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

that can be disposed with without in
jury to the service"
Fort Sill has for a number of wears
been considered one of the most i'm.
portant posts of the Indian territory.
The reservation contains $4,000 acres.
and adjoining this is 100000 acres more
which may be used for military pur-
poses. The department plans to make
this especially a post for the instruc-
ton and training of field artillery.
Both Riley and Leavenworth, the
two Kansas forts, have figured not
only in the history of the state, but
also in the development of the west.
Riley, near Junction City, has for the
last few years been the scene of ex-
tensive maneuvers of regulars, as we'll
as of the militia of Kansas and neigh
boring states. The reservation is ex-
tensive and is considered by army Of
ticers as especially adapted to the
drilling of large bodies of men. The
department has kept up here for sew
eral years school of instruction in
army cooking.
The best known of all these forts is
Leavenworth. 1t was established in
1847 on a bluff overlooking the Mis-
souri, river, and during the years of
the settlement of the great west that
lies between the Missouri and the
Rocky mountains it was the principal
depot of supplies for the posts that
sprang up on the plains for the pro-
lection of the settlers.
From here also were sent out the
military escorts for the wagon trains
that crossed to the gold fields of Cali
fornia and Colorado and to the silver
mines of Mexico, that guarded the
wagon trains along the old Santa Fe
trail and the pony express riders to
Denver and the mountain country.
Here some of the men who did dis
tinguished service during the civil
war had their first training in actual
| field duty. Gen. Lee was one of the
commandants of the post Gen. Grant
served here as a young officer, and
part of the old wall of the reservation
was built under his supervision.
In the army at the present time
there are few officers but have had
experience at Leavenworth, either on
duty there or as students at one of the
officers schools. The town of Leaven-
worth, adjoining the post, is jocularly
known as the "mother-in-law of the
army" for it is fact that Leaven-
worth has married more of her girls
to officers than any other town in the
country.
Land forming part of this reserva-
ton, which was in the beginning very
extensive, has in some cases been sold
and in others appropriated for various
other purposes. The largest of United
States prisons, which houses famous
collection of bankers, as we'll as of
western desperadoes, is situated here.
! This has made necessary the pur-
chase of additional land to carry out
the plans of the department, and au-
thorizatiOn will be asked for the pur-
chase of not more than 5000 acres.
The land that is desired lies across
the Missouri river and is reached by
an old bridge, one of the first built in
the Missouri valley
! Of all the Kansas forts these two
are the only ones that remain. The
names of others we'll known in from
tier history are preserved in the
names of the towns which grew up
under their protection, as Fort Dodge,
Fort Scott and Hayes, Larned and
Harker
Many of the old forts in the Indian
country, in the neighborhood of Little
Big Horn, have been abandoned, for
Clusters red skinned foes are now
peaceful farmers, and the buildings
that sheltered the troopers are in
many instances converted into schools
for their children.
With the capture of Geronimo and
the removal of many of the southwest
tribes to other reservations the use
fulness of the forts in Arizona and
New Mexico was ended. Fort Grant.
one of the most important in the
southwest, was several years ago
abandoned, and Fort Apache, Arizona
will soon be evacuated.
In activity We must find our ioy as
1 well as glory; and labor, like every
thing else that is good, is it's own re-
ward.-E. P Whipple