Old Missoula

Impending Indian Trouble Hastens Ft. Missoula Construction in 1876

The prospect of the establishment of a military fort became the talk of Missoulians in 1876, according to the late Will Cave.

To the city of about 300 people the prospect of a military camp which might equal the population of the city was exciting. Necessity for a fort arose when it was decided that year to remove the Indians from the Bitter Root Valley to the Flathead Reservation.

Chief Joseph, later to be known in history for his stubbornness and ability to lead, objected to the idea of the government moving his Nez Perce tribe. At that time Maj. Martin Maginnis, then a congressman, used his influence to obtain a military post near Missoula. Three sites were suggested by the settlers. Blackfoot Bridge near Bonner, Grant Creek northwest of Missoula, and the present site of the Bitter Root River.

Merritt Investigates

In January, 1876, Gen. Wesley Merritt arrived in Missoula to investigate the need of military protection and the proposed sites. Early accounts record that Merritt was influenced by the reception, parties and banquets that greeted his arrival. To complicate matters he declared himself heartily in favor of all three locations, the need for a fort, and about everything else the pioneers recommended.

Shortly after, Lt. Col. Gilbert of the 7^th Infantry and Lt. Worden of the 7^th Infantry and acting engineer of the district of Montana came to Missoula under orders to select a site for the post as near as possible to the Cold Springs ranch.

Site Chosen

Col. Gilbert did not wait to be entertained, but promptly marched through town, crossed the Clark Fork River and set up camp on the bank of the Bitter Root. Section 31, township 13 N., range 20 W. was surveyed and reserved by the government.

To be sure of his selection, Col. Gilbert climbed a butte west of the fort with Maj. McCauley, an old Indian fighter, and surveyed his position with field glasses. Compared with the Grant Creek location, the site on the Bitter Root seemed so superior for defensive purposes that Col. Gilbert did not consider further investigation necessary. Unknown to the colonel, the fort was never to be fired upon by an enemy force.

Decision Hastened

Cave writes that the decision to build a fort was hastened early in 1877 when Charles S. Medary, an Indian agent, had trouble with the Flathead chiefs who, he alleged, threatened to put him off the reservation. Cave writes that the event was probably magnified.

June 4, 1877, was the big day. Will Cave remembered it vividly. His mother called him when she sighted the blue army column coming into town. The men proceeded in twos and the fife player and the drummer at the head of the column struck up a martial tune. Capt. C. C. Rawn and Capt. William Logan, officers in charge, and the 44 men immediately began to pitch tents.

Construction Interrupted

Fort construction was interrupted that summer when Chief Joseph, who was attempting to lead his people to refuge in Canada, approached Missoula. He circled the town, and went his way. But the men of the fort joined the command of Col. John Gibbon, pursued the Indians and engaged the Nez Perce in the Battle of the Big Hole.

After the fight, work on the fort was resumed. Gen. Sherman visited the fort, and being favorably impressed with its location and suitability for a permanent army post, made plans for its enlargement to a battalion post. This was in September 1877.

Buffalo Shooting Outlawed

Meanwhile, building and fighting did not occupy the entire time of the troops in the West. An interesting order of the old blue-clad army was found under the floor when the log cabin barracks were being renovated. The order was issued to all post commanders of the time and said, “The practice of shooting buffalo from barracks windows will be discontinued, for sanitary reasons.”

The enlisted men, it seems, were shooting the animals and selling the hides, leaving the carcasses to rot on the plains. So far as is known, no buffalo were shot in the Ft. Missoula area.

Recalls Minstrels

Will Cave remembers a minstrel performance at the courthouse that the soldiers of the “Fighting 7^th” gave just before they were relieved. Cave wrote that while the show was not strictly professional, it bordered upon being excellent. “Gideon’s Band” was one of the songs that Cave remembered having been sung.

In November 1877 the 3^rd U.S. Infantry came to Montana to relieve the Indian war-worn regiment. A day near the first of November saw the little handful of the 7^th on its way back to Ft. Shaw and from there to somewhere east of the Mississippi.