Fort McDermit (McDermitt, Nevada, Nevada)
McDermitt, Nevada · Nevada · Indian Wars
History & Significance
The post was established on August 14, 1865, by Captain J. C. Doughty of Company I, 2nd Regiment California Volunteer Cavalry, initially designated as Quinn River Camp No. 33. It received its permanent name following the death of Lt. Col. Charles McDermit in an ambush on August 7, 1865, along the Quinn River, and was named in his honor.
The cavalry detachment protected the stagecoach line running between Winnemucca, Nevada, and Silver City, Idaho Territory. The fort consisted of several adobe, stone, and frame buildings surrounding a square.
Operating for 24 years, it became the longest active Army fort in Nevada. Troops stationed there participated in operations against the Bannock and Shoshone Nations and served in the Snake War, Bannock War, and Modoc War.
Sarah Winnemucca, daughter of Chief Winnemucca, came to the fort in 1870 with 500 starving Paiute and worked in the hospital during the 1870s. On July 24, 1889, as the last Nevada Army post in service, it was transferred to the Indian Service. Two fort buildings remain on the reservation and are now used by the tribe for community activities.
Key Facts
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Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McDermit
- https://shpo.nv.gov/nevadas-historical-markers/historical-markers/fort-mcdermitt
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=207501
- https://sah-archipedia.org/essays/NV-01-0002-0008
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_McDermit