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Fort D. A. Russell is now known as Fort Francis E. Warren an Air Force base located near

Cheyenne

,

Wyoming

in the

county

of

Laramie

. It was originally an army base established in 1867 and named after General David Allen Russell, who was a Northern Civil War general who was killed in Chantilly, Virginia. This base was created in order to protect railroad workers for the Union Pacific Railroad from Indian threats. It was founded to protect the plans for a transcontinental railroad under President Lincoln due to the Railroad act of 1862. It was not considered a permanent base until 1884. This base housed three black regiments of Buffalo Soldiers; the 9th and 10th Cavalry and the 24th Infantry[1].

 

Fort D. A. Russell became permanent because of its strategic placement half way between

Mexico

and

Canada

. It was also a few hundred miles of center between

Los Angeles

and

New York

. This way soldiers stationed in

Cheyenne

could react to an attack on the

United States

from all directions and hopefully be on site for reinforcements.

Cheyenne

was a mountainous region knows previously as Crow Creek and up until it was made permanent in 1885 there were few buildings or permanent structures there. The War Department wanted the fort to be rebuilt and be capable of containing eight infantry companies. They then needed to replace the wooden temporary buildings that had housed those soldiers before 1885 with new barracks. The twenty seven new structures were made of red brick and cost the Army 100,000 dollars. Included in this cost was the amount of money it took to plant thousands of trees at the fort[2].

The first garrison at Fort D. A. Russell consisted of the 30^th Infantry and the 2^nd Cavalry. The commander was Col. John D. Stevenson. When the fort was first formed the soldiers lived in tents and did not move into the wooden barracks until the winter of 1867 to 1868. These buildings were purposely diamond shaped in order to protect them from the unforgiving winter wind. Most buildings at that time would have been rectangular in shape. These structures had openings toward the east, facing the Chapel and measured 800 X 1040 ft. None of the original buildings survive today but most of the brick buildings constructed after 1885 are still around3.  

Those first soldiers living there had a very harsh and unforgiving life. They needed to be able to deal with the Indians in the summer and spring. They also needed to be prepared to deal with the tough winter climate. Men from Fort D. A. Russell fought in the Great Sioux Indian Wars in 1876. This is the same war in which Custer was defeated[3].

In order to provide more specific information on these soldiers living at Fort D. A. Russell and their daily lives and tasks it is necessary to examine individual soldier’s accounts from their time at the fort. Non-Commissioned Officers in the United States Army, such as Sergeant C. A. Gimmerman kept books of records describing the men under them. In these ledgers held information such as where these men came from and how long they had been in service. It also held physical descriptions of the men. This contained the soldier’s personal marks such as tattoos, height, complexion, eye and hair color, and age. This also said if the soldier was married or if they had any children.

The most important part of these descriptions pertains to the place in which these people were born. It does not however allow us the knowledge of how they ended up serving at Fort D. A. Russell. In one particular case a man had enlisted from

Alaska

and ended up stationed in this fort in

Wyoming

. It is likely that this man went to

Alaska

in search of gold. When he did not find anything and could not afford to pay his way home he could have enlisted. For this man military service could have been his last resort and the only thing he could have done given the situation he was in. It is very possible that the same path he chose for himself was that of many other men who found themselves in a similar situation.[4] This is a description of a man born in

New York

but enlisted in

Alaska

[5]. The soldiers at Fort D. A. Russell came from all over the country and many were from different ethnic groups even though they were separated.

There are men at Fort D. A. Russell who were born in different countries such as

Ireland

. This man could have come over to the

United   States

in order to escape difficulties in

Ireland

at the time. Due to domestic difficulties there was a depression in this mans birth place that took place in the late 1870’s. Potato crops were failing for many years after 1877. The chances for emigration were declining while disease was killing off large numbers of poultry and pigs. (http://www.historyhome.co.uk/c-eight/ireland/agire.htm) This man is named Thomas Robinson and could have come over with financial troubles looking for a better life and found himself recruited by the United States Army (citation). It is true that for many of these men difficulties with money or harsh times in the places they grew up could have driven them into the military life especially for those from foreign countries.

There are also records of the letters sent from Fort D. A. Russell to various other military installations. It is in these letters that the neglect for the fort by the

United   States

government can be seen. In these letters there are also requests for lumber to burn for heat in their fireplaces so the soldiers could stay warm during the winter. They also order food such as oats and Corn6. This allows us to look back and see the ways in which these men survived. They had brick fireplaces for heat and ate corn and oats for nourishment. These are necessities sent to them from other areas of the country and acquiring these things was part of their lives and tasks. The soldiers had to deal with all different types of problems and needs of everyday life. This pattern of neglect that can be seen in this letter and is a running theme for Fort D. A. Russell throughout this time of peace, as described in this letter:

October 2, 1885

Sir:

I have the honor to inform you that I have this day forwarded to your address a sample of the hose coupling, which connects with the fire hydrants at this post, to the automatic hose coupling, patented January 22, 1878, made by F. B. Preston, Chicago Ill. Being the one required for the fire plugs at this post, the thread on those received being too fine to couple to the Chapman fire hydrants. They are too small by ¼ of an inch to fit the 2 ½ inch discharge nippers upon the fire plugs. I have already informed you by telegraph that the couplings on the large hose recently purchased and forwarded to this hose, do not fit the foregoing described fire hydrants. I respectfully state that it will be necessary to forward the hose with couplings like sample without delay. Please return sample coupling as it belongs to parties in town.

Very respectfully, your obedt. Servt.

