James L. Fisk facts for kids

James Liberty Fisk (born around 1835 – died 1902) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is best known for helping people move to and settle the western United States. Fisk led four important journeys from Minnesota to Montana in the 1860s.

Early Life

James Fisk was born in New York. His family had Irish roots. He was the oldest of six sons. As a young man, he worked many jobs. He was a raftsman, a farmer, and a carriage maker. He also worked for a newspaper called the Daily Courier in Lafayette, Indiana. Four of his five brothers also became newspapermen.

Fisk became very interested in the American West. In the 1850s, he moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota. There, he married Lydia Burson and started farming. In 1857, he joined an expedition led by William H. Nobles. They tried to build a wagon road from Fort Ridgely to South Pass but were not successful. Later, Fisk worked for the Dakota Land Company. This company encouraged people to settle along the planned road.

Civil War Journeys

In 1861, James Fisk joined the Third Minnesota Volunteer Infantry as a private soldier. He was known for not always following rules. On May 19, 1862, he was called to Washington, DC. There, he was made a captain. He was put in charge of supplies for volunteers. He was also chosen to lead people moving west. This was a special job to help settlers travel safely. Important people from Minnesota helped him get this role. They wanted to encourage settlement in the West.

Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton told Fisk to "organize and outfit a corps for the protection of emigrants." This meant he had to get a group ready to protect settlers. They needed protection "against all dangers" on their way west. He was allowed to sign up 50 men for this important task.

First Journey (1862)

Fisk had a small budget for his first journey. He received $5000. He was expected to sell his wagons and animals at the end. This would help get some of the money back. Fisk was not very careful with money. He did not pay all his debts until many years later.

Fisk arrived in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on June 4. He put an advertisement in a newspaper for people wanting to move west. He hired an experienced guide named Pierre Bottineau. Bottineau had guided an earlier expedition in 1853. The group included many well-known pioneers of Montana.

The party left St. Paul on June 16. They followed the same path as the earlier Stevens Expedition. They celebrated the Fourth of July at Fort Abercrombie. More settlers were waiting for Fisk there. When they left on July 7, Fisk was in charge of a large group. It included 117 men, 13 women, and 53 wagons. They also had 168 oxen, 17 cows, and many horses and mules.

They reached what is now Wells County, North Dakota, on July 19. They arrived at Fort Union on August 9. Their journey ended near Fort Benton in Montana on September 5. Fisk's official duty ended here. However, he was told to sell his equipment in Walla Walla. So, he continued with the settlers unofficially. Eighty-two people left to look for gold at Prickly Pear Creek. A smaller group went to the gold fields of the Salmon River. Only three wagons and 14 men went with Fisk to Walla Walla.

Fisk returned to Washington, DC. He gave his official report on February 17, 1863. The Secretary of War shared it with Congress. Five thousand copies of his report were printed. Senators and Representatives from Minnesota praised his success. Fisk was then allowed to lead a second journey. This time, he had a slightly larger budget.

Second Journey (1863)

Because of unrest with Native American tribes, Fisk's second journey was smaller. Only about 60 or 62 people joined. Many of them were paid by Fisk. The group left from Fort Ripley on June 25. Fisk took a route north of his previous path. This was because of a widespread drought. The group reached the area near Fort Benton on September 7.

An old gold prospector gave Fisk some gold nuggets. These were a gift for President Abraham Lincoln. Fisk put them in an old bag. The bag fell out of the stagecoach unnoticed near Salt Lake City on the way back. Fisk had to travel back 90 miles (145 km) to find it.

When he returned to Washington on February 23, 1864, he was arrested. He did not have a pass. He also got into trouble for not reporting to military headquarters. On February 29, he gave the gold nuggets to Lincoln at the White House. Fisk also faced two other problems. One was about an unpaid bill for oxen bought during the second journey. The other was from the Overland Stage Line. They claimed Fisk and his men had misbehaved on the trip to Washington.

Despite these issues, Fisk was again chosen to lead the northern route. However, he was appointed later than leaders of other routes. The Secretary of War told him to follow a specific path chosen by Congress. This was despite a senator trying to change it to a shorter route.

