The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-08
Old Sod Fort IN
Western N. D. Has Been Located
Corrals Near Dickinson Pointed Out as the Point
Where Marmarth Band Attempted to Ransom Mrs.
Kelley for Two Loads Of Provisions

Dickinson Press: AS will be re-
menbered by our readers Curator ii.
C. Fish of the State Historical society
was in New England about two weeks
ago to attend a mass meeting OF the
teachers of Hettinger county and ask
their cooperation in locating the old
corral or intrenchment made by Capt.
James L.. Fisk, where, with an inn
migrant train, he was surrounded by
the Indians for several days. A.. >.
Jackson, an old time Dickinson resi-
dent and ranger in this part of the
country, writes from Texas, where he
is owner of a hardware store, as fol-
lows:
Dickens, Tex, Jan. "a, 1913.-Editor
Press: / notice in your issue of Jan.
10 that Curator Fish of the State
Historical society is DESTROYS of locat-
ing the old fort, or corrals out south
west of New England.
Any one of the old OK or III boys
can direct him to this place. j.. r.
.Sebrell (Bones1 living near Gladstone
at present, or j. j. Tomamichel OF
Sidney, Mont, knew exactly where
this old fort or sod corral is located.
1t is on the Little Missouri river
slope, between Bacon and Coyote
creeks, about seven or eight miles
from the Little Missouri river, and
about the same distance from Mar
marth, | think, as l have been inform
ed that Marmarth is located at the
mouth of Bacon creek on the Little
Missouri river.
have often visited these corrals or
rifle pits as we used to call them,
alone and with other coWpunchers,
and we always wondered when and by
whom they could have been built.
l am confident that this is the place
that Mr.. Fish is looking for, as l put
IN over ten years on that particular
part or the range and / am sure if any
one had driven a horseshoe nail into
the ground anywhere in that part Of
the country, l would have found it.
l first visited this place in the fall
or $50 with Fred Lebreche, an old time
butfalo hunter, who said that he had
known of them for years, but had
never met any n who could give him
information as to their origin.
Hoping this letter may serve to put
Mr.. Fish on the right trail, to finding
his long lost fort,
/ am yours truly,
A. s. Jackson.
A little history of Captain Fisk's en-
counters with the Indians in North
Dakota had been CLEANED from collec-
tlons by the State Historical society
eIld Will De interesting reading in ON
nection with the probable location by
"A. 5. Jackson of this old corral in the
country southwest of Dickinson.
At that time the government had
five established forts in North Dakota
and were sending out troops of
cavalry with an effort to subdue the
Indians and open the country to
settlement. 1t was then unsafe for
immigrants on their way to the gold
fields west to traverse the country or
for steamers to use the Missouri river
above Fort Pierre in what is now
South Dakota. In this summer of
1854 was fought the battle of the Kill
deer mountains, the greatest Indian
battle eve fought in Dakota territory.
General Sully was at the head of the
white forces and succeeded, after a
hard struggle in defeating the red men
and driving them back into the bad
lands.
About this time Captain Fisk and
fifty soldiers from Fort Rice, els miles
below the present site of MandanD,
was acting as a body guard for an inn
migrant train from Crookston. Mimi,
to Idaho. The train was composed or
besides the women and children along.
besides the wagon and children along.
It was a great venture and CAPTAIN
Fisk is criticized only that he attempt
ed the trip without more soldiers! He
should have had, at least, 300 men to