Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-08
HONOR LEAVENWORTH.
MCnument to be Reared in ka- sas
10 Founder of Fort Bearing
His Name

HIS Name.
Fort Leavenworth. Has. will in tbe
month of May next. celebrate the seven
ty-ffth anniversary of its establishment
by Gen. Chen COLI Henry Leaveaworth.
May s, 1927.
Both army circles and the citizens of
Fort Leayenworth honor the soldier
whose name they bear and wish hat his
grave may be among them and That they
may erect Il proud monument over It. Ii
is said that the generals grave At Del
phi has been neglected for years, hur
that now, when removal OF the remains
is talked Of the town is bestirgIrg itself
TO reform and. TO opposition. Ihe as
sent of Secretary of War Rooe 10 the
proposed transfer has also been secured
Gen. Henry LeavcnwOrth was 4 law
yer, Legislator, an hOnOred soldier and
frontiersman. He spent the greater
part OF his life in the army of his coun-
try. In his service in the then wild re-
gions of the Mississippi and Missouri riv-
ers he helped TO develop the standards
of duty aud discipline in the United
States army in its formative period. and
to adopt the standards Of drill, discipline
and army administration prevalent in
Europe. to the rough conditions in which
he was placed. He is also said 70 be the
originator of the army school for officers
ana SOlnlcTS, one Oh winch Is 10
tablishcd at Fort LeHvenworth As n
frontier soldier he assisted, by his tact.
in making the opening of the West as
pcaceabc as possible.
\ Native of Connecticut.
Gen. Leavenworth was born IN Con.
necticut in the closing year OF the Reyo-
lutiOnary war, 1888. While a boy he re-
moved to Delaware county, y. Y. When
a, young man he read law in the Office of
Gen. Root of Delphi and later entered.
into partnership with him At the
breaking out of the war of 1872 young
Leavenworth helped raise company
and was elected its captain This com
pany was attached to Gen Winfield
ScOtts brigade and saw service in north
crn New York and in the battle Of Chip
pewa and Lundy's Lane The close Of
the war found the young soldier brevet-
ed, after several promotions, lieutenant
colonel Back to Delphi again IS a law
yer, seat III the Legislature was the
next thing. Then TO the regular army
again upon the offer of majorship.
After short stays at Sackctt's Harbor
and Detroit and a promotion, Lieut. Col.
LeavenwOrth was given command of an
expedition into the Northwest, where.
after much active service among the In
dams, he established a post, now Fort
Smelling, Mimi. This was about the
year 1870. He subsequently commanded
4
successful expedition against the Arick-
aree Indians in 1921. Col Lea venworth
was especially mentioned for this service
i'll reports by President Monroe and Sec
rotary of War Calhoun.
Establishment of Jefferson Barracks.
With Gen. Atkinson, Col. Icavenworth
was delegated in March, 1895, T., select
a site for an army school near the June
ton Of the Mississippi and Missouri riv-
n IofT h,,.,, -
chosen. Col. Leavenworth started in to
bulld school, but met with little en-
couragemen from Washington and the
scheme was finally abandoned or fifty
years. In March. 1927, Col Leaven-
worth was ordered to ascend the Mis-
souri, and establish a cantonment upon
the left bank near the Little Platte iiv-
er. Owing to the topography Of the coun-
try the colonel chose the present site of
Fort Ieayenworth on the opposite bank
lis selectlop vas approved, by the ssa},-
department and the site has ever. since
been occupied by government troops with
the exception of six months in 1929 fol
lowing great sickness among the sOldiery.
In 1882 the name was changed from
Cantonment Leavenworth to Fort Leay-
enwOrth. While stationed at the fort
in 1892 Col. LeayenwOrth was assigned
to the command of the Southwestern
frontier. For conducting a successful
campaign against the Pawnee Indians
the gallant soldier was made Dflgadler-
general. News of this honor never
reached him, however. July % 1884.
while out against some hostile Indians,
the general died near the fails Of the
Washita, in Indian territory. After sew
cral months the body was finally sent to
Delphi. To show their appreciation of
their leader. the officers and men of his
command raised money for a marble
shaft over his grave.
Col. Jesse II. Leavenworrh. Gen
Leavenworth's son, was born in 1907
He entered West Point in 1880. Re
signing from the army in 1886 he be-
came a civil engineer. which profession
he followed until 1853. Between the
years 1858 and 1862 Mr.. Leavenworth
was lumber merchant in Chicago. The
old Milwaukee directories, including the
years, 1851, "a, 81 and still later years.
give his business as lumber merchant"
In the Civil war Mr.. Leavenworth was
colonel of a Colorado regiment, He died
", IS2S