Lincoln’s Birthday: Fort Abraham Lincoln

Today all America should honor Abraham Lincoln, one of our nation’s greatest presidents. Whether a monument in the Black Hills should be acceptable is a topic that might always be debated in light of past treaties, promises and territorial claims. In fact, even amongst those laying prior claim to that land, several different tribes called the Black Hills their own.

What is barely worthy of debate, however, is whether four U.S. presidents deserve a monument of some kind. In view of our nation’s founding, development, preservation and conservation some former presidents do deserve such an honor. Only a handful truly merit that consideration. I believe the four on Rushmore lead the pack by far.

Among that deserving handful of presidents only two, in my opinion, stand out above the rest. We will honor their birthdays this month. Each had personal flaws, but in the perspectives of their times and the challenges they faced, each showed unique and outstanding leadership.

In a weak society where sadly laughable terms like ‘G.O.A.T’ are often childishly applied to pampered, overpaid players of meaningless kids’ games (i.e. athletes) , the word ‘great’ is cheapened and devalued. However, “greatness” is a term that can legitimately be applied to a few truly great American presidents.

Today, on a day when all America should honor Abraham Lincoln’s birth date, I believe it’s appropriate to give a bit of background on the Fort named in his honor back in 1872. Its history might be a bit infamous, but its place in the events that would unfold 150 years ago is undeniable. It bears mention, at least in terms of honoring its namesake.

Fort Abraham Lincoln was built in 1872 mainly to protect advancing construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The NPRR would reach the site of Bismarck, Dakota Territory in 1873 and would continue westward. With that in mind, the fort was established on the Missouri River’s west bank, across from Bismarck.

The fort was built at the former site of a Mandan village. The Mandans had left, moving northward to settle with Hidatsas after a small pox epidemic in 1781.  A site neighboring their old village was chosen, and the fort was built first as an infantry post, hosting three companies of infantry. It was originally named Fort McKeen to honor H. Boyd McKeen, a Pennsylvania brigade commander who was killed in the battle of Cold Harbor (May 31-June 2, 1864) during America’s Civil War.

On November 19, 1872 (the anniversary of Lincoln’s excellent 1863 Gettysburg Address – try reading it and actually contemplating its words) the fort was re-designated as a cavalry post and re-named Fort Abraham Lincoln. In 1873 a larger post was authorized by Congress and was constructed about a mile to the south. By the fall of that year six companies of the 7^th Cavalry were posted there, and soon four companies of infantry joined them. Its first commander was Lt. Colonel George Custer.

Needless to say, the expanding railroad brought conflict with the region’s various tribes, who resented its incursion on what they viewed as their lands. In fact, much of that land had been ceded to the Sioux in an 1868 treaty. Making matters more volatile, the new fort would serve as a “jumping-off point for General Stanley’s 1873 Yellowstone railroad survey into the unceded lands in what is now Montana.

The economic Panic of 1873 halted railroad construction for several years, but military expeditions and campaigns originated from Fort Abraham Lincoln. It was also the launch point for the 1874 Black Hills expedition as well as General Terry’s advance in the 1876 Great Sioux War. At least one source has indicted soldiers from Fort Abraham Lincoln also fought against the Nez Perce in 1877.

Once the Northern Pacific Railroad was completed in 1888, the fort was no longer needed. It was abandoned in 1891. Over time, residents and settlers in the region dismantled most the fort in order to re-use its nails and lumber. In 1907 President Theodore Roosevelt signed title to its lands over to the State of North Dakota as Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park.

I haven’t been to Fort Abraham Lincoln since boyhood, but at the time I was fascinated by the well curated Mandan earth lodges. A good bit of the fort has since been rebuilt, and the North Dakota Parks and Recreation website indicates interpretive tours are available mid-May through early September. The site also offers camping, a kayak launch and other recreational/education opportunities. I believe it’s worth a visit.

In researching this topic I noted that one writer on the Emerging Civil War web site saw the fort as representing reconciliation in some ways. Custer was re-united with his former West Point classmate Thomas Rosser, either at Fort Abraham Lincoln or on the survey expedition that originated there. Rosser, with ties to Virginia and Texas, had left West Point in order to fight for the confederacy, and he and Custer traded blows in more than one Civil War cavalry scrap. They were able to re-unite and reconcile in events involving Fort A. Lincoln. Rosser would later again serve the United States in the Spanish-American War.

Today we all should honor that great president Abraham Lincoln, a man who wanted badly to preserve and unite our nation. We can only wish and strive for those ideals in our present divided society. The fort named in his honor had a life spanning only two somewhat tumultuous decades. In retrospect many would decry the purpose it served. Today we can only hope that Fort Abraham Lincoln might in some way represent – and inspire others toward – that great president’s ideals.