Fort Sully (Hughes County, near Pierre, South Dakota)
Hughes County, near Pierre · South Dakota · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Following General Alfred Sully's victory over a mixed band of Dakota and other tribes at the Battle of Whitestone Hill on September 3, 1863, a contingent of troops used local cottonwood logs to build Old Fort Sully east of present-day Pierre. The fort was 270 feet square and was built of cottonwood timber taken from Farm Island.
By October 1863, the garrison had arrived—headquarters and three companies of the Thirtieth Wisconsin Infantry, along with cavalry units from Iowa regiments under Lieutenant Colonel E. M. Bartlett, who initially gave the post his name before it was redesignated as Fort Sully. The fort's purpose was to establish a U.S. Army presence along the Missouri River to deter Native American hostilities, protect steamboat commerce, and enforce containment of Sioux bands.
A treaty between the United States and the Yanktonai Band of Dakota or Sioux Indians was concluded at Fort Sully on October 20, 1865. Old Fort Sully was abandoned in the fall of 1866 on account of its unhealthful location on the lowlands of the Missouri.
A new Fort Sully was established on July 25, 1866, in present-day Sully County, with its erection begun in July 1866 but not completed until 1868. The plan to close Fort Sully began in 1893, and on October 9, 1894, the final closure order was given, with troops departing on October 20, 1894.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Reconstructed 1863 military post with cottonwood timber buildings
- Indian Wars-era artifacts and exhibits
- Missouri River lowlands setting within state recreation area
- General Alfred Sully's campaign history against the Sioux
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Sully_(South_Dakota)
- https://mrcc.purdue.edu/files/FORTS/histories/SD_Fort_Sully_Grice.pdf
- https://grokipedia.com/page/fort_sully_south_dakota
- https://historicpierrefortpierre.com/old-fort-sully/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=225020
- https://home1.nps.gov/nr/travel/pierre_fortpierre/old_fort_sully_pierre.html
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Sully_(1)
- https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Sully_(2)
Other Forts in South Dakota
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