FORT SNELLING.
FROM E. D. NEILL'S RECOLLECTIONS.
On the 10th of February, 1819, John C. Calhoun, then secretary of war,
issued an order for the Fifth regiment of infantry to rendezvous at
Detroit, preparatory to proceeding to the Mississippi to garrison or
establish military posts, and the headquarters of the regiment was
directed to be at the fort to be located at the mouth of the Minnesota
river.
It was not until the 17th of September that Lieutenant-Colonel
Leavenworth, with a detachment of troops, reached this point. A
cantonment was first established at New Hope, near Mendota, and not far
from the ferry. During the winter of 1819-20, forty soldiers died from
scurvy.
On the 5th of May, 1819, Colonel Leavenworth crossed the river and
established a summer camp, but his relations with the Indian agent were
not as harmonious as they might have been, and Colonel Josiah Snelling
arrived and relieved him. On the 10th of September, the cornerstone of
Fort St. Anthony was laid; the barracks at first were of logs.
During the summer of 1820 a party of Sisseton Sioux killed on the
Missouri Isadore Poupon, a half-breed, and Joseph Andrews, a Canadian,
two men in the employ of the fur company. As soon as the information
reached the agent, Major Taliaferro, trade with the Sioux was interdicted
until the guilty were surrendered. Finding that they were deprived of
blankets, powder and tobacco, a council was held at Big Stone Lake, and
one of the murderers, and the aged father of another, agreed to go down
and surrender themselves.
On the 12th of November, escorted by friends and relatives, they
approached the post. Halting for a brief period, they formed and marched
in solemn procession to the center of the parade ground. In the advance
was a Sisseton, bearing a British flag; next came the murderer, and the
old man who had offered himself as an atonement for his son, their arms
pinioned, and large wooden splinters thrust through the flesh above the
elbow, indicating their contempt for pain; and in the rear followed
friends chanting the death-song. After burning the British flag in front
of the sentinels of the fort, they formally delivered the prisoners. The
murderer was sent under guard to St. Louis, and the old man detained as a
hostage.
The first white women in Minnesota were the wives of the officers of
Fort St. Anthony. The first steamer to arrive at the new fort was the
Virginia, commanded by Captain Crawford. The event was so notable that
she was greeted by a salute from the fort.
In 1824, General Scott, on a tour of inspection, visited Fort St.
Anthony, and suggested that the name be changed to Fort Snelling, in
honor of Colonel Snelling, its first commander. Upon this suggestion of
General Scott and for the reason assigned, the war department made the
change and historic Fort Snelling took its place among the defenses of
the nation; and from this date up to 1861, was garrisoned by regulars,
who were quartered here to keep in check the Indians who were ever on the
alert for an excuse to avenge themselves on the white settlers.
[Illustration: Fort Snelling in 1865.]
Author's Note.
When visiting Fort Snelling during the occasion of the holding of the
National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic in St. Paul in
September, 1896, I found such a change.
The old stone quarters for the use of the rank and file during the
war days were there, it is true, but are being used for purposes
other than accommodating the soldiers. I found my old squad room, but
the old associations were gone; the memories of the war days crowded
upon me, and I thought of the boys whose names and faces I remembered
well, but they are dead and scattered over the land. Some few were
there, and we went over our war history, and in the recital, recalled
the names of our comrades who have been finally "mustered out" and
have gone beyond the river.
The present commandant of the beautiful new fort is Colonel John
H. Page of the Third United States Infantry. This officer has been
continuously in the service since April, 1861. He was a private
in Company A, First Illinois Artillery, and went through all the
campaigning of this command until the close of the war, when he
received an appointment in the Regular Establishment, and as Captain
was placed on recruiting service in Chicago.
His advancement in his regiment has been phenomenal, and to be called
to the command of a regiment of so renowned a record as has the Third
Infantry, is an honor to any man, no matter where he won his spurs.
Colonel Page is a Comrade of U. S. Grant Post No. 28, Grand Army of
the Republic, Department of Illinois, and is also a Companion of the
Loyal Legion. He has an interesting family who live with him in the
enjoyment of his well-earned laurels.
In 1861, and from that to 1866, the scene underwent a wondrous change,
and volunteers instead of regulars became its occupants. All the
Minnesota volunteers rendezvoused here preparatory to taking the field.
Some years after the war the department determined to make this historic
place one of the permanent forts, and commenced a series of improvements.
Now it is one of the finest within the boundary of our country, and
we find the grounds, 1,500 acres in extent, beautifully laid out, and
extensive buildings with all the modern improvements erected for the
accommodation of Uncle Sam's soldiers.
The present post structures consist of an executive building, 93x64 feet,
of Milwaukee brick, two stories and a basement, heated by furnaces and
with good water supply. It contains offices for the commanding general
and department staff. The officers' quarters: a row of thirteen brick
buildings with all the modern improvements, hot and cold water, and a
frame stable for each building. Minnesota Row: Six double one-story frame
buildings, affording twelve sets of quarters for clerks and employes.
Brick Row: A two-story brick building, 123x31 feet, with cellars, having
sixteen suites of two rooms each, for unmarried general service clerks
and employes. Quartermaster's employes have a one-story brick building,
147x30 feet, containing eight sets of quarters of two rooms each, also
a mess-house, one story brick, 58x25 feet, containing a kitchen and
dining room, with cellar 30x12 feet. Engineer's quarters, school house,
quartermaster's corrals, brick stables, blacksmith shops, frame carriage
house, granary and hay-house, ice house, etc., good water works, sewer
system, and electric lights.