Old Fort Snelling | Page 8

Rock Island, where the
construction of Fort Armstrong was undertaken. June 21st of the same
year saw the re-occupation of the site of Fort McKay at Prairie du
Chien; and Fort Crawford soon protected this important point at the
junction of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers. One other point, vital
in all western transportation was at the head of Green Bay at the mouth
of the Fox River. Colonel John Miller of the Third Infantry arrived at
this place on August 7, 1816, and soon began the erection of Fort
Howard.[53]
But the government was not content with these movements. In a report
dated December 22, 1817, the Secretary of War, J. C. Calhoun, wrote
to the House of Representatives that "a board of the most skilful
officers in our service has been constituted to examine the whole line of
our frontier, and to determine on the position and extent of works that
may be necessary to the defence of the country."[54] Plans had already
been made. During the summer of 1817 Major Stephen H. Long, a
topographical engineer in the United States Army, had made a journey
to the Falls of St. Anthony in a six-oared skiff and had approved the
position at the mouth of the Minnesota River as a location for a fort.[55]
Other plans were soon announced. In the spring of 1818 The
Washington City Gazette stated that a fort would be built on the
Missouri River at the mouth of the Yellowstone River;[56] and a
second report of the Secretary of War on December 11, 1818, indicated
that the site at the mouth of the Minnesota would soon be occupied.[57]
On the tenth of February, 1819, the War Department ordered the Fifth
Infantry to concentrate at Detroit, after which it would be transported
across Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, up the Fox River, and down the
Wisconsin River to Prairie du Chien, where a part would garrison Fort
Crawford, a part would proceed to Fort Armstrong, and the remainder
would ascend the Mississippi and near the Falls of St. Anthony erect a
post which would be the headquarters of the regiment.[58] This
movement was closely associated with that on the Missouri River
called the Yellowstone Expedition. Both movements were part of one
system--a comprehensive attempt to possess the northwestern frontier.
The thoroughness of the plan is shown by the program outlined for the

troops for the year 1820: three forts were to be built on the Missouri
River; the navigation of that river was to be improved; roads were to be
opened between the two diverging lines of posts (those on the Missouri
and those on the Mississippi); and the Fox and Wisconsin rivers were
to be connected by a canal. Thus the transportation of supplies would
be facilitated, and in case of hostilities the forts could coöperate in the
military operations.[59]
The western part of this general movement was a failure. Indeed, the
only result was the construction of a post at the point then known as
Council Bluff (now Fort Calhoun, Nebraska), which after an existence
of eight years was abandoned. Congress, disgusted with the
management of the undertaking, refused to vote the funds necessary for
the complete fulfillment of the project.[60] Accordingly, no permanent
military post existed upon the upper Missouri until 1855, when the
United States government purchased from the American Fur Company
their station called Fort Pierre and transformed it into a military
establishment.[61] The failure of the Yellowstone Expedition made
more difficult the work of Fort Snelling. The range of its influence
extended to the Missouri, and for forty years it was of more importance
than even its originators had planned.
The Fifth Infantry, to which the difficult task of establishing a fort at
the junction of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers was assigned was
stationed at various places. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Leavenworth,
who was the commanding officer of the regiment, had been located at
Prairie du Chien as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.[62] Lieutenant
Nathan Clark was living at Hartford, Connecticut.[63] But by May 14th
the main part of the regiment was ready to leave Detroit. Schooners
brought them through Lake Huron, the Straits of Mackinac, and across
Lake Michigan to Fort Howard on Green Bay. Captain Whistler of the
Third United States Infantry, then stationed at this post, had prepared
bateaux for the use of the troops, and on June 7th the ascent of the Fox
River was commenced.[64] The Winnebago chief "Four Legs", whose
village was at the outlet of Lake Winnebago, had the custom of
exacting tribute from travellers using the Fox-Wisconsin route. When
the troops of the Fifth Infantry came to the site, "Four Legs" sent the

message, "The Lake is locked." Whereupon Colonel Leavenworth,
showing the messenger his rifle, replied: "tell him, that this is the