FORT SILL IN 1869
 

Geo. W. Webb, Editor
Winners of the West
St. Joseph, Mo.

In your issue for February you asked for information from any one who knew the early history of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, I was in that part of the Indian Territory in 1869 as a member of the Nineteenth Kansas Cavalry, under the command of General Sheridan and General Custer and his 7^th U. S. Cavalry. Part of January and all of February we were camped on Cache Creek and one of its tributarys called, Medicine Bluff Creek. I will quote from my diary kept at the time:

"Sunday, January 17, 1869: We heard this evening there will soon be a fort built on this creek and the tribes in this section will have reservations near where it will be the supply station for the Indians to draw food and clothing. As it is a part of the Indian Territory it is not likely the white man will ever make his home here.

Friday, January 22, 1869:
We hear that the fort will be built on Cache Creek a few miles below the camp of the Seventh and that the 10^th U. S. Cavalry, a colored regiment, will be stationed there until it is completed. The seventh officers are going to call it Fort Elliott in honor of Maj. Elliott who was killed last November on the Washita. I do not know who has authority to give it the name but the 7^th has proposed it, so we call it that.

Monday, January 25, 1869:
I go with Sergt. Mather after provisions today but only go as far as the Seventh. We do not have to go to the Fort yet, so did not get to see what has been done down there, but we could see some new buildings going up and the tents of the soldiers. These are all on the west side of the creek, as near as we could distinguish.

Thursday, February 18, 1869:
By getting on top of the hill near our camp we can see the camp of the 7^th about a mile below and the new fort, farther down.

Saturday, February 20, 1869:
It is estimated, there are 800 Indians camped along the creek on the east side above the Fort.

Monday, March 1, 1869:
We learn that the new Fort will be named Fort Sill. It is not completed yet and the 10^th cavalry who are doing much of the work on it, will be stationed there until the work is completed. Our command will go north tomorrow."

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