Fort Fetterman

Fort Fetterman (1867-1882) - Established as a military post on 19 Jul 1867 by Major William McEnery Dye (Cullum 1610), with Companies A, C, H, and I, 4th U.S. Infantry. On 31 Jul 1867 the post was named Fort Fetterman in honor of Captain William J. Fetterman who was killed along with 80 men in the Fetterman massacre near Fort Phil Kearny, 21 Dec 1866. The fort was needed as a major supply point for the army operating against the Indians.

Fort Fetterman Plan

Fort Fetterman View

Fort Fetterman History

Fort Casper was abandoned when Fort Fetterman was completed and its garrison moved into the new fort in Aug 1867. Fort Fetterman was excluded from the provisions of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which resulted in the abandonment of all forts further to the north (Fort Reno (2), Fort Phil Kearny, and Fort C.F. Smith (1)). It became the northernmost military post in eastern Wyoming, and important in protecting the Bozeman Trail and other routes for settlers.

After the onset of the Black Hills War with the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes, several major military expeditions passed through Fort Fetterman, including Maj. Gen. George Crook's Powder River Expeditions and Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie's 1876 campaign against Dull Knife.

Current Status

Fort Fetterman is administered by the Wyoming Division of State Parks and Historic Sites. In the 1960's the Wyoming Historical Commission gained ownership of the historic site and restored the few existing buildings to their original historic appearance. In 1990 new exhibits were installed in the Bachelor Officer Quarters and the Ordnance Building. These interpret the extensive history of the site including the Native American, the Military Post, and Fetterman City.

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Location: North of Douglas in Converse County, Wyoming. Off Hwy 93 at the Platte River. 752 Hwy. 93 Douglas, WY 82633 (307) 684-7629 (Office) Maps & Images Lat: 42.843531 Long: -105.486302 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 4970'

Sources:

• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 198
• 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 858
• Field, Ron, Forts of the American Frontier 1820-91: Central and Northern Plains, Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom, 2005, ISBN: 1 84176 775 1, pages 5, 44, 47, 56, 61
• Barnes, Jeff, Forts of the Northern Plains - Guide to Historic Military Posts of the Plains Indian Wars, Copyright 2008, Stackpole Books, ISBN 13: 978-0-8117-3496-7, ISBN 10: 0-8117-3496-X, pages 180-184

Links:

• Wyoming State Parks - Fort Fetterman
• Wikipedia - Fort Fetterman
• North American Forts - Fort Fetterman
• Society of the Military Horse - Fort Fetterman

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