Fort Ripley was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

outpost on the upper

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

, in mid-central

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

from 1848 to 1877. It was situated a few miles from the Indian agencies for the

Ho-Chunk The Ho-Chunk, also known as Hocąk, Hoocągra, or Winnebago are a Siouan languages, Siouan-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native American people whose historic territory includes parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois ...

and

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

Iowa Territory The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remai ...

and then the

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Minnesota and the w ...

. Its presence spurred immigration into the area and the pioneer settlement of Crow Wing developed approximately 6.75 miles (10.86 km) north of the fort. The post was initially named Fort Marcy. It then was renamed Fort Gaines and in 1850 was renamed again for distinguished Brigadier General

Eleazer Wheelock Ripley Eleazer Wheelock Ripley (April 15, 1782 – March 2, 1839) was an American soldier and politician. He fought in the War of 1812, eventually rising to the rank of brigadier general, and later served as a U.S. Representative The Uni ...

of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. It was the second major military reservation established in what would become Minnesota. In 1971 Fort Ripley was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

for its state-level significance in the

historical archaeology Historical archaeology is a form of archaeology dealing with places, things, and issues from the past or present when written records and oral traditions can inform and contextualize cultural material. These records can both complement and conflic ...

and military history categories. It was nominated for its status as Minnesota's second major military post and for its role in maintaining peace and enabling pioneer settlement in

Central Minnesota Central Minnesota is the central part of the state of Minnesota. No definitive boundaries of the region exist, but most definitions would include the land north of Interstate 94, east of U.S. Highway 59, south of U.S. Highway 2, and west of U.S ...

Camp Ripley Camp Ripley is a military and civilian training facility operated by the Minnesota National Guard near the city of Little Falls, Minnesota, Little Falls in the central part of the state. The location of the camp was selected in 1929 by Ellard ...

, a training facility of the

Minnesota National Guard The Minnesota National Guard is a state-based military force of more than 13,000 soldiers and airmen, serving in 61 communities across the state. Operated in the U.S. state of Minnesota, it is a reserve component of the National Guard (United ...

, was established in 1929. It includes the historic site of Fort Ripley and was named in its honor. The nearby city of

Fort Ripley, Minnesota Fort Ripley is a city in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, United States, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Nokasippi Rivers. The population was 69 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Brainerd Micropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

, was also named for the old outpost.

Description

Fort Ripley typified remote mid-19th century army posts. The buildings were of timber construction, facing a quadrangle. The fort had a partial

stockade A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall. Etymology ''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived f ...

with the side facing the river completely open except for two of the three block houses. It was on a navigable river and an important trade route. The location was geographically remote to Colonial-American population centers, with Native Americans living in the vicinity.

History

Fort Ripley was built in conjunction with the

had been moved from northeastern

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

. Their new

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

near

Long Prairie, Minnesota Long Prairie is a town in Todd County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 3,458 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. By the 2020 United States census, 2020 Decennial Census the population had grown to 3,661. It is the coun ...

, necessitated a military post nearby to oversee the reservation and administer

annuity In investment, an annuity is a series of payments made at equal intervals based on a contract with a lump sum of money. Insurance companies are common annuity providers and are used by clients for things like retirement or death benefits. Examples ...

payments. The government also hoped that the Ho-Chunk, and the fort, would serve as a buffer between the Santee Dakota and the Chippewa, who were warring. Construction began in November 1848. In April 1849, Company A of the

6th Infantry Regiment The 6th Infantry Regiment ("Regulars") was formed 11 January 1812. Zachary Taylor, later the twelfth President of the United States, was a commander of the unit. The motto, "Regulars, By God!" derives from the Battle of Chippawa, in which Brit ...

arrived from

Fort Snelling Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. The military site was initially named Fort Saint An ...

to take up quarters under the command of Captain

John Blair Smith Todd John Blair Smith Todd (April 4, 1814 – January 5, 1872) was a Delegate from Dakota Territory to the United States House of Representatives and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Early life, education, and family ...

