Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park

Fort Hartsuff was built in the fall of 1874 to protect new settlers in north central Nebraska from raids by the Lakota Sioux. One hundred fifty years later, Fort Hartsuff still stands as an incredible example of a small military post from the Plains Indian Wars. Nine original buildings and several more reconstructions are set around a parade ground measuring 500 feet by 500 feet. These include a post headquarters, hospital, storehouse, a blacksmith and carpenter shop, stables, a guardhouse and jail, living quarters for officers, barracks for soldiers, the commanding officer's quarters, and a building for laundresses, the commissary sergeant, and the post bakery. Most buildings are furnished with items from that time period and can be explored by visitors. Today, Fort Hartsuff operates as a State Historical Park under the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Fort Hartsuff's story begins a few years before officially opening on November 27, 1874. The Loup Valley was beautiful and valuable, which attracted settlers moving West as early as 1871. These settlers traveled on trails used by the Lakota Sioux in their raids against their long-time enemy, the Pawnee. Local officials from Howard County were worried about safety and wanted more settlers to come to the area. So, they asked the U.S. Army for help to protect the settlers. The Army agreed.

U.S. Army Scouting Patrols at Camp Ruggles

In May 1871, two groups of soldiers arrived from Omaha. These were the 9th Infantry Company "C" commanded by Captain Samuel Munson and the 2nd Cavalry Company "E" led by Captain Elijah Wells, who arrived from Omaha. They set up a temporary camp called Camp Ruggles in the Loup Valley. From there, they protected the local settlers and scouted the area. However, over the next three years, the settlers and the Army would come to agree that a more permanent military presence was needed.

Even though some encounters with the Lakota were peaceful, the Army scouting patrols became concerned with an increase in unchecked Lakota activity in the area, including the theft of horses from a local band of Pawnee. They worried that if the Lakota could raid the Pawnee without being noticed, they might also threaten the settlers in the Loup Valley.

Stolen Horses and Livestock

People became more concerned when the Lakota started targeting the farm animals of local settlers. One notable raid involved a group of Lakota stealing horses from a settler named A.G. Post, which led to a small clash known as the Battle of Sioux Creek. Eleven white settlers with old rifles and shotguns faced off against twelve Lakota warriors. The settlers realized they were outmatched and decided to leave. This raid caused problems: Homesteader A.G. Post lost about $1,500 worth of horses, and the bad publicity made fewer people want to move to the area, leaving the current settlers feeling discouraged.

Another encounter with the Lakota would follow a few months later. Around forty Lakota warriors raided Richard McClimans' ranch, ate the family's food, and killed their chickens. They also attacked a trappers' camp and stole their cow. Sixteen trappers, led by trapper Charlie White, confronted the Lakota chief and asked him to return the stolen items. When the chief refused, a fight took place, known as the Battle of Pebble Creek. The Lakota eventually left the field, suffering few losses. However, the trappers had one civilian casualty, Marian Littlefield, who was killed.

Blizzard and Locusts

In addition to struggles with local Native Americans, the area was hit by two natural disasters during this time, leaving most valley settlers emotionally and financially devastated. The first catastrophe was the Great Easter Blizzard of April 1873. The second was the Locust Plague of 1874, which destroyed everything in its path and killed that year's promising harvest. The valley couldn't fight Native Americans and Mother Nature without help.

The local leaders asked the government to build a permanent post in the valley to protect them. The government agreed and gave $50,000 for the project, though the final cost for the building of Fort Hartsuff equaled about $110,000. Construction started in September 1874.

Construction and Mission of Fort Hartsuff

Building Fort Hartsuff was a big boost for the local economy, providing good jobs for people in the North Loup Valley. The fort was built using a special concrete mix instead of wood. Unlike the forts in movies, Fort Hartsuff wasn't enclosed with a wooden stockade wall. Instead, it was laid out around a rectangular parade ground. It included a headquarters building, the commanding officer's house, quarters for officers, enlisted barracks, a hospital, horse stables, storage for supplies, a blacksmith and carpenter shop, a guardhouse and jail, and a building used for laundry, baking, and as housing for the senior sergeant. The only part of the fort that was defended with a stockade fence was the water source, which was on a hill behind the officers' quarters and accessible through an underground tunnel.

