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STATE NEWS NOTES |
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SCHEDULE OF FORT PHIL KEARNY EVENTS
(Buffalo, Sheridan, Big Horn, Story, Kaycee, Dayton, Ranchester)
(NOT ALL EVENTS ARE LISTED, PLEASE CONTACT EACH
COMMUNTY'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR COMPLETE EVENT DETAILS)
June 15-17, 2007 – Bozeman Trail Days –
Fort Phil Kearny, Sheridan, Theme: 140th Anniversary of
the Wagon Box Fight, Symposium with Historian, Archaeologist, and
Native American Speaker. Living History Encampment, KFR, Co I, 3rd
Inf., 5th Cav. Civilians and a Native American Encampment
under Michael Terry and Assistants.
www.philkearny.vcn.com,
www.bozemantrail.org
June 23, 2007 – Jim Gatchell Memorial
Museum Living History Days: Vendors, Speakers, Programs, and
Displays address the history of Johnson County from Native Americans
to Basque Sheepman. Dancing, Artillery, weapons demonstrations,
food, drink and museum addition tour.
www.jimgatchell.com
July 4, 2007 – Connor Battlefield
Historic 4th of July Celebration, food, dance, music, and
more.
August 2, 2007 – 140th Wagon
Box Tour on anniversary day, 7:30 pm at the Wagon Box Site. Living
History Demonstration of weapons and uniforms, tours to side camps,
Wishart Corral and other related sites.
www.philkearny.vcn.com
August 10,11 2007 – Fort Fetterman,
Douglas, State Fair Encampment and Parade, Living History Programs,
Demonstrations, Tactics, Drill, Period Camp, Horse Drawn Artillery,
Cavalry.
August 24, 2007 – Story Days, Vendors,
Parade, Demonstrations, Live Artillery Shoot.
December 2, 2007 – Buffalo Christmas
Parade, 5:30pm, Kearny Frontier Regulars Parade Participation, old
west parade, chili supper, Christmas Shopping Spree.
www.buffalowyo.com
December 21, 2007 – 141st
Anniversary of the Fetterman Fight, Fort Phil Kearny tour at 9:30 of
activities in 1866, carpool to battlefield, tour through site to
combatant positions, attack avenues, weapons, uniform, tactics, and
drill demonstrations followed by hot drinks and snacks, questions
and answers at Interpretive Center. Tour is given whatever the
weather conditions.
www.philkearny.vcn.com |
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Meet Our Staff |
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Robert C. Wilson
Fort Phil Kearny Superintendent
Bob holds a BFA with Honors and began his career with the state in 1988. He is
Project Manager at Fort Fetterman and does exhibit work at other sites. |
Elmer (Sonny) Reisch
Fort Phil Kearny Curator
Sonny holds a BS in History and a BA in
Education. He began his career with the State of Wyoming in 1982 and became
Superintendent at Fort Phil Kearny in 1988. |
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These news notes will pertain to events affecting those state sites
represented in this web page and not all of Wyoming’s State Parks and Historic Sites. The site and affected areas represented are
therefore: Fort Phil Kearny, Fort Fetterman, Fort Reno, the Fetterman, Wagon Box, Connor,
Crazy Woman Battlefields, and portions of the Bozeman Trail. |
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Fort Phil Kearny State
Historical Site News |
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Land Preservation Project At Fort Phil Kearny
Over the last three years under the guidance of
a board developed by Mary Ellen McWilliams there has been a project
underway to preserve land being sold by ChevronTexaco and bring it
under Wyoming State Ownership. This project has been seen through
to at least 80 percent completion. A bill was signed this spring by
Governor Dave Freudenthal preserving 1000 of the initially sought
after 1500 acres.
Several individuals deserve credit in the
effort to see this project through. They are the above mentioned
Mary Ellen McWillams, Legislators John Schiffer, Bruce Burns, Rosie
Berger; Association Members Dan Scott, Joe Gingles, Jean Kimble, the
citizens of Buffalo and Sheridan, and many members of Wyoming’s
State Parks and Cultural Resources and Office of State Lands and
Investments staffs.
Approximately 600 acres were preserved from
subdivision and set aside for historic interpretation and
recreational use around fort Phil Kearny. This acreage includes
such historic feature locations as the Quartermaster Corral,
Washington’s Eatery, the two Sawmills, the Cemetery, Pilot Knob, the
original Bozeman Trail Crossing, numerous rifle pits and tipi
rings. Proposed development includes construction of the
Quartermaster Corral Corners and Blockhouse, the gates, the Wagon
Master and Blacksmith Shops, two campgrounds, a
nature/historic/fishing trial, and other amenities for public use.
Prior to any work being conducted a thorough archaeological study
will be completed. This study will include the Cemetery to locate
any existing graves, and establish its parameters with the hope of
rebuilding the monument and exterior picket fence.
At the Fetterman Battlefield we saved
approximately 400 acres. Negotiations are ongoing in a effort to
obtain a few additional acres of importance. These include lands
along Lodge Trail Ridge and an area thought to be the location of
Wheatley/Fishers position. We have however, preserved most of the
main battlefield, the cavalry/infantry fighting positions, and
several of the Indian attack avenues. The area will require much
work. There are old fences to be removed, the grass has been
reduced to dirt by a massive Prairie Dog Town, and there is and
infestation of leafy spurge.