. With them were men of Company D 1st Dragoons commanded by 2nd Lt. John W.T. Gardiner. Commanders and officers: * General Dana oversaw the 2 years of construction, would become commander of the 1st Minnesota and promoted to brigadier general during the

Civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

* Capt. John Blair Smith Todd was the first commander.History of Fort Ripley, 1849 to 1859, Rev. George C. Tanner Minnesota Historical Society Collections, 1905, pp. 179–20

/ref> Became a Brigadier General. Captain Todd was a first cousin of

Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (Birth name, née Todd; December 13, 1818July 16, 1882) was First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865. Mary Todd was born into a large and wealthy ...

, the wife of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. *Major George W. Patten Was commander of the Fort three times as well as at

Fort Ridgely Fort Ridgely was a frontier United States Army outpost from 1851 to 1867, built 1853–1854 in Minnesota Territory. The Sioux called it Esa Tonka. It was located overlooking the Minnesota River southwest of Fairfax, Minnesota. Half of th ...

. He lost a hand in combat. * Major Hannibal Day Also was commander of Fort Ridgely and would become a brevet Brigadier General. *Major William S. McCaskey Was a

hero and would become a major general. * Capt. John C. Bates Was a hero of both the Civil and Philippine wars. He became a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

. * Lt. Col. J.J. Abercrombie was commander of Fort Ripley twice and was commanding when the Civil War broke out. He became a Brigadier General. *Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan would be promoted to a brevetted Lt. Colonel by the end of the Civil War. He was wounded twice at Fort Ridgely and twice at Nashville. In 1898 he commanded the right flank at the last fight with the Chippewa at Sugar Point where he was wounded 3 times. *Capt. Samuel McLarty post commander sent forward and established Fort Pomme de Terre. Would be brevetted Lt. Colonel by the end of the Civil War. * Capt. James L. Fisk Lead his second expedition to the gold fields in

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

from Fort Ripley in 1863. With occasional exceptions, daily life at Fort Ripley was uneventful. The geographic isolation, summer

mosquitoes Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a family of small flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by '' mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mosquitoes have a slender segmented body, ...

, and long, cold winters made post life challenging. The

Metis Metis or Métis, meaning "mixed" in French, may refer to: Ethnic groups * Métis, recognized Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States whose distinct culture and language emerged after early intermarriage between First Nations peopl ...

oxcart trains traversing the eastern route of the

Red River Trail The Red River Trails were a network of ox cart routes connecting the Red River Colony (the "Selkirk Settlement") and Fort Garry in British North America with the head of navigation on the Mississippi River in the United States. These trade routes ...

s between Selkirk –

Fort Garry Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post located at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in or near the area now known as The Forks in what is now central Winnipeg, Manitoba. Fort Garr ...

and the American Fur Trading outpost at Mendota/Fort Snelling(later

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

) passed Fort Ripley. Twice each year, the soldiers trekked to the Long Prairie Agency to supervise government

payments of money and goods to the Ho-Chunk/Winnebago and then did the same for the Ojibwe/Chippewa at the Crow Wing Agency. On July 18, 1850, Congress approved funds to build five military roads in the Minnesota Road Act. Two originated on

Point Douglas, Minnesota Point Douglas is a ghost town in section 8 of Denmark Township, Washington County, Minnesota, United States located at the convergence of the St. Croix River and the Mississippi River. It is located across the St Croix River from Prescott, Wisc ...

at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the St. Croix and

s. The first was named the Fort Ripley Military Wagon Road. It went north through Cottage Grove, Newport, St. Paul,

St. Anthony Falls Saint Anthony Falls, or the Falls of Saint Anthony (), located at the northeastern edge of downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, was the only natural major waterfall on the Mississippi River. Throughout the mid-to-late 1800s, various dams were built ...

to Crow Wing seven miles past Fort Ripley. The distance from St. Paul to Fort Ripley via the wagon road was 150 miles. In 1853 the Isaac Steven's Railway Survey passed through the Fort Ripley Reservation. It wouldn't be until the 1880s a rail line was constructed through the former fort's lands. The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad had held the right of way for many years, but it would be the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway that laid the track. In 1855 C Co. 10th Infantry became the garrison, and the Ho-Chunk were forced to move again—to a reservation in

Blue Earth County, Minnesota Blue Earth County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state, state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 69,112. Its county seat is Mankato, Minnesota, Mankato. The county is named for t ...

