commisssrv
and quartermaster buildings. large frame
structures and ample to store food and
clothing sufficient for the Military city. ON
the southwest corner of the soldier town is
the quartermaster stables considered the
finest stables west of the MississippD and
corrals. West OF the stables and adjoining
the old sutler store is the plat used for com.
pany gardens and which is situated with a
view to irrigation from the reservoirs above.
Two ice houses, on the east side of the post.
with ponds, from which the summer fayorite
Is cut near by, afford ice sufficient to cool
every human being at the post for ten
months of the year. Quite row of houses
IN which the married soldiers live form q
street on the east side, whilst the residences
OF ordnance Sergeant Lange and Band
Leader Feussell are on the same street with
the post hospital The hospital building is
large and commodious, two stories in height
and built OF stone and brick. Upstairs are
two wards ample for the sick, whilst the
rooms below are the dispensary, surgeons
Office, kitchen, store room and living apart |
ments of Hospital Stewart SCHUYLER. The
hospital corps live upstairs.
The first house to greet the visitor on |
entering the post is one usually occupied by |
staff or field officers; then the residence Of |
building is the post chapel. 1t is tasty
frame and its pulpit is often rracod ~ |