The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-08-07
PRACTICALLY a ruin, buf

ment to the dead and bloody past
in the now prosperous and peace
full Gallatin valley, just beyond the
outskirts of the city of Bozeman
The fast-flying Northern Pacific
railway trains whirl through its
limits, on one side the site of the
old stables, now gone, and on the
other the former habitations of the
officers and men. Along the space
now occupied by the railway many
times was formed hurriedly the
little squadron of cavalry that was
part of the garrison.
Across the fields, now yielding
a wealth Of golden grain, the stir
ring notes of "Boots and Saddles
oftimes sounded the overture to the
tragedy of a chase after and battle
with invading Indians. And then
the swift sharp orders of the adj
jutant, the turning over of the com
mand to the senior officer, the brief
seconds wait and then the rafting
order Column of tours to break
from the right to march to the
left. Mar-r-rch!" The blare OF
the bugle Forward" that took up
the command, and then the march
ing away of the little column, fire.
quently to come back with ranks
thinner than it went.
One can see it all in imagination,
and then, too, he sees the white
faces of the women peering from
the row of log houses on the side
hill, peering after the disappearing
column, looking out across the field
with eyes that bravely held back
the tears, gazing at the line of blue
that merged into a dust cloud, and
saying nothing of the agony in
their souls. AS the husbands did
their duty nobly and bravely, so
did these frontier soldiers wives do
theirs. In their code one must new
er weep when the command IS or
dered out.
When Fort Ellis was in existence
as a military post its reservation in
cluded a square of land each side
of which was seven miles long.
Now this land has been cut up
and sold to farmers, who have
transformed it into prosperous
grain fields. Of the original re-
serve only $40 acres remain. 1t is
now the property of the state OF
Montana and here have in recent
years been held several of the an
nual encampments of the state mil
tia, whose tents were pitched down
the broad street that leads away
from the guardhouse and passes,
between the barracks and officers
quarters.
The post has changed materially
since it was first built a half cen
fury ago. Of all the buildings the
stocky, solid double houses that
formed the officers quarters re-
tain most of the original appear
ance. They are little changed.
Fort Ellis was established in 1867
and the original building were con-
structed by two companies of the
18th infantry under command of
Major Lamont. A large stockade
10 feet high was built about the
houses, which-both mems and Of
ficers' quarters were OF logs.
Bastions were erected at two OF the
four corners - the southwest and
northeast. While intended to con-
tain a garrison of at least two COM
the orders were to build the
fort so it could be held by Is men
if attacked when the main COM
nand was away. The object of the
post at this point was to command
he passes that led into the Gallatln
from the Yellowstone. The
then was almost on the east
,rn frontier.
The post was given the name OF
Fort Ellis in honor of Colonel Ellis
If the Sixth Massachusetts, colored
volunteer infantry, a brave and
brilliant officer who was killed dur
ng the Civil War. In 1869 the gar
ison was reinforced by four troops
# the Second cavalry, which
marched i'll from Fort Russell,
Wyoming, in the department OF The
Platte. These four troops re-
NAMED at the post practically all
he time up to its abandonment IN
1884, but the two companies Of IN
antry were changed several times,
ompanies of the Seventh infantry
ucceeding those of the 18th and IN
urn being succeeded by companies