. Thinking the post was no longer needed, the army withdrew the garrison in 1857. Almost immediately, disturbances broke out between settlers and some Ojibwe, prompting reactivation of the fort by a Company of the 2nd Infantry. With the outbreak of the Civil War the Federal troops were replaced by the 5th Minnesota. A troop from the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry was part of the Fort late in the war. The Fort was garrisoned by A & G Companies 20th Infantry in April 1969. A Co. was immediately posted forward with G Co remaining until December 1877.The 20th Regiment of Infantry, The Army of the US Historical Sketches of the Line and Staff with Portraits of the Generals in Chief, Captain J.N. Coe, New York Maynard, Merrill and Company, 1896, p. 666, U.S Army Center of Military History websit

/ref> From 1857 to 1861 Companies G, I, L 2nd Artillery Regiment were variously posted to northern forts Snelling, Ridgely, and Ripley. Typical of 19th-century army posts, Fort Ripley's

military reservation A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

was huge. It encompassed nearly on the east side of the Mississippi, plus a single square mile on the west side to house the garrison. This configuration was chosen because the Ho-Chunk reservation abutted the west bank of the river and caused consternation for those who wanted the unused east side opened to

homesteaders The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of t ...

. In 1857 the army agreed to auction the eastern lands, but those bidding colluded to underbid. The

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

annulled the sale. In the meantime, many had begun to build and farm the land. The resulting confusion and ensuing litigation took 20 years to resolve. Military activity on the post intensified during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. In January 1861, C and K Companies of the 2nd Infantry were sent south to fight Confederates,The Second Regiment of Infantry, The Army of the US Historical Sketches of the Line and Staff with Portraits of the Generals in Chief, Lt. M.W. Wright, New York Maynard, Merrill and Company, 1896, p. 414, U.S Army Center of Military History websit

/ref> and were replaced by companies A and E from the 1st Minnesota Infantry, 1st Minnesota who in turn were relieved by A and F Companies of 2nd Minnesota.

Minnesota's War 1862-66

When hostilities broke at

the commander of Fort Ripley was Captain Francis Hall, Company B 5th Minnesota, who was home on leave. The commanding officer at Fort Ridgely had requested assistance at the upper reservation. 1st Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan and 50 men of C Company had gone to the Upper Sioux Agency leaving a small garrison at Ripley under Lt. Frank B. Fobes. Sheehan had with him two of Ripley's four 12 pound howitzers. His troop arrived the first week of August at the Upper Sioux Agency and were quickly dispatched to bring in the renegade Chief

Inkpaduta Inkpaduta ( Dakota: Iŋkpáduta, variously translated as "Red End," "Red Cap," or "Scarlet Point") (about 17971881) was a war chief of the Wahpekute band of the Dakota (Eastern or Santee Dakota) during the 1857 Spirit Lake Massacre and later W ...

. They were unsuccessful in locating him and returned to the Agency. There, after a heated exchange, Sheehan had got the

indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government. Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793 The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...

Galbraith to give out food to nearly 4,000 Sisseton and Whapeton. Thinking the task was completed the Fort Ripley men departed for their own post. There they were supposed to become the escort of a treaty commission to Georgetown on the Red river trail. The Red lake and Pembina Chippewa were waiting. A messenger caught up with them near Glencoe informing them of the attack at the

Lower Sioux Agency The Lower Sioux Agency, or Redwood Agency, was the federal administrative center for the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation in what became Redwood County, Minnesota, United States. It was the site of the Battle of Lower Sioux Agency on August 18, 1 ...

and Redwood Ferry ambush. They double timed through the night to Fort Ridgely learning the post commander, Capt. Marsh, was dead. 1st Lt. Sheehan took command by rank and is credited with leading the Fort's defense. Meanwhile, at Fort Ripley, indian agent Lucius C. Walker had requested Lt. Forbes arrest Chief Hole-in-the-Day fearing he would attack. Hole-in-the-Day had departed shrewdly anticipating Walker. Upon his return to Ripley Capt. Hall declared

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

in the region and suggested settlers to evacuate.Crow Wing County, US Dakota War County by County, What happened in Minnesota counties during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862? 202

/ref> Three companies of militia joined the fort, one from St. Cloud, Stillwater, and Olmstead County. Despite an undercurrent of mistrust, relations between settlers and Chippewa was mainly peaceful in northern Minnesota. That nearly changed when the Santee Sioux hostilities broke out. According to the media Chief

