Fort Ellis was a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
fort established August 27, 1867, east of present-day
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of ...
. Troops from the fort participated in many major campaigns of the
Indian Wars. The fort was closed on August 2, 1886.
History
The fort was established by the
War Department to protect and support settlers moving into the
Gallatin Valley
Gallatin County is located in the U.S. state of Montana. With its county seat in Bozeman, it is the second-most populous county in Montana, with a population of 118,960 in the 2020 Census.
The county's prominent geographical features are th ...
of Montana. The post was named for
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...
Augustus van Horne Ellis, an American soldier killed in 1863 at the
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of th ...
during the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 polic ...
. Five troops of the
2nd US Cavalry Regiment and infantry companies from the
7th Infantry Regiment provided the fort's garrison. Nearby
Fort Elizabeth Meagher
Fort Elizabeth Meagher, named for the wife of Thomas F. Meagher, secretary and former acting governor of the Montana Territory, was established in May, 1867 eight miles east of the town of Bozeman, Montana at the mouth of Rocky Creek by Brigadier ...
, which was established in the spring of 1867 on Rocky Creek, was abandoned after Fort Ellis was built.
Fort Ellis was an important post during the prominent
Indian Wars of the 19th century as well as a base of operations for exploring the region now known as
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is border ...
. In January 1870, Major Eugene M. Baker led elements of the Second Cavalry against elements of the
Piegan tribe, culminating in the
Marias Massacre on the
Marias River in Montana. In April 1876, Colonel
John Gibbon
John Gibbon (April 20, 1827 – February 6, 1896) was a career United States Army officer who fought in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.
Early life
Gibbon was born in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fou ...
departed Fort Ellis with 400 infantry and cavalry known as the "Montana Column" during the summer campaign of the
Great Sioux War of 1876–77.
Troops from Fort Ellis also participated in the
Nez Perce War in 1877.
The fort provided military escorts for a number of prominent expeditions into the Yellowstone region. In 1870, Lieutenant
Gustavus C. Doane and five cavalrymen escorted
Henry Washburn and eight other civilians from
Helena, Montana
Helena (; ) is the capital city of Montana, United States, and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County.
Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established on October 30, 1864. Due to the gold rush, Helena would b ...
on the
Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition. Doane would also accompany expeditions in 1871 and 1875, as well as an ill-fated exploration of the
Snake River
The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snak ...
in 1876.
Like many frontier garrisons, the fort's troops had an ambivalent relationship with the nearby town of Bozeman, located 3 miles to the west of the fort. On December 11, 1867 and December 14, 1867, soldiers of the 13th US Infantry destroyed buildings in and around the town that were found to be selling alcohol to the soldiers. Throughout the post's history, the settlers of Bozeman utilized the federal money brought to the city by contracts and payroll, but records demonstrate criminal behavior, and intense competition for these jobs.
Geological Survey Activity
W.H. Jackson, the veteran photographer, wrote in 1928 about one of these surveys, "We, the Geological Survey, were at Fort Ellis again from September 1st to 5th on our return. On the first one of these occasions, I made several scenic views about the neighborhood at the suggestion of and in company with some of the officers, this one among them." Although the photograph bears the imprint of the
Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the m ...
, U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories, Washington, D.C., no. 197, the negative has been lost or destroyed, no record of it being now obtainable at the Geological Survey; and this old print now has special historical interest.
Decommissioning
Since Fort Ellis was located on prime agricultural land, many settlers in Bozeman petitioned to have the post closed after the arrival of the
Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883. The civilians wanted to open the 26,000-acre military reservation to private settlement. Documents indicate that the post would likely have remained active for several more years. However, Generals Sherman and Sheridan struggled to find posts to close for fiscal reasons in the face of strong political pressure. As a result, they seized the chance, with local support, to close this post.
Fort Ellis was decommissioned on August 2, 1886 (S.O. No. 73, Headquarters
Department of Dakota,
Fort Snelling, Minnesota) and was abandoned by the Army by the end of August 1886.
After decommissioning, the parade ground was used for sometime by the Montana Militia, and many of the buildings were eventually salvaged by Bozeman citizens.
As of August, 1924, many of the fort's buildings remained intact, including a two-story house that was the Commanding Officer's quarters. Now, the land has been deeded to
Montana State University
Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...
,
and this building has been renovated and occupied by Montana State University's Agricultural Experimental Station.
Collections on Fort Ellis are held and maintained by
Montana State University Archive and Special Collections.
See also
*
List of military installations in Montana
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Collection 851: Fort Ellis and Gustavus C. Doane Collection, 1865-1930.Held a
Montana State University Archive and Special Collections
Collection 2251: Fort Ellis Drawings, 1869-1880.Held a
Montana State University Archive and Special Collections
{{Montana
Ellis
Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis.
Surname
A
*Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series '' ...
Buildings and structures in Gallatin County, Montana
1867 establishments in Montana Territory
1886 disestablishments in the United States