Now, the boys in blue, you bet
Earn whatever praise they get.
Joseph Mills Hanson, "Frontier Ballads." |
In 1840 the Winnebago Indians were removed to
their new tome on the Neutral Ground. In order to protect them from the
incursions of their neighbors, among whom were the Sauk and Fox tribes, as
well as from intrusions of the whites, and in turn to prevent them from
trespassing beyond the limits of the reservation, soldiers were stationed
among them. A detachment of the 5th Infantry (Company F) under command of
Captain Isaac Lynde left Fort Crawford, with a complement of eighty-two
officers and enlisted men, and went into camp, May 31, 1840, in the
neighborhood of Spring creek (now known as Goddard's creek) on the Turkey
river. The camp was named "Camp Atkinson" in honor of Brigadier General
Henry Atkinson, U. S. Army, the Department Commander who was so prominent
in military operations in the upper Mississippi valley. Barrack and
quarters sufficient to accommodate one company were erected, and in March,
1841, the Secretary of War ordered that the station be known as Fort
Atkinson.
Rumors of the warlike attitude of a portion of the Sauk
and Fox Indians, who, it was believed, intended sending out a party
against the peaceable Winnebagoes, caused Governor Dodge of Wisconsin, in
a letter dated January 23, 1847, and directed to the Commissioner of
Indian affairs, to urge strongly that, in addition to the garrison there
at that time, a mounted force be stationed at Fort Atkinson. The following
is an extract from Governor Dodge's letter:
"In compliance with the instructions of your Department the
Agency and School have been removed to the new site on Turkey river
with about l00 of the Indians of the Winnebago Nation. These
Indians, it is confidently expected, will not return, unless another
blow should be struck by the Sauks and Foxes. Such an event may not
be looked for this winter, but it is the opinion of Mr. Lowry that
it may certainly be calculated upon in the ensuing spring unless a
mounted force should be stationed at Camp Atkinson.
"Information was received by Mr. Lowry through Governor
Lucas, obtained from a portion of the Sauks and Foxes not unfriendly
to the Winnebagoes, that a war party was to have set out against the
latter in November last. A very extraordinary snow storm is believed
to have prevented this attack. The war party is now on Red Cedar
(fifty miles west of Camp Atkinson); a large body of Sioux are also
in that vicinity, and scouts of the former have been fired at by the
latter but as yet no blood has been shed. The difficulty of keeping
the Winnebagoes at their new homes, under these circumstances, and
without an adequate force for their protection, must be readily
seen." |
This letter was referred to the War
Department, where it was in turn referred to General Atkinson with
instructions to use every effort to prevent any collision between the
Indians. General Atkinson responded to these instructions March 1, 1841,
as follows:
"Sir: I have the honor to report, that I have received your
letter of instructions of the 15th ultimo, accompanied by an extract
of a letter from Governor Dodge of the aid of January, in reference
to establishing a mounted force at Fort Atkinson for the protection
of the Winnebago Indians. It is impossible to station a mounted
force at that point before the middle of May, as there are no
barracks, quarters or stables for their accommodation, nor forage
for their horses. I will, however, order the troop at Fort Crawford
to make excursions through the country of Turkey and Cedar Rivers,
till the season opens to enable it to go under tents, at which time
the grass will be grown sufficiently to subsist the horses.
"No time should be lost by the Quartermaster's
Department in proceeding to erect quarters, barracks, and stables
for the troop at the post on Turkey River, or they will not be ready
for their accommodation by the coming of the next winter. I request,
therefore, that orders to that effect may be given without delay.
"With great respect, Sir, your most obedient servant,
(Signed.)
H. ATKINSON,
Brigadier General U. S. Army.
Brigadier General Jones,
Adjutant General U. S. Army, Washington." |
On the 24th of the following June, Company B
of the 1st Dragoons arrived at the fort and took up their station, and
from that time until 1847 the fort was a two-company post. September 11th
Captain Lynde's company was relieved by Company K of the 1st Infantry,
Captain J. J. Abercrombie.
In the year following, at various times, on the
requisition
of Governor Chambers of Iowa Territory, detachments and patrols were sent
out from this fort to remove squatters and other intruders from the lands
of the Sauk and Fox Indians and to prevent their return. August 7th
Company I, 1st Dragoons, under Command of Captain James Allen, arriving at
the fort, whence they proceeded to the Sauk and Fox Agency, where they
established Fort Sanford. From this time until its abandonment Fort
Atkinson was successively garrisoned by the following organizations
Company B, 1st Infantry, Captain Sidney Burbank; Company A,
1st Infantry, Captain Osborne Cross; Company F, 1st Infantry, Captain A.
S. Miller; Company A, 1st Iowa Volunteer Infantry, Captain James M.
Morgan; Company A, 1st Iowa Volunteer Dragoons, Captain John Parker; a
detachment of Wisconsin Volunteers, Dodge Guards, under command of
Lieutenant Benjamin Fox; (here was an interim of several months during
which the Fort was not garrisoned;) and from September 25, 1848, until the
time of its abandonment, Company C, 6th Infantry, Captain F. L. Alexander53
The fort was situated in the northwestern part of
Washington township (on the old military road constructed from Fort
Snelling to Fort Gibson) and stood on a rock-ribbed hill overlooking the
site of the town which now bears its name. This hill is about eighty-four
feet above the Turkey river. The fort buildings were two stories high,
twenty feet to the eaves. Each building had an upper porch along its
entire length, the one on the officers' quarters being screened in with
the old fashioned movable wooden blinds. The buildings occupied an acre of
ground. The stables, about 40 feet wide and about 300 feet long, extended
north and south and were about 20 rods east of the street. The bakery, and
the blacksmith shop and carpenter shops were north of the fort on the
north side of the street.
53 War Department Records of Fort Atkinson in ' Annals
of Iowa,' July, 1900, Vol. IV, No. 6.
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