Fort Ellis

Fort Ellis (1867-1886) - A U.S. Army post established in 1867 by Captain R. S. LaMotte and three companies of the 13th U.S. Infantry. Named for Colonel Augustus Van Horne Ellis who was killed 2 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg during the U.S. Civil War. The fort protected settlers in the Gallatin valley from hostile Indians. Abandoned in 1886.

Fort Ellis, Montana, NPS	Fort Ellis Marker
Fort Ellis Locale, Bozeman Trail Marker on the Left, Fort Ellis Marker on the Right

Fort Ellis History

A U.S. Army post established 27 Aug 1867 by Captain R. S. LaMotte and three companies of the 13th U.S. Infantry. The fort was located just south of the Gallatin River and about 3.5 miles from present day Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana. Lieutenant Gustavus C. Doane, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, was stationed at Fort Ellis when he explored the now Yellowstone National Park. The fort was decommissioned in 1886.

Current Status

Very few remains are left at the actual site, now occupied by the Fort Ellis Experimental Station of Montana State University.

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Location: Located about 3.5 miles east of Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana on the access road for I90. The map indicates the location of a historical Marker for the Fort. Maps & Images Lat: 45.66923 Long: -110.975475 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 4,987'

Sources:

• 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
• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 70
• Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 80
• McClernand, Edward J., On Time for Disaster - The Rescue of Custer's Command, University of Nebraska Press, 1111 Lincoln Mall, Lincoln NE 68588-0630, USA, ISBN:0-8032-8166-8, page 23
• 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 470

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Ellis

Visited: 25 May 2010

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