J. Regan7

 

 In this sample it becomes apparent that

Washington

was not really listening to the needs of the soldiers at Fort D. A. Russell. The government sent the wrong equipment needed to put out any fire that could occur on this military installation. The letter states that “J. Regan” had already been notified by telegraph of the needs on fort and did not listen enough to provide them with this necessity. They even sent Regan a sample of the coupling that is needed to accomplish this task. It could be that the man who wrote this letter has already lost faith in the ability of the government to meet their needs and wants to make this letter the last of its type and to be unmistakably clear. It seems like this man is upset by the inability of the government to supply them correctly, because he included the lines telling Regan that he had already told him about the problem.  

These soldiers needed water and were ordered the digging of a well as explained in this letter:

(Received A. G. O., October 21, 1872.)

Sir: I have the honor to state, in reply to your communication of the date

October 8, 1872

, that full arrangements were made some time ago to dig the artesian well on the reservation at Fort D. A. Russell. Some unnecessary delay occurred on a fruitless attempt to contract for the digging of a well through an unknown soil, after which an arrangement was made with the best skilled labor in this city to sink the well at least to the depth of 900 feet, if necessary, inside of 60 days, at an estimated cost of about $6,000. Should the well have to go down further, it will be sunk until the $10,000 is expended.

 Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

P. H. SHERIDAN,

Lieutenant-General.

 Major W. D. Whipple,

 Assistant Adjutant-General,

 Washington, D. C.8

 

 This is a letter from the Secretary of War on the artesian well. These types of issues were important and necessary enough to be dealt with in Washington, D. C. by some of the highest ranking officers. This was a matter of survival for the men in

Wyoming

and should have been treated as such. In this letter the “unnecessary delay” is due to disregard of the needs of Fort D. A. Russell on the part of the government.

Washington

did not make the necessary arrangements to get the well finished on time and the men at the fort had to

These letters are formed with care and respect. All of these letters start out by addressing the officer as “Sir” and describe the honor that was their task for example; “Sir: I have the honor to inform you…” or “Sir: I have the honor to transmit…” At the end of the letter they always write “Very respectfully, your obedient Servant…”7 These letters are all hand written and done with impeccable handwriting. This shows the respect these soldiers had for their chain of command and the knowledge these men had of the importance of their professions. These letters were sent to places all over the country such as

Ohio

and

Omaha

,

Nebraska

7. This demonstrates how in touch

Fort

Russell

was with the rest of the country. Even without the technology we have today the men at

Fort

Russell

had good communication with other soldiers in the

United States

. Communication was one of the most important aspects of military life at that time just as it is today and would have been vital if there was an attack on Fort Russell or if anyone around them was in need of aid.

 

These soldiers at Fort D. A. Russell were not only expected to be able to survive but to perform military action. This letter from the War Department describes the functions and duties of these men:

 

 Ordenance Office, War Department,

Washington

,

December 17, 1867

.

Sir: On the subject of the resolution of the House of Representatives of the 10^th instant, referred to this office by indorsement from the War Department of the 10^th, I have to report:

The arsenal recommended to be established at a suitable point between the Missouri river and the Rocky mountains is intended as a depository of arms, ammunition, and such other ordnance stores as may be required for supplying troops serving, or that may serve, in that part of the country. Such an arsenal should have a few repair shops, with good and safe storage and magazine room, and suitable quarters for an officer, and a few men to be employed there in receiving, storing, repairing, taking care of, and distributing these various ordnance supplies. These store-rooms, shops and quarters should be substantial and permanent buildings, so constructed as to be safe from accident by fire, and susceptible of defense by a small force against sudden inroads by Indians…9

 

 This letter describes the threat of attacks from Indians and the need for security. They are prepared for any combat and can fix weapon malfunctions in their repair shops. The soldiers are taking into consideration the possibility of a fire and taking care to prevent the destruction of their ammunition. If these weapons were destroyed or stolen by any Native Americans the fort would be completely defenseless and making the fort nearly useless. Many of these men would have to know how to fix broken weapons and were tasked with the challenge of trying to defend these buildings.

 

 Fort D. A. Russell had the challenges of the weather, the need to feed and warm themselves, the orders given to defend and perform military operations, and the motivational challenges that come with military service. The men at this fort were able to meet these tasks with great success in the early years of existence and perform their tasks proficiently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 2008. Fort D. A. Russell Photos.

Wyoming

Tales and Trails. http://www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com/russell.html. (accessed

April 2, 2008

)

2 2008. Francis E. Warren AFB. Global Security. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/facility/warren.htm. (accessed

April 2, 2008

)

3 2008. Fort D. A. Russell Wyoming.

Fort

Tours

. http://www.forttours.com/pages/fortdarussell.asp. (accessed

April 2, 2008

)

 

4 Sergeant C. A. Gimmerman. 1898 Descriptive Book of Non-Commissioned Officers. National Archives, 7.

Cheyenne

,

Wyoming

.

5 Sergeant C. A. Gimmerman. 1898 Descriptive Book of Non-Commissioned Officers. National Archives, 15.

Cheyenne

,

Wyoming

.

6 J. Regan. 1885. Letters Sent. National Archives, 143.

Cheyenne

,

Wyoming

 

 

 

7 J. Regan. 1885. Letters Sent. National Archives, 241.

Cheyenne

,

Wyoming

8 P. H. Sheridan. 1872. Artesian Well on Fort D. A. Russell Military Reservation.

Washington

,

D.C.

 

 

9 General

U. S.

Grant. 1867. Fort David Russell. House of Representatives. Washington, D. C.