OLD FORT SILL, I.T.

Winners of the West has a call from a regular Army officer stationed at the Field Artillery School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma for early day information regarding that old time military outpost which has now been rebuilt into one of the most modern Field Artillery Schools in the country.

We frequently have letters from Veterans of Indian Wars telling us of their former Army service at Fort Sill.

We would be glad to have information from any one who knew of its early day history.

Fort Sill in the Southwest and Camp Supply in the Northwest, of old Indian Territory, was sure in the "Indian Country" in the 60s and 70s.

The U. S. Army Recruiting News, of February 1923, eleven years ago, has this to say of Fort Sill of that date.

"Fort Sill, Oklahoma, has passed through three clear and distinct epochs, each of which has left its imprint on the post and its surroundings.

The "Old Post" built in the 70s and still in existence is a typical frontier Fort.

Standing in the middle of the parade ground on a quiet Sunday morning facing the chapel, a person is carried back to frontier days, and the rumbling of wheels in the distance brings the expectation of an approaching stage with a General Custer type of patrol in advance. Within the pueblo huts, however, there are typical modern dwellings equipped with electricity and all twentieth century conveniences.

Other reminders of pioneer days are found in such landmarks as the old guardhouse, the old corral, and other buildings for Fort Sill is one of the oldest Army posts in the country.

As early as 1852 the area was explored by Captain Marcy and at various times it was considered as an ideal strategic position against the Indians.

In 1871 it was established as Fort Sill.

From 1871 to 1905 Fort Sill was best known as the bulwark of strength against Indian troubles in the Southwest.

To the Indian War Veteran this post associates itself in his ind with the life of Geronimo, the famous Apache warrior, who for years defied the Army until he was finally captured.

Fort Sill proved to be Geronimo's St. Helena, and there he remained until his death.

During this period Fort sill developed as a typical Army post, way from civilian environment, self sustaining colony of U. S. military men and their families.

It was already being mentioned as an ideal Artillery center, and on June 29^th, 1915 the Artillery made its debut.

On that day the 2^nd and 15^th batteries arrived and the next day came the 14^th and 21^st.

Out of these organizations grew up the First Field Artillery which has been stationed at Fort Sill with very few interruptions to this day (1923.)

To meet the demand for quarters and accommodations for the growing population of Fort Sill, a building project known as the "New Post" was begun.

The Field Artillery School came upon the scene in 1911 and Fort Sill with its 51,000 acres of land proved to be an ideal training area from a professional point of view."

General James Parker in his book, "The Old Army," refers in chapter one to Fort Sill as follows: -

"In 1876 I was graduated from West point thiry-first in a class of 50 cadets, and was appointed a Second Lieutenant of the 4^th U.S. Cavalry.

Complying with orders I started to join my regiment at Fort Sill, Indian Territory.

At Caddo, Indian Territory, I left the railroad and took the stage for a trip of two days and nights to Fort Sill.

This ramshackle old affair drawn by two horses made the trip of 165 miles at an average speed of 4 miles per hour.

The road was exceedingly rough and often boggy necessitating long detours, where the settlers farming on government land had run their fences across the former highways.

These settlers were often semi-civilized Indians, Chickasaws or Choctaws, and at other times whites who had married Indian women.

I was received with every kindness by the Captain of my troop and by the Commander of the Post, General John P. Hatch, Lieut. Col. 4^th U.S. Cav.

Fort Sill was one of a line of forts running North and South established along the edge of the "American Desert," an area extending generally from about the line of 100^th meridian West of Greenwich to the Sierras of California and Oregon.

The 4^th U. S. Cavalry was a "bachelor" regiment. I found at Fort Sill only three ladies, the wives of a Captain and a Doctor, and the elder sister of another doctor.

Our principal recreation at Fort Sill was hunting.

Buffalo, deer, turkey, quail and jack rabbits were abundant, also bears and wild cats at a distance.

Fort Sill at that time had no officers's club.

Neither had it a "canteen" or post exchange. Nothing but a "Post Traders Store."

Those post traders were appointed from Washington and generally were good fellows. Some were married and had fine families. He was a fixture. Garrisons might move and the personel of the post change to the last man but the post trader remained.

In 1878 when Congress allowed the Army to go a whole year without pay, the post trader cashed our pay accounts, lending us the amounts without interest.

At Fort Sill the Indians we guarded were the Comanches and Kiowas. They numbered several thousand.

An account of Fort Sill in 1876 would be incomplete without a description of the officers who garrisoned it. Life in those days was rough; the absence of woman at our frontier posts, and the state of celibacy in which our officers lived did not contribute to the refinements of our life. But it developed individuality and originality. Besides, there is no question, but that in the absence of female influence there is scope for more intimate relations between men. We were a band of brothers, often deeply devoted to one another. As our Colonel and Regimental Commander, we had Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, a great cavalry leader of the Civil War.

Under him the regiment was constantly employed in the pursuit of hostile Indians, having many skirmishes. In 1873 the Rio Grande frontier was being harassed by Kickapoo and Lipan Indains, who, when pursued, escaped into Mexico. Mackenzie took the responsibility of crossing into Mexico, and by a forced march surprised the Indian camps near Remolino at dawn, utterly defeating them. The next morning he was back on American territory. This violation of foreign territory, though it led to much diplomatic correspondence, was approved by our Government, putting an end, as it did (to these murderous Indian raids insufferable to a self-respecting nation)

In 1874 the regiment under Mackenzie defeated the main body of the Comanches on the Staked Plains, capturing nearly 2000 horses. Knowing from previous experience the impossibility of protecting this vast herd from a stampede by Indians, who would thus regain their hostile influence, he was compelled to order the herd destroyed. The bones of these poor animals still mark the site of "Mackenzie's Battleground," but the power for evil of this tribe was broken and they soon came in and surrendered. From that time on, by his wise control, Mackenzie, at Fort Sill, I.T., completely changed the aspect of the Indian question in that part of the country."