Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-10-13

coluaHC cries OF sorrow.
The new fort was built in the form of a
quadrangle, 544x866 feet, enclosed by a
stockade, ten feet high, of two inch oak
pIanks, secured to a strong frame. There
were two sally ports and two projecting
PASSIONS two stories high on the roofs of
the guard houses. built of squared and
dove'tailed logs. The upper story was
placed i'll such a manner on the lower
tlat the corners of the former correspondent
to and projected over the sides of the
latter. On the top was a high platform and
al octagonal sentry box, reached by wind.
ing stalrways from story to story. Each
story of the bastions was twenty-one feet
square and seven feet high. Within the
stockade were six store houses, six COM
panv quarters and mess rooms, ten double
sets OF officers, quarters, hospital, guard
mouse, bakery. headquarters and adjutants
officers, %laundress' quarters, company
schools, library and reading rooms for the
enlisted men, containing 200 volumes, head
quarters of regimental Dand and the
powder magazine and ordnance storeroom
The magazine was a substantial stone
building, stood in M corner of the stock
ade. The mems barracks stood at one
side of the grounds, with the officers
quarters in a row facing to the east, opposite
to them. The other buildings in parallel
rows, were ranged on the other two sides.
The grounds in the center of the square
thus formed, was neatly kept and policed,
and laid out with gravel walks. The flag.
staff and band stand in the center Of the
gravelled driveway, ran between the rear
OF the building and the stockade. around
the four sides of the fort. The gate in the
wall was kept open all day. 1t was guard
ed by cannon, and here tire guard wa
stationed, while a sentry paced constantly
back and forth inside the gate. Two more
kept a watch of the surrounding country
and of the interior of the fort from their
sentry boxes on the dizzy heights of the has,
tions, which occupied the northeast and two
southwest corners of the fort on the con-
slant outlook for those two dreaded foes
fire and Indians. The officers houses were
built of cottonwood boards. finished inside
with lath and plaster, and having floors
of matched pine flooring. Between the
studding of the outer wall, the space was
filled in with adobe.
The chimneys were made of brick made
at the post. and all had substantial
stone foundations.
Outside the stockade were the corrall,
horse stables and ice houses, the interpre-
tiers house, and the storeroom and other
buildings of the post trader, including bill
lizard rooms for both officers and men. on
the north were a cluster OF log buildings
and teepees in which lived the Arickarees
scouts and mail carriers and their squaws,
papooses and dogs. Their herd of ponies
were kept hobbled. on the prairie neal by.
The post garden was in the first ravine to
the south, where a steam saw mill was
also at work. The herd of cattle from
which the supply of beef was obtained
were pastured on the prairie near the same
place.
The supply of water for all purposes.
came from the Missouri river. and was
filtered for drinking purposes. The
provisions were brought by river from
Sioux City, Iowa, by steamer and a years
supply was always kept on hand. The
river was open usually from April 10
November when supplies were cut off for
the winter. From the windows of the
upper story of the officers quarters there
was a grand view OF the surrounding
country on both sides of the river which
stretched away to the eastward in a wide
sweep OF plain and meadow and plateau,
and was framed on the far horizon with a
rim of low, rolling hills. To the northwest
were similar but loftier hills sloping to the
west and bounding a long stretch of grassy
plain. On the southwest they broke into
irregular, and fantastic shapes. In the
fare ground by the riverlthe white walls of
the fort shone brilliantly in the sunshine.
Alone in that desolate country it stood, a
menace to the RED men, sheltering home
to the whites.
Its bugle calls rang clearly forth in the
misty gray of morning, and its sunset gun
at evening doomed across the darkening
river, a solemn greeting to the nightfall, a
knell for the day departed. At all hours of
the day and night faithful sentinels from
the higher towers kept watch of the sur
rounding country to guard against surprise
from the savage foe which the inmates of
the fort had learned from sad experience
was never far away. War parties lurked
behind the n%eighboring hills, and the ven
turesome herder or soldier who ventured
alone out of rifle shot of the fort seldom
came back. The smoke of their signals
was visible by day, and their watch fires
CLEANED on distant hills by night. The
strong fort itself with its vigllant sentries
and rifled cannon offered little temptation
to the dusky warriors to essay its capture.
but they lay in wait constantly to surprise
and Stay the Arickaree scouts, the faithful
c%ouriers and mail carriers, who by long
laborious trips on hors 'ck, brought up
from Fort Sully, the ~" monthly mails,
and who showed by ~ 'r fidelity, their
WOrthiness to wear 80 blue, Indians
though they were.
The tribes OF the Dakota or Sioux nation