Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-10-06

eSA ~" StsOoOS ohlU Vic WIN gAlUC0 VI
the desert threatened their destruction,
the strong arm of the government was
stretched out to save and to protect. Then i
and there. along the shores of the broad
river, arose the military forts, whose stout
plank stOckades and bastiOns formed their
city of refuge in times of danger. The
first of these to be erected was Fort Union,
at the mouth of the Yellowstone, near
where Fort Buford now is, and Fort Clarke,
some thirty.five miles below the present
site of Fort Stevenson, on the right bank
of the river. Aroundl it lay the villages
of the friendly Arickarees, Gros Ventres
and Mandan Indians. In 1845 the Gros
Ventres and Mandans moved up the river
and built their villages on a promontory
where it long stood.
In the same year the American Fur
company began the building of a stockade
on the extreme point of the bluffs over
looking the river. This was named Fort
Berthold, in honor of a Mr.. Berthold of St.
Louis, In 1859 an opposition trading
company erected another stockade about
two hundred yards south of the former
building which they named Fort Atkin-
on. 1t being found unadvisable to maintain
trading posts so near together as Forts
Clarke and Berthold, the former was
broken up in the spring of 1860. In the
winter of 1860-61, the Arickarees dwelt in
a timbered point, about eight miles above
the site of Fort Stevenson. In the winter
of 1912 they had temporary quarters
above Fort Berthold, and in March 1852
they commenced the erection of a perma-
nent village, whose ruins may still be seen
on the pralries nearly opposite Fort Berth
old, There on the Sd of August, 1852 be-
fore their first crop of corn:had rlpened,
they had a severe battle with the Sioux,
and on the next day they abandoned their
village and moved across the river.
They then built their lodges around Fort
Berthold and Joined once with the Gros
Ventres and Mandans. In the fall of 1862,
the two trading companies having been
consolidated under the name of the North
west Fun company, the old fort erected
in l845 was abandoned, and the stores aud
employees of the American Fur company,
were moved into Fort Atkinson to which
the name of Fort Berthold was transferred.
This fortitcatlon still retains the name of
Berthold. On Christmas eve of 1862, while
most of the friendly Indians were absent
at their winter quarters, the post was
attacked by a large party of Sioux, who
reduced the old fort, and the greater part
of the village to ashes, and nearly sue
ceeded in capturing the inhabited stockade.
But the citizen garrison defended itself
bravely, and aided by the timely arrival of
some Indians from the winter quarters
succeeded in driving off the Sioux with
great loss to the latter.
In the spring of 1858, the Isantee Sioux,
who had been driven out of Minnesota
after the massacre of the previous year,
came to Berthold to form an alliance with
the Berth0ld Indians against the whites.
The two parties met in a ravine about
three miles from the post, when, instead
of advancing to shake hands, an Arickaree
brave suddenly fired upon the Sioux, and
a battle ensued, in which two GrOs Ven
tries and nine Isantees were killed. Other
difficulties with the enemyquickly followed
and the condition of the post becoming
dangerous, application for military assist
ance was made. General Alfred Sully, on
the return march of his second northwest
ern Indian expedition, arrived at Berthold
on the goth of August, 1854, and detached
from his expedition, n company. as gar
risOn for the post.
On September Sd the company moved
into the stockade, but owing to a disagree.
ment with the agent of the fur company,
log buildings were erected outside the
fort, and the troops moved into them in
April, 1866. This was a season of plenty,
the buffalo being abundant around the
fort, and the troops Toasted s~umptuously.
Genl Sully's third northwestern Indian
expedition arrived on its return march. at
Berthold, Aug. 8, 1855, and here Gen'l Sully
issued an order directing the evacuation of
Fort Union at the mouth of the Yellow.
stone. The evacuation was completed Oh
August 31st and from that time until the
establishment of Fort Buford in 1868
Berth0ld was the extreme northern garri-
son in the valley of the upper Missouri
On June IA, 1857 the troops moved from
Fort Berthold to a point seventeen miles
further east, where a post at that time
called New Fort Berthold was about to be
established. Fort Berthold was never
armed by the government, nor was any
rent charged for it. The use of it being
given by the agent of the Northeast Fur
company. in consideration of the protec.
ton afforded the trading post by the pres
ence of the troops. At this time, however,
it was found necessary to establish a per.
manent military post in the vicinity, not
only to afford military protection to the
friendly Indians and whites at Fort Der.
thold, but to serve as a base of supplies
to the post, when about to be built al
Devils Lake (Fort Totten.) 1t was also
necessary to have an intermediate post on
the river, between the distant forts of Rice
and Buford, and further, as a link in the
chain of posts along the proposed "north'
ern emigrant route" from Minnesota to
the gold mines-in Montana.
1t was also necessary to remove the gar
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