Both sites are going to continue to require the donation of time,
support and funding that were required to allow us to save them from
the initial threat of development. |
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American Battlefield Protection
Program; Project Three
In September of 2006, the Fort Phil
Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association was awarded its third American
Battlefields Protection Program Grant. This is unprecedented in the
history of the program. We are the only sites to receive three
grants, and all three grants have been given in a row. One has also
been the largest grant given west of the Mississippi. All of the
grants focus on the Western Indian Wars and in particular Fort Phil
Kearny and the battles surrounding it. Two grants focused on
determining the parameters of the Fetterman Fight, cataloging the
artifacts in both public and private collections and conducting a
forensic study to determine which shells/bullets were fired from the
same gun. These specimens were also compared to those found at the
Little Big Horn fight to determine if any of Fetterman’s weapons
were used in that fight. While conducting the first two projects we
also took time to train a group of about 40 volunteers in the
science of a Metal Detector Sweep or Remote Sensing.
The 2006 Grant will focus on the December 6th,
1866 fight. This Fight is considered by many to be the prelude
battle to the Fetterman Fight. In this battle the Native American
learned that they could probably destroy a U.S. unit if they lured
it over Lodge Trail Ridge. Colonel Carrington learned that he could
not support troops beyond the ridge and therefore issued orders for
no one to cross the ridge.
The battle began as the normal relief of a Wood
Train under attack. However; Colonel Carrington attempted a pincer
movement against the attackers. He sent Fetterman with the Cavalry
to relieve the Wood Train and pursue the Indians. Carrington would
follow the Bozeman Trail over Lodge Trail Ridge and catch the Indian
in retreat. The plan failed due to a breakdown of Fetterman’s
command with Grummond pursuing a group of warriors without orders,
losing Lieutenant Bingham and Sergeant Bowers in the process. There
were a number of skirmish positions during this daylong battle,
which covered a very large area.
The goals of this third grant will be to locate the many skirmish
sites, try to find the location of Bingham and Bowers killing,
identify the weapons being used by both sides and establish the full
boundary of the battlefield. The archaeology will begin in the
spring of 2007 under the direction of ACR Consultants. ACR will
manage the survey, and will be requesting volunteers to help in the
field search. Each crew will consist of a sweeper, flagman, and
excavator. Those interested may contact Kevin Odell at ACR
Consultants kodell@acrcrm.com,
(307) 673-5966, or 806 Avoca, Sheridan, WY 82801. |
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Kearny's Frontier Regulars
Summer 2007Kearny’s Frontier Regulars under their new
President Dave Osmundsen, Vice President Dick Lenzer, Secretary
Sylvia Jackman, Treasurer Sonny Reisch were very busy in 2007. The
season began with a training session at Fort Fetterman following
with involvement in the Memorial Day Parade, and a cannon salute for
the Cemetery Program in Sheridan. Other summer programs /
activities included participation in a live cannon shoot in Casper,
Bozeman Trail Days at Fort Phil Kearny, and Living History Days in
Buffalo. We also traveled to South Pass and Cheyenne to help in
their historic programs. The season ended with a march in the Story
Days Parade, a Christmas Float in the Buffalo Christmas Parade, and
our annual Fetterman Dance. This year the dance was held at the
Story Women’s Club.
We have continued our partnerships with a number of other Living
History/Reenactment Groups which include: Co I US Volunteers, 3rd
Infantry, 5th Cavalry, 4th Artillery, members of the Frontier Army
of North Dakota, the Casper ROTC and others.
Our equipment now includes two artillery pieces; a field howitzer
and a mountain howitzer, two limbers, a farm wagon, Sibley tent, and
other assorted equipment and tents owned by our membership. We are
steadily increasing our menu of programs. These include: the three
branches of the army from 1860’s to 80’s, frontier civilians,
women’s fashions and activities, blacksmithing, Native Americans,
and scouts.
In 2007 we will continue our program review. This year we are
hitting the road early with a program at the Camplex in Gillette,
WY. The program will focus on the Civil War and is planned for the
4th grade students. Our annual Fort Fetterman Training Camp has been
cancelled but we will be participating in Bozeman Trail Days, June
15-17, Gatchell Living History Days and the Casper Artillery Shoot
on June 23rd. Many other programs are scheduled to follow these. |
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| If you are interested in promoting and
interpreting the history of the past, we are always looking out for
new membership. Our primary focus is the activities of personalities
at or during the time of Fort Phil Kearny and the Bozeman Trail,
1862 to 1868, but we shift to earlier and later periods. Individual
Membership is $35.00 and Family is $45.00, which covers insurance
and the costs of supplies for some events. We have access to extra
uniforms and clothing to help the new comer become involved
immediately and to insure their interest before making purchases of
equipment. If you are interested in becoming involved in the living
preservation of our history please write
rwilso@state.wy.us or call (307) 684-7629. |
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