The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-05-10
OLD FORT KEOGH, LANDMARK OF 1MDDAN WARS 1N MONTANA,
MAY BE ABANDONED; FOUNDED BY GENERAL MILES IM 1876
BY LOUIS F. GRILL

THUR q time WITHIN IN
last As years, since the estab
hshment of Fort Keogh near tn
mouth of the Tongue river in south
eastern Montana, the question OF it
abandonment by the war department
at Washington, D. c., is being con
sidered. Less than two decades aftel
it's construction, after it had served
as an outpost for military protection
against roaming bands of Indians, j
was abandoned and subsequently re
opened as a remOunt station and be
came the largest in the world.
During the last few years the wal
department has had under c%onsidera'
ton the question of the abandonment
of a number of forts which have out
lived their usefulness, and consum-
mate action in a number of instances
has been taken. Owing to the valu-
able services which Fort Keogh has
rendered to the stockgrowing inter
ests of the northwest it has been re-
tanned, but it is understood that the
matter of expense in connection with
its continuance has entered as a
practically determining factor, and it's
fate is already sealed.
In the summer of 1875 the eyes
of the world were turned toward
Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly
Love, and literally thousands visited
the location near that city on which
was being celebrated the centennial
observation of the adoption by the
early fathers of the Declaration of In
dependence. Americans heralded to
the world that these we're the free
and United States of America-and
Independent.
On June rs of that centennial year,
General George A.. Custer and his
command were annihilated by an
overwhelming force of savages on
the Little Big Horn in the great UNI
developed and partially settled north
west. The magnitude of the disaster
of that bright June morning also at
tracted. the attention of the world as
soon as the news of the battle came
speeding over the wires from Bis
marck, then an outpost on the edge
aroused to the fact that there was a
goodly portion of this great domain
where virtually another sovereignty
rolgnoQ supreme.
Very few people. in the more set
tied portions of the country were cog
infant of the conditions in the Indian
country which were known more in
timately to the army and the scat
tered pioneers. Suddenly, in the mas
sacre of General Custer and his com
mand, the attention of the nation was
called to the situation, embellished
as it was by the details of a bloody
that sickened while it ,enrag-
ed. {
Keogh Established in 1876
The military authorities imme-I
diately ordered the occupation of the
Yellowstone valley. For the protec-
ton of incoming settlers and to add
to the effectiveness of the troops two
military posts were established. Each
named after a hero of the mas
Fort Custer was established
at the confluence of the Big Horn and
the Little Big Horn, a few miles from
the famous Custer battlefield. Fort
was established at the con-
fluence of the Tongue and Yellow
stone rivers.
On the LIST day of August, 1876,
General Nelson A. Miles, then
! colonel in the regular army, arriv-
I'D at the mouth of the Tongue river
n command of the Fifth infantry. A
of land 10 miles square subse-
luently was selected as the site of
he fort which was named Keogh. It
liver breaks and benchlands and sew
,ral thousand acres of level bottom
ands, considered as an ideal location
or the construction of a fort and a
,enter of military activities against
he Indians, who had united their
'orces for the purpose Of driving the
white man from the ~favorite hunting
and buffalo haunts.
After spending some time recon
lettering and looking over various To-
along the Yellowstone, Gen
raj Miles returned to the mouth of
he Tongue river and erected a stock
de built largely from timber secured
rom the telling of cottonwood trees
which grew in abundance along the
tream. There is nothing left of this
riginal site, except the well which
applied the drinking water, and the
idges of earth along which the
tockade walls were erected. Imme-
lately to the south are located the
air grounds used by Custer county
nd in late year the scene of the an
ual roundup and historical celebra-
Would Erect Monument
A movement is on foot to erect
Monuments on the site of the original
'ort Keogh, and in 1922 George M.
Tiles, a nephew of General Miles and
accompanied him as a clerk in
be quartermaster's department in
-ugust, 1876, together with L. A.
huffman, formerly fort photograph