Camp Cooke (2)

Camp Cooke (2) (1866-1870) - A U.S. Army camp first established in 1866 on the south bank of the Missouri River just west of the mouth of the Judith River in Fergus County, Montana. It was named Camp Cooke after Brigadier General Philip St. George Cooke (Cullum 492), who served in the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, and the U.S. Civil War, and who was then commander of the Department of the Platte. The camp was abandoned in 1870. History A U.S. Army camp that was established on 11 Jul 1866 on the south bank of the Missouri River just west of the mouth of the Judith River. The camp was garrisoned by troops of the 13th U.S. Infantry to protect transportation routes in the area including steamboat traffic to and from Fort Benton (1). Camp Cooke was a large post with the garrison reportedly over 400 men at one point. Conditions at Camp Cooke were horrific, the post was remote and isolated to an extreme but when the camp was overrun by rats the Army closed the post. The post was abandoned on 31 Mar 1870. Current Status Archeological remains, the post is in a remote location and difficult to access. Location: Near Judith Landing Recreational Area, Fergus County, Montana. The map point is approximate. Maps & Images Lat: 47.7327778 Long: -109.6761111 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 2,431' GPS Locations: 47.7327778, 109.6761111 GNIS Camp Cooke (2) 47.741683, -109.625300 Camp Cook Marker See Also: Fort Clagett Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 469-470. Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 70. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1722818 Links: HMDB - Camp Cooke Marker North American Forts - Camp Cooke Wikipedia - Camp Cooke (Montana) Fortification ID: MT0037 - Camp Cooke (2) Visited: No