Construction went quickly. The fort officially began operations on November 27, 1874, by direction of War Department General Order Number 22, which assigned the mission to the 9th Infantry Company "C" under the command of Captain Samuel Munson. The company included First Lieutenant Thaddeus H. Capron, Second Lieutenant Hayden Delancey, and 55 men. By December, all the buildings were finished, and there was even a ball to celebrate.

Fort Hartsuff's mission was to protect the settlers in the Loup River Valley and prevent Lakota Sioux raids against their long-standing enemy, the Pawnee, a tribe that cooperated with United States officials. However, by the time construction was complete, most Pawnee had already been relocated to Indian Territory, and this aspect of the mission was significantly reduced.

Battle of the Blowout

Fort Hartsuff's only hostile engagement with Native Americans, the Battle of the Blowout, occurred in April 1876. Second Lieutenant Charles H. Heyl and a small group of soldiers from Company "A "of the 23rd Infantry encountered a band of Sioux warriors. Sadly, Sergeant William H. Doherty lost his life during this fight. Three soldiers, Lieutenant Heyl, Corporal Patrick Leonard, and Private Jeptha Lytton, received Medals of Honor for their bravery. There are different stories about what happened that day, but in the end, the Native American forces managed to evade capture during the night. Many search parties looked for them in the following weeks but found nothing. After this battle, life at the fort was mostly peaceful.

As the threats from Native Americans started to fade, many people traveled to the Black Hills looking for gold. The town of Calamus, which was close to Fort Hartsuff, became an essential stop for gold seekers heading to Deadwood in the Dakota Territory. Fort Hartsuff's First Lieutenant Charles B. Weston was given the job of leading a team to help protect supply trains going to Deadwood and to map out the new route. Later that year, he joined local lawmen to track down train robbers who had attacked the Union Pacific Railroad. They traveled 450 miles but didn't find any sign of the robbers. For the following year, operations at the fort were routine, as most hostile tribes had been relocated, except for one incident -- in September 1878, when Native Americans were spotted near the Calamus River, prompting the fort to send a detachment to investigate, but they only found an abandoned camp.

Social Hub

In addition to its role as regional protector, Fort Hartsuff served as the social hub of the valley. It hosted balls, which allowed soldiers to spend time with local settlers in a more relaxed atmosphere than at larger posts throughout the Plains. These activities helped with the boredom of army life on the remote western frontier, which included military discipline, routine drills, and scouting patrols. Common problems included homesickness, alcohol issues, and desertion -- which significantly increased towards the end of 1878 and early 1879. No efforts were made to find these deserters, and their fates remain unknown. (For new research about justice and discipline at the Fort we suggest taking this site's walking tour of the guardhouse and jail),

By the early 1880s, Fort Hartsuff's purpose waned as Indian conflicts decreased. It closed on May 1, 1881, after seven years of operations. Fort Hartsuff became a living monument to local history, and the post's legacy remains a symbol of the military's role in Nebraska's development.

Primary Sources:

Returns From United States Military Posts, 1800-1916. M617. DP. 463. Fort Hartsuff, Nebraska. November 1874 -- April 1881.

Secondary Sources:

Domeier, Jim. The Guide to Fort Hartsuff (1874-1881)

Fought, H. W. The Trail of The Loup, Being A History of the Loup River Region with Some Chapters on the State. 1906. 1906. 

Grinnell, George Bird. Two Great Scouts And Their Pawnee Battalion: The Experiences of Frank J. North and Luther H. North, Pioneers in the Great West, 1856-1882, and their defense of the building of the Union Pacific Railroad. Cleveland, OH: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1928. 

Potter, James. "James Potter, “The Pageant Revisited: Indian Wars Medals of Honor in Nebraska, 1865-1879”." Nebraska Indian Wars Reader, 1865-1877, 1998. 

Wells, Garry. "Indian Wars and Howard County." Historically Speaking - Howard County Historical Society, Winter 2005, 1-7. http://www.historichc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/newsletter-vol-009-iss-4.pdf. 

Wrehe, Jeffrey L. "“Thus Does Glory Fade:” A History of Fort McPherson and Fort Hartsuff." Master's thesis, University of Nebraska Kearney, 2008.