Fort Dilts was a makeshift sod fort built near Rhame, North Dakota, United States, in September 1864 to fend off attacks by Hunkpapa Sioux Indians led by Sitting Bull[1] upon an encircled wagon train of would-be gold-miners and a small military escort of convalescent soldiers.[2]
The wagon train had set out from Fort Ridgely, Minnesota, under the command of Captain James L. Fisk of the U.S. Quartermaster Corps.[3] In 1864, amidst the American Civil War, the Dakota Territory was relatively short of military protection. On September 2, the party came under attack by Sitting Bull and a group of Hunkpapa Sioux. Two days later, still harassed by the Sioux, the expedition found a suitable spot and constructed a defensive perimeter out of sod stacked 6.5 feet (2.0 m) high and 300 feet (91 m) in diameter.[2] The defenders named it Fort Dilts in honor of Jefferson Dilts, one of eight U.S. Army soldiers who had been killed, out of 50. A number of civilians died also.[3] Lieutenant Smith and fifteen others managed to reach Fort Rice, and reinforcements arrived to rescue the defenders on September 20.[2]
Fort Dilts State Historic Site has been a North Dakota historic site since 1932.[3]:2 As "Fort Dilts", it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The listing was for 8.3 acres (3.4 ha) with one contributing site and one contributing structure.[4] Remaining at the site are a sod enclosure, wagon ruts, several grave markers, and an interpretive sign.[3]
References[]
- ↑ "The US Army and the Sioux - Part 2 / Battle of the Badlands". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/thro/historyculture/the-us-army-and-the-sioux-part-2.htm. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Fort Dilts State Historic Site". North Dakota State Historical Society. http://history.nd.gov/historicsites/dilts/index.html. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Kurt P. Schweigert (August 1, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Fort Dilts". http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/80002907.pdf. and accompanying photos, five from 1979 plus an aerial photo from 1965
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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The original article can be found at Fort Dilts and the edit history here.