Fort Ridgely facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Ridgely
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Fort Ridgely in 1862
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Nicollet County, south of Fairfax, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1853 |
| Architectural style | unpallisaded frontier fort |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000304 |
| Added to NRHP | December 02, 1970 |
Fort Ridgely was an important United States Army outpost in Minnesota Territory. It was built between 1853 and 1854 and used until 1867. The Sioux people called it Esa Tonka.
The fort was located on a hill overlooking the Minnesota River, southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Interestingly, Fort Ridgely did not have a defensive wall, palisade, or guard towers. The Army first called it the "New Post on the Upper Minnesota." Later, it was named after two Maryland Army officers, Randolph and Lott Henderson Ridgely, who died during the Mexican–American War.
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History of Fort Ridgely
Building the Fort
The War Department hired Mr. Jessie H. Pomeroy to build both Fort Ridgely and Fort Ripley. At Fort Ridgely, two companies of soldiers helped. They dug up granite from two miles away, brought it to the site, and helped build a large stone barracks for 400 men. This barracks building formed the east side of the fort's main area, which was a 90-square-yard parade ground.
In 1854–55, the government gave $10,000 to clear trees for a military road from St Anthony Falls to Fort Ridgely. Later, in 1856, another $50,000 was approved to build a wagon road from Fort Ridgely all the way to South Pass, Nebraska Territory.
Spirit Lake Incident
On March 8, 1857, a sad event known as the Spirit Lake Massacre happened in Iowa, near the Minnesota border. Fort Ridgely sent troops, led by Captain Bee, to investigate. They found that a group led by Inkpaduta had left the area. Lt. Murray and 25 men stayed to search, while Captain Bee returned to Fort Ridgely.
A 14-year-old girl named Abbie Gardner was the only survivor. She was held captive for four months. Two Wahpeton men helped the government arrange for her release. She was taken to the Upper Sioux Agency, then to Fort Ridgely, and finally by riverboat to St. Paul.
The Dakota War of 1862
Fort Ridgely played a very important part in the Dakota War of 1862. It was one of the few forts in American history to be attacked in the way it was. On August 18, Captain Marsh, the fort's commander, took most of his soldiers to the Lower Sioux Agency. He had heard reports that the agency was under attack.
Captain Marsh and his men were attacked while stopping for water. This fight became known as the Battle of Redwood Ferry. Sadly, Captain Marsh was killed. Earlier in August, Lt. Sheehan had brought two cannons and 40 men from Fort Ripley to help with a food distribution at the Upper Sioux Agency. After finishing their job, they were heading back to their own fort when they heard about the fighting.
Captain Marsh had sent a messenger to catch up with Lt. Sheehan's group. Sheehan and his men were about 40 miles away, near Glencoe, Minnesota. They marched through the night and arrived back at Fort Ridgely by noon the next day. Their return greatly strengthened the fort's defenses.
When 2nd Lt. Gere learned of Captain Marsh's death, he sent a soldier named Private William Sturgis to inform Fort Snelling. Sturgis rode 125 miles in just eighteen hours!
The Sioux warriors, led by Little Crow, attacked Fort Ridgely twice, on August 20 and August 22. About 230 soldiers, militia, and settlers defended the fort against about 800 Mdewakanton and Wahpekute warriors. The fort's cannons were key to pushing back the attacks. Ordinance Sergeant John Jones, the only regular Army soldier at the fort, was praised for organizing the men to use the cannons effectively. He made sure the cannons could fire almost non-stop when needed.
After the attacks, more troops arrived, including Colonel Sibley and parts of the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th Minnesota Regiments. Burial parties were sent out to find the dead. One of these parties was ambushed in the Battle of Birch Coulee. Lt. Sheehan and his men were part of the group that went to rescue them.
Important Officers at Fort Ridgely
Many important officers served at Fort Ridgely. Some of them became famous later in their careers:
- Major Samuel Woods was the first commander of the fort from 1852–53.
