Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-19

S$s#NF @EltFsHI n EFES Y. n
about the place the previous summer
(l83O was the Dsschamps family,
consisting Of the parents, ton children
and a nephew, Francois Descham ps,
Sr.. who was accused OF having killed
kirk colony; Of robbing and murder
ing others wounded in that affair
(June 16. 1870; 81 having twice rob-
bed Fort Union, and OF having been
concerned in numerous other crimes.
His son. Francois, Jr., was the inter
prefer at Fort Union, and had inter
Tered with the family relations Of one
of the employees Of the fort. whom
the Deschamps family had made sew
spiracy was formed at Fort Union to
kill both father and son, and in &C
cordance with the arrangements, one
Of the party killed the elder Des-
champs with a blow from his gun,
completing the murder with his knife.
while the young man was merely
wounded. This was in July. 1883.
There were then about seventy men
at Fort Union, and a number Of half
blood families at Fort William, where
the Deschamps were quartered, and
where some OF the men from Fort
Union lived after the abandonment OF
the Fort William in 1884.
Bitter Battle. +.
During a carousal following the d.
parture Of the annual boat for St.
Louis, June rs. 1886. Madam Des-
champs aroused the vengeance Of her
son by the tAunt that II they were
men they would nvenge the death Of
their father; whereupon they Killed
Jack Rem, whose family hurried to
Fort Union with the tidings: follow
ing which a party was raised and. be-
Ing supplied with arms by Mckenzie,
they surrounded the DeschAInps house
and finally set It or fire. Before the
affair was ended they had killed the
mother and other members Of the
family (eight in all at the trnc). Ole
a child of ten. who died Of wounds
the next day. One Of the a%ssaultins
party, Joseph Vivier, was killed, ard
one wounded.
This much with regard to Fort
William on the Upper Missouri. pre-
ceding the founding Of Fort Buford
on the same site a third Of a century
later.
Named From General.
j.. Fort Buford-CoL Lounsburv in hts
History of Moth Dakota" states that
during the military campaign of Gen
eral Sully against the Indians In the
summer of 1854, following the battle
Of the Little Missouri. July Is; he
arrived at Fort Union on the 18th If
August and selected the site for a mil
itary post, resulting later in the estab-
lishment of Fort. Buford." To General
Sully mus therefore be given thu
credit OF selecting the location for
the later establishment Of the fort,
which event. occurred on June 1915,
1856.
The new POST was named for John
Buford, brigadier general u. S. army
Cavalry. and major general u. 3.
volunteers. The first commander OF
the post was Captain William G. Ran
kin of the 18th U. 8. Infantry, brevet
lieutenant colonel. U. s. A.
1t was found impracticable to give
a full list of the commanding officers
Of the post covering a period Of near-
ly 80 years; however, it was learned
that Col. VIM. B. Hazen, 9Th Infantry,
later a brigadier general and chief
signal officer, was stationed at Fort
Buford from June. 1879, to July, 1877.
In May, 1867, the material used in
the construction of Fort Union was
sold to Captain Rankin and used in
the construction Of the new Fort Blu
ford.
The Fort Buford reservation was
extended to 80 miles square by gov
Fernment order, July 16. 1865, but was
abandoned as a military post in Sep
TENDER, 1895.
Our national war hero, General
Pershing, was there for 4 short period
the same year as first lieutenant Of
the 10th cavalry.
Summary.
Fort Buford site selected by General
Sully, Aug. Is. 1854. The fort estab-
nshed there about June 1915, 1856.
First buildings erected there on by
Captain Rankin of the 18th U. 8. In
fantry, brevet lieutenant colonel, u. 8.
A., May, 1857, from materials of the
old Fort Union. purchased by him.
Later buildings completed by Gen.
VIM. B. Hazen, in 1928, whittier he
brought his bride, who paused
through Bismarck in the spring Of
1873 to join her misunderstanding in
Bismarck in a raging mowstorm ear
" In May. and passing up the river
by ambulance to Fort Buford."
Gen. VIM. b. Hasen (1asO-16S7).
Gen. Hazen was distinguished for
services in the Civil warm battles of
Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River and Mis-
sionary Ridge. Also accompanied Gem
efAl Sherman on his march to the sea
and captured McAlister, Ga, In con-
nection herewith.
He served on the western frontier
from 1855 to 1SS0-xcepung the per-
1od OF his stay in Paris during the
Ffanco-Gernnan war: and also at vi
emma, ~ military attacha. during the
war between Russia and Turkey,
1S1S-7. He was transferred TO the
Sth q. s. Infantry on March Is, 1869,
with headquarters later at Fort Bu-
ford, N. D.. (1S72-D.
On Dec. Is, 1880, he was made
brigadier general and chief signal Of
ncer Of h q. 8. A., and did much to
raise the character OF the q. 8. signal
service. Through his efforts the pres
ent standard time meridians were
adopted, and he also introduced the
cold wave" signals, and the system
OF hourly weather predictions.
He died in Washington, D. c., In
1887, and after his death his widow
was married to Admiral Dewey. (See
Biographical Encyclopaedia
Gen. John Baford.
Gen. John Buford. for whom Fort
Buford WAS named when established
asA military post in 1856, Was born
IN Kentucky in 1925. and was a half.
brother to Con. N. B. Buford, also 1
genera1fn the Civil war. /.
He (John) graduated at west POINT
In 1913. and wa assigned for sArv-
Ice on the southwestern frontier. He
was q leader in nearly all the cavalry
enEasements occurring during: ere
khrst year OF the Civil war, and wal