Fort Caspar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fort Caspar and Boundary Increase
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Reconstructed buildings at the site of Fort Caspar
Location	14 Fort Caspar Rd. Casper, Wyoming 82604
Architect	Louis Guinard
NRHP reference No.	71000887; 76002282
Added to NRHP	August 12, 1971; July 19, 1976

Fort Caspar was an important military post in what is now Wyoming. It was named after a brave young officer, 2nd Lieutenant Caspar Collins. He was killed in a battle in 1865.

The fort started in 1859 as a trading post and a toll bridge. It was built along the North Platte River on the famous Oregon Trail. Later, the United States Army took it over. They called it Platte Bridge Station. Its main job was to protect travelers and the telegraph line. This was during conflicts between the U.S. and Native American groups like the Lakota and Cheyenne.

Today, the site of the fort is in Casper, Wyoming. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Casper now runs it as the Fort Caspar Museum and Historic Site.

The Story of Fort Caspar

The area around Platte Bridge Station was used by the Army even before the fort was built. It was a key spot where the Emigrant Trail crossed the North Platte River.

Early Crossings and Ferries

• In 1847, during the first Mormon wagon train to Utah, Brigham Young set up a ferry here.
• This ferry was made of cottonwood canoes and planks.
• Nine men stayed behind to run the ferry for other travelers.
• Mormons returned each summer until 1852 to operate it.
• Later, a rope-and-pulley system replaced the ferry. This made crossing the river much faster.

From Trading Post to Army Fort

• In 1855, the U.S. Army set up Fort Clay nearby.
• In 1859, a man named Louis Guinard built a bridge at the old Mormon Ferry crossing. He called it the Platte Bridge Station.
• From 1860 to 1861, the famous Pony Express even had a station here!

By the mid-1860s, more and more settlers were moving into the region. This caused problems with the Lakota and Cheyenne. To help protect the new telegraph line and the settlers, the Army increased its presence. In 1861, soldiers were sent to guard Guinard's bridge. Many of these soldiers were from state units formed during the American Civil War. In 1862, the Army used Guinard's buildings while building and occupying Fort Caspar.

Louis Guinard, who built the bridge, sadly drowned in 1865. His nephew, Louis P. Guinard, took over the property. The U.S. troops used Guinard's buildings for three years. After the troops left in 1865, Native American warriors destroyed the bridge. Louis P. Guinard and his family had to leave for their safety.

The Battle of Platte Bridge Station

Reconstructed Platte Bridge

In July 1865, a large group of Cheyenne and Sioux warriors planned to attack Platte Bridge Station. They wanted to destroy the 1,000-foot-long (300 m) bridge and the soldiers there.

The Attack Begins

• On July 25, a small group of warriors showed themselves to the soldiers.
• A larger group then drove off some horses. This made the soldiers use up a lot of their ammunition.
• The station had strong buildings and a cannon (called a mountain howitzer) to protect the bridge.

A Risky Mission

• Late that night, a group of soldiers arrived from another station. They were going to Fort Laramie for supplies.
• They learned that a wagon train was due to arrive the next morning.
• The officers at the fort discussed sending out a rescue force to protect the wagon train from the warriors.
• Major Martin Anderson, the commander, decided to wait until daylight.

Caspar Collins Steps Up

• The next morning, several officers refused to lead the rescue mission.
• So, 20-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Caspar W. Collins was ordered to lead it. He was just passing through the fort.
• Collins borrowed pistols and rode out with 25 men.
• Among the Native American leaders were famous warriors like Red Cloud and Roman Nose.

The Battle Unfolds

• At dawn, many warriors were seen on the hills around the station.
• At 7:00 a.m., a large force of warriors crossed the river, trying to draw out the soldiers.
• Collins and his small group rode out to push back any hostile warriors.
• However, hundreds of Cheyenne warriors appeared from the sand hills.
• Collins's group was heavily outnumbered. He ordered a retreat back to the bridge.
• Another group of Lakota warriors tried to rush the bridge.
• The soldiers at the bridge fought hard, holding them back.
• Only 20 of the 26 troopers made it back, all wounded.
• Five soldiers were killed, including Lieutenant Collins. He was shot with an arrow while trying to help a wounded soldier. The battle lasted only a few minutes.

The Wagon Train Attack

• Later that morning, a wagon train commanded by Sergeant Amos J. Custard was attacked about five miles west of the station.
• The wagons were forced into a dip in the ground. They fought for four hours.
• Eventually, a large group of warriors attacked on foot and overwhelmed them. All the defenders were killed.
• The wagons were burned.
• Three scouts from the wagon train managed to make it back to the station.

Aftermath of the Battle

• The battle became known as the Battle of Platte Bridge Station.
• The attack on the wagon train is sometimes called the Battle of Red Buttes.
• In total, 27 soldiers and Lieutenant Collins were killed. Many more were wounded.
• To honor Lieutenant Collins, the Army officially renamed the post Fort Caspar. They used his first name to avoid confusion with another fort named after his father.

Fort Caspar's Abandonment

The fort was used for two more years. In August 1867, the Army abandoned Fort Caspar. The soldiers moved to Fort Fetterman in Douglas, Wyoming.

Fort Caspar Museum Today

• Fort Caspar was partly rebuilt in 1936. Builders used sketches made by Lieutenant Collins in 1863.
• The reconstructed fort shows what it looked like between 1863 and 1865.
• The City of Casper now runs a museum at the site.
• You can see reconstructed log buildings, including a wooden stockade.
• There's also a replica of the Mormon ferry and a model of part of the bridge.
• In early December, a living history group often puts on historical reenactments at the site.