Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-01-02


and the fact that the Indian is no
longer menace to the welfare and
safety of the settlers has forced upon
the consciousness of the war depart
ment the uselessness of longer main
tanning many of the forts which have
dotted the western plains and noun
tain districts for years. For this rea-
son many historic spots dear to the
novelist and the historian, but really
dreaded by the common soldier, are to
pass away, and of the 275 posts now in
existence from 100 to $50 will be aban-
dOned.
This action follows a tour of in
spection and investigation by Secre-
tary Taft of the war department,
which was undertaken for the two-fold
purpose of selecting sites for chain
OF brigadier posts, and the determin-
ing which of the minor posts could be
best dispensed with. 1t is probable
that with the abandonment of the
posts eight or nine brigadier posts will
be established.
Only few days ago came the an
nOuncement of the abandonment of
Fort Niobrara, Nebraska, around which
half a century ago ragged an almost in
cessant Indian warfare and which has
been the scene of many military
romances. For several years the gov
eminent has been abandoning one by
one of these frontier posts and con.
0Nnfro tino thu %r11 81 %ho
forts. Recently there have been aban.
doned these posts, once of Importance:
Fort Brown, Texas; Fort. Grant, Ari-
IONA; Fort Ringgold, Texas; Fort
Yates, North Dakota; Allegheny Arse
nal, Pennsylvania; Columbia Arsenal,
Tennessee; Indianapolis Arsenal, In
diana, and Kennebec Arsenal, Maine.
"The purpose of these changes"
said an army officer, lis in accordance
with the general plan of army reor.
ganization. It will be much less ex-
peHsive to maintain large bodies of
men at central points than it is to
, maintain small scattered garrisons
which are often one or two hundred
miles from the railroad and where the
supplies must be transported by
wagon.
Furthermore, discipline can be
much better preserved and an army
raised to higher degree of proficiency
when the men are held in large bodies
1t is believed, too, that the soldiers,
having more companionship and more
11i11,c o,for in ~
will be less likely to desert than when
stationed in lonely and remote places.
Fort Ethan Allen, about six miles
from Burlington, VT, which was estab.
lished principally through the influ.
ence of Senator Redfeld Proctor, will
probably be made one of the brigadier
posts of the east. The present reser.
walton contains 962 acres, and when
! the proposed additions are made to en-.
large the drill grounds it will cover
/ 1900 acres. Since it's establishment,
> about ten years ago, the government
has spent close on to $2000,000 on this
post.
"Secretary Taft was very favorably
! impressed, too, with Fort D. A. Rus
sell, Wyoming, which is the home of
Senator Warren, chairman of the sen.
! ate committee on military affairs. He
also inspected another important post,
Fort Robinson, in Nebraska. The Sc
, lection of a large post for that part of
the country will most probably be
made from these two: On the Pacific
coast Vancouver barracks, Washing.
ton; the Preside at Monterey, CAL,
and some fort in southern California
will likely be retained. Fort Ogle.
thorpe, Georgia.; Fort Douglas, Utah,
and Fort D. H. Wright, Washington,
are also mentioned favorably as can.
didates for brigadier honors.
THE secretary was especially i'm.
pressed with Forts Ueavenworth and
Riley in Kansas, Fort Sill in Okla
homa and Fort Sam Houston, near San
Antonio, Tex.
"Of course these brigadier posts
will not be the only army posts that
the country will maintain. Smaller
garrisons will be continued at such
forts as Smelling, near st. Paul, and
important points in the; interior and
along the coasts. But leaving these
out there still remain nearly $50 posts