Fort James (2)

Fort James (2) (1865-1866) - A U.S. Civil War era Union Fort established in 1865 near present day Mitchell in Hanson County, South Dakota. Originally known as Camp near Firesteel Creek. Also known as Fort La Roche (or Larouche) or Fort Des Roche. Abandoned in 1866. History Built by Iowa cavalry troops under the command of Captain Benjamin King, 6th Iowa Cavalry, on the orders of Brigadier General Alfred Sully. The fort was said to be located on the west side of the James River at Firesteel Creek. Constructed in September 1865. Constructed as a quadrangular stone and log fortification, one of the few forts built with stone on the plains. Established for stagecoach and frontier protection. Fort James was abandoned on 6 Oct 1866, and the remaining materials, including stone, were used for private construction. Current Status Archeological remains only with some foundational stone visible at the surface. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: Near Mitchell in Hanson County, South Dakota. Gps coordinates are at the James River junction with Firesteel Creek. Maps & Images Lat: 43.69679 Long: -97.96622 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: ?' GPS Locations: 43.69679, -97.96622 Junction of the James River and Firesteel Creek See Also: 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 730. Links: North American Forts - Fort James (2) Wikipedia - Fort James (2) Visited: No