- Major George W. Patten commanded the fort twice.
- Lt. Alfred Sulley later became a Major General.
- Lt. John C. Kelton became the Adjutant General of the U.S. Army.
- Lt. Winfield Scott Hancock later became a Major General and commander of the Department of Dakota.
- Major Thomas W. Sherman was at the fort when it became an Artillery School. He later became a Major General.
- Captain John S. Marsh was killed at Redwood Ferry in 1862.
- 2nd Lt. Thomas P. Gere took command after Captain Marsh died. He later received the Medal of Honor.
- 1st Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan took command from Lt. Gere. He was wounded twice defending the fort.
- Major E.A. Hatch later commanded the 1st Minnesota Indian Volunteer Regiment.
- Captain Bernard Bee later became a Brigadier General for the Confederate States of America (CSA) and is famous for giving Stonewall Jackson his nickname.
- Major J.C. Pemberton, who commanded the fort from 1859–61, later became a CSA Lt. General and surrendered to Ulysses Grant at Vicksburg.
Military Units at the Outpost
Over the years, many different military units were stationed at Fort Ridgely. These included companies from the 2nd, 6th, and 10th U.S. Infantry Regiments, as well as artillery units.
In 1859, the Army made Fort Ridgely an "Artillery School for Practice." This meant they sent six different types of cannons there for training. These included 6-pounder and 12-pounder cannons, and various howitzers.
During the Civil War, regular army units were sent to fight in the east. Minnesota Volunteer Regiments took their place at Fort Ridgely. These included units from the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th, and 10th Minnesota Regiments, along with cavalry and artillery units.
1864 Wagon Train
On July 15, 1864, Captain James L. Fisk led 97 wagons of pioneers from Fort Ridgely. They were heading to the gold fields in Montana Territory. They were supposed to meet General Sulley for an escort, but he had left early. So, Fort Rice provided a 40-man escort.
On September 2, the wagon train met Sitting Bull's warriors. The pioneers quickly built a circular defense out of sod, which they called Fort Dilts. General Sully organized a rescue mission with 300 men from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. The Minnesota units gathered at Fort Ridgely before heading west. They rescued the wagon train on September 20.
Fort Abandoned
In 1867, the Army decided to close Fort Ridgely. The soldiers stationed there were moved to Fort Wadsworth. Civilians then moved into the empty buildings. Over time, they took the buildings apart to use the materials for other construction. In 1863, one of the fort's 6-pounder cannons was given to the New Ulm Battery by General Sibley.
State Recognition
In 1895, the Minnesota government approved $3,000 (which would be about $102,000 today) to build a monument. This monument was to honor the Minnesota citizens who defended the fort. On August 20, 1896, the granite monument was dedicated. Many of the surviving defenders attended.
Werner Boesch, a former Swiss artilleryman who helped man a cannon during the attacks, had a special Fort Ridgely Defender Medal made for the event. On the medal, he included a quote from Chief Big Eagle about the fort: "Ti-Yo-Pa Na-Ta-Ka-Pi," which means "They Kept the Door Shut" to the lower Minnesota River valley. The back of the medal said: "Presented by the State of Minnesota."
The State also put up another large monument in 1914. This one honored Chief Mou-zoo-mau-nee and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Chief Mou-zoo-mau-nee had sent 300 warriors to Fort Ripley to help defend it during the uprising. The State held a big dedication ceremony, and the Mille Lacs band sent representatives.
In June 1918, the 6th Battalion of the Minnesota Home Guard became part of the State National Guard. Fort Ridgely was used as a camp site for one of their companies.
Fort Ridgely Today
Today, archaeologists have uncovered the foundations of the fort's original buildings. The Minnesota Historical Society takes care of the public part of the fort, which is now within Fort Ridgely State Park. The old commissary building, which was partly rebuilt in the 1930s, now holds the Park's museum. Fort Ridgely was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
See also