Hole in the Day Hole-in-the-Day (c. 1825–1868) was a prominent Chief of the Name, chief of the Mississippi band of Ojibwe/Chippewa in Minnesota. The native pronunciation has been written with different spellings due different speakers variance in their enunci ...

of the Gull Lake Band considered the Sioux conflict as an opportunity to gain leverage for redress of grievances by threatened to launch a simultaneous war in northern Minnesota. The rumors caused fearful settlers to flock to Fort Ripley for security. Not all of Hole-In-the Day's Gull Lake band were in agreement with him. Chief Qui-We-Sain-Shish (Bad Boy) went to Fort Ripley on his own. Company's from both the 6th and 7th Minnesota were rushed to the post. Word reached the Mille Lacs Band reservation that Chief Hole-in-the-Day was considering attacking the fort. Head civil Chief Shaw-Bosh-Kung of the

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Mille can refer to: People * Constantin Mille, Romanian journalist and politician * Mathieu Mille, French ice hockey player Places * Mille Lacs County, Minnesota * Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. * Mille River, a tributary of the Awash River ...

organized his band and lead 700-750 warriors to Fort Ripley to defend the fort and to volunteer to fight the Sioux.The Mille Lacs during the uprising, Chapter 4, A Social History of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe 1640-1993, Minnesota Historical Society contract #92-C-2763, Anthony Godfrey, U.S. West Research, PO Box 2172, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601, p. 11

/ref> According to the record they presented a sight waving flags and beating drums. Later the 27th Iowa recorded that the Mille Lacs had a U.S. flag and one that they had made with and

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

and stars. The Indian commissioner Dole met with them and told them to return to the reservation and they would be contacted if their assistance was needed. Dole also gave the Mille Lacs a document in appreciation of the Mille Lacs offer stating that they could stay on their reservation for a 1000 years. War Chief Mou-zoo-mau-nee and 300 warriors remained at Ripley to augment in its defense, 200 from the Mille Lacs band along with 100 from the Sandy Lake and Snake River and Chippewa River Bands. According to Chief Mou-zoo-mau-nee's

obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...

the people of Little Falls asked for protection. The town was 15 miles downriver from the fort. He sent 150 warriors. The town's woman prepared a welcome meal and the men smoked the peace pipe with the warriors. Shortly after the executions in Makato the Chippewa leaders were summoned to Washington where Lincoln repeated that the Milles Lacs could remain on their reservation for a 1000 years. It was also written into the treaty they signed in Article 12. The Chippewa signed another treaty in 1864 where it is reiterated with the addition that the Sandy Lake band could not be moved without Presidential approval. The State erected a large monument to the Chief and the Mille Lacs band at Fort Ridgely in 1914.A monument to loyalty and service, Moccasin Telegraph Aug 22, 2007, Moccasin Telegraph, MessAge Media, 280 WEST MAIN STREET ISLE, M

/ref> In recognition for their service to the State the participating bands were designated as "non-removable". On September 2 two Chiefs of the Fond du Lac band were the first to send Lincoln an offer to fight the Sioux. On September 8, 1862 a Mille Lacs Band Chief with 75-100 warriors was met and stopped at Watab, Minnesota just north of St. Cloud. They wanted to join the government forces fighting the Sioux. Fort Ripley was informed and Capt. Hall invited the Chippewa to come to the fort as guests of the State to await a decision on their offer. Fall-winter of 1862–63 Fort Ripley became the headquarters for the 8th Minnesota. The regiment had four companies posted there. In the end of January 1863, Captain Samuel McLarty and D Co 8th Minnesota were ordered from Fort Ripley to garrison at Pomme de Terre, Minnesota, Pomme de Terre and Chippewa Station.Pomme de terre, a Frontier Outpost in Grant County, Minnesota History Magazine, June 1962, Minnesota Historical Society, William M. Goetzinger, p. 6

/ref> After arriving at Pomme de Terre orders came to erect a

palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive wall. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymo ...