Third Journey (1864): Facing Sitting Bull

Because he was appointed late, Fisk started his journey late. When he returned to Minnesota, many settlers had already left. They had grown tired of waiting for him. Still, he set out from Fort Ridgely with 97 wagons. He did not follow the route he had been ordered to take. At Fort Rice on the Missouri River, Fisk asked for an army escort. He got 47 soldiers from Company A, Dakota Cavalry. Lieutenant Smith commanded them. Relations with Native Americans had become difficult. The larger group included 200 settlers and 88 wagons. They left the fort on August 23.

On September 2, one wagon overturned. Nine soldiers and two other wagons stayed behind for repairs. The rest of the wagon train moved forward. The small group left behind was found and attacked. Sitting Bull and about 100 Hunkpapa Sioux attacked them. During the fight, Sitting Bull was shot in the hip. Fisk and about 50 men heard the gunfire. They quickly rode back from the main group. A scout named Jefferson Dilts charged ahead. He shot several Sioux before being killed by arrows. Fisk and the others fought off the Native Americans until sunset. Then, they quietly went back to the main group. Ten soldiers, Dilts, and another civilian had been killed. The Sioux had lost six men.

The next day, the Sioux attacked again. This forced the expedition to arrange their wagons in a circle. They built walls from sod, creating a small fort called "Fort Dilts." They defended themselves against 400 attackers. They had no more casualties. They had water and plenty of supplies in their wagons.

After several failed attacks, the Sioux started talking. They used notes written by Fanny Kelly. She was a woman they had taken earlier in July. They offered to release her and give safe passage for supplies. Fisk offered "three horses, flour, sugar, and coffee for her." But the Lakotas wanted "forty head of cattle and four wagons." So, the trade did not happen. (A few months later, Fanny Kelly was released by Sitting Bull or, as she said, escaped. She later wrote a popular book about her experiences in 1871.)

On the night of September 5, Lieutenant Smith and 13 men rode to Fort Rice for help. A general named Alfred Sully sent 900 men on September 18. On September 20, Fisk's group was escorted back to the safety of Fort Rice. The journey then ended.

Civilians liked Fisk. But military leaders thought he had made "serious military mistakes." They believed he was "too reckless and too ignorant to be trusted." Fisk gave his report to the Adjutant General on January 13, 1865. He returned to Washington in February with his wife and child.

On May 22, the war was ending. A new government was in charge after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Fisk quit the army. He was officially discharged on June 12. When the Fisk family left the city, they left behind an unpaid hotel bill of $850.

Final Journey (1866)

Fisk could not organize a group in 1865. But the next year, he set out for Helena, Montana. This was his last and largest journey. His brothers, Robert Emmett, Van Hayden, and Andrew Jackson Fisk, joined him. Robert was his second-in-command. Van was in charge of the wagons. A photographer named William H. Illingworth was also with them. He took 30 special photos called stereographs along the way. Some of these photos still exist today.

An advertisement said Fisk wanted to leave around May 22, but no later than May 29. They would depart from St. Cloud, Minnesota, heading to the "Great Gold Fields of Montana." The advertisement promised "Military Protection Guaranteed by the Government." The cost for one man with 50 pounds (23 kg) of baggage and food was $100. The journey included 500 people and 160 wagons. It left Fort Abercrombie on the morning of June 16. They reached Fort Berthold on July 19. They arrived at Fort Union on August 2. The group reached Helena in September.

Life in Montana

The Fisk brothers and their families settled in Montana. They helped develop the area. Andrew and Robert started the Helena Herald newspaper in 1866. James was a co-editor from January to July 1867. Van also worked for the paper. James was also involved with the Montana militia and other businesses.

Andrew became the Adjutant General of the Montana Territory. Robert edited the Herald for 36 years. He was an active supporter of the Republican party. Van owned and published the Townsend Tranchant newspaper. He also worked in mining and farming.

In 1902, James Liberty Fisk died in the Minnesota Soldiers Home in Minneapolis.