9 feet in height creating Fort Pomme de Terre, the largest garrison point between St. Cloud and

Fort Abercrombie Fort Abercrombie, in North Dakota, was a United States Army fort established by authority of an Act of Congress, March 3, 1857. The act allocated twenty-five square miles of land on the Red River of the North in Dakota Territory to be used for ...

on the Red River Trail. The other companies were posted to Manannah, Little Falls, Chippewa Station and Fort Abercrombie. In 1864 the 8th Minnesota lost more men to the continuing hostilities from the uprising than Sibley's entire expedition lost in the Dakota Territory. Hole-in-Day's threat was mitigated by reasoned negotiating. For the next three years Fort Ripley was a staging point for western military campaigns in the on going war. The 8th Minnesota was posted there as were 2 sections of the 3rd Minnesota Light Artillery and troops of the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry Regiment. In May 1864 Company G of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Infantry Regiment were posted there as well. Fort activity peaked during the winter of 1863–1864, when 400 cavalry troops and 500 horses were posted at Ripley. In June 1865 Companies A, F, G and I of the 1st U.S. Volunteers(exConfederates) met at Fort Ripley for discharge, but were instead posted to Kansas.Companies A, F, G, and I posted respectively at Fort Abercrombie, Fort Wadsworth, Fort Ripley, and Fort Ridgely: "Trading Gray for Blue: Ex-Confederates Hold the Upper Missouri for the Union", Prologue Magazine, Vol.37, Winter 2005, Michèle T. Butts 200

/ref> Fort Ripley's garrison, Co. C, 5th Minnesota, at the battle of Fort Ridgely: *First Lieutenant T. J. Sheehan, Commanding *Sergeants, John P. Hicks, F. A. Blackmer (wounded) John C. Ross. *Corporals, M. A. Chamberlain, Z. C. Butler, Wm. Young, Dennis Porter (wounded). *Privates, S. P. Beighley, E. D. Brooks, J. M. Brown, J. L. Bullock, Chas. E Chapel, Zachariah Chute, Sidney Cook, L. H. Decker, Chas. Dills, Chas. H. Dills, Daniel Dills, S. W. Dogan, L. A. Eggleston, Halvor Elefson, Martin Ellingson, C. J. Grandy, Mark M. Greer (killed), J. P Green, A. K. Grout, Andrew Gulbranson, Peter E. Harris (wounded), Philo Henry, James Honan, D. N. Hunt, L. C. Jones, N. I. Lowthian, A. J. Luther (wounded), John Malachy, John McCall, Orlando McFall, F. M. McReynolds, J. H. Mead, J. B. Miller, Dennis Morean, Peter Nisson, Andrew Peterson, J. M. Rice, Chas. A. Rose, B. F. Ross, Edward Roth, C. O. Russell, W. S. Russell, Isaac Shortledge (wounded), Josiah Weakley, G. H. Wiggins, J. M. Ybright, James Young. In June 1865 the 10th Infantry returned to Fort Snelling and Companies A and I were posted to Fort Ripley. On April 20, 1869 the 20th Infantry Regiment (United States), 20th Infantry Regiment arrived at Fort Snelling and Companies A and G were the relief sent to Fort Ripley. In May A Co. was sent to

Fort Totten, North Dakota Fort Totten is a census-designated place (CDP) in Benson County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2020 census. Fort Totten is located within the Spirit Lake Reservation and is the site of tribal headquarters. The rese ...

. On a sub-zero night in January 1877, fire destroyed three buildings. Believing the post had outlived its purpose, the

War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet ...

decided to permanently close it rather than rebuild. The troops moved out that summer. The buildings stood abandoned for many years. By 1910, the ruins of the

gunpowder magazine A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications re ...

, built of stone, were all that remained.

Legacy

On December 16, 1879, the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

passed the bill H.R. 1153 "An Act to Restore to the public domain part of the Military Reservation known as Fort Ripley Reservation" except for the land occupied by the railroad. Alexander Ramsey, then Secretary of War passed the amendment for the railroad land to the Senate on January 6, 1880, and was entered in the record of the Senate February 4, 1880. In 1929, the State of Minnesota announced that a new National Guard training site would be built in central Minnesota. The land had to be purchased and, purely by coincidence, the remains of old Fort Ripley were within the proposed boundaries of what the State purchased. The new post—

—took its name from the old.

References

External links