Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 18, 1903, Page 25

PN Fort Riley--A Great Military Camp QUARTERS AT FORT RILEY.-ADMINISTRATION BUILDING WITH TOWER g, P - - [=] ! n | T I W b 2 r P { MONUMENT TO THE SEVENTH CAV- ARTILLERY BARRACKS AT FORT RILEY, LOOKING EAST.—WATER WORKS IN TFOREGROUND, ALRY DEAD AT FORT RILEY. HE autumn army maneuvers now in progress at Fort Riley, Kan,, and which will continue until the, last of October, has brought to«! gether the largest body of mili- tary forces ever assembled in the west. As & consequence all eyes are directed toward this military post, which {s the second largest in the United States, and is ex- celled in beauty and dimensions by few military establishments in the world. Fort Riley is located on a commanding bluff, or series of bluffs, overlooking the Junction of the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers, which here form the Kansas river, and four miles northeast of the town of Junection City, Kan.,, and is very nearly in the geographical center of the continental United States. The post was first established in the year DEPOT OF THE UNION PACIFIC AT FORT RILEY. 1852, in the then Territory of Nebraska. The establishment of the post at this point . L.owe, the hospital steward and a few P. H. Sheridan. Colonel Pond was sent to connected by an electric car line. Cars was for two reasons: First, for the protec- of the bhand of the Sixth infantry. On I'ort Riley in 188 and remained in arge run cvery hour during the day and every tion of emigrants to the Pacific coast, the Ausust 1, 185, cholera broke out and a of the work until 1891, expending more than half hour from 6;30 p. m. until midnight. trails to New Mexico, California and Oregon Panic among the workmen ensued., Major §1,000.000 in the work of construction. In Fort Riley was originally const ted converging at this point; second, for the ©OBden was taken down with the scourge on addition to the plans of the post he pre- ., oyiq b '”I}"_YM ¥ RRREUSIAE. &8 moral effect on the powerful Indian tribes the 2d and died the following day. The dis- pared the plans for the waterworks, the '(‘“’ .' \X ‘I(LI\II' I}“" I,‘ lf”\(' ‘YI“)“'“HI' '}‘l who then inhabited that portion of the ease ran its course in six days, during sewerage system, the beautiful roads on the l_f:“_:| ;;':.] ("l'nl\':_l l““”'?_ hl"\“ bean '_'l". west., Troops could take the field from a Which time there were nearly 100 deaths. reservation and through the post, and also ‘V,H Fo ‘l- ; l«|~ il Wae “‘j“h'd fo add month to six weeks earlier in the spring The workmen became unmanageable and the splendid steel bridge which spans the ‘m s \“,“]i“‘,lll\"“ "‘ " 'IVI‘: ‘pl""‘ "L::tl ”“.‘(‘f’” and remain in the field for the same period demanded their pay. There was no one to Republican river “,l-“,.h\ \’»«“Hh ,..x“x_,,,,-:\'..” \,;:,,IIH.",,,',‘“:“‘ .|“r later than from Fort Leavenworth., T pay them and the money was locked in the The present reservation contains 1989 companies R adiions fov” five ‘hvm»nr: H; site was selected by a board of officers safe. A gang of laborers broke into the acres and ia about cight miles In its great- ficld artillery ; i pointed September 21, 1852, by the secretary sutier’'s store, rolled out a barrel of whisky, est length and six miles in its greatest 3 B ovar, and the bullding of the post begay knocked in the head and helped themselves breadth. In 1567 4,000 acrcs of 'and belong- % Masnificent stone riding school 100x30 | in the following March and was named with tin cups until they became very much ing to the reservation, lying between the [c¢ has been bullt and is one of the finest Camp Center, because of belng near the !n\-.\n‘m-l and mutinous. They then brok two rivers and Junction City, were glven buildings of its kind in the world The geographical center of the United States into the ordnance storehouse, armed them- o a local company for the building of a old post consisted almost entirely of framne ieptboipiia gt (lee et css War selves and threatened to break into the safe bridge acre the Republican river The buildings. The present »st, with the ex- department A G O duted June 17, 1sgs A0 take thelr pay. They were about to bridge fell into the river before it had been CCVUON Of the noncommissioned siaft quar the name was changed to Fort Riley, in make l)'xu-. attack, when Wagonmaster used, but the company retained pos n ters, both frame buildings, 1s bullt entirely, | honor of Brevet Major General Bennett ‘l)"‘) r ""|.”"” i'“" ‘l'-»' H’-‘-m the eamp on of the land. The bridge wus flnally built of stone, with slate or tin roofs, Riley, colonel of the First infuntry, who hre A‘v.llvn"”I ) L 1‘. tder of the mob by the government in 1885, There are three On a high eminence overlooking the post . dled June 9, 1833 threaten d Lowe with a revolver lowe regular drill grounds on the reservation, Is 4 monument erected to the memory of Major E. A. Ogden, quartermaster, es- :‘,;”: I‘u“:‘:h:"‘” ."“v"‘v‘_"' ’”‘"‘ :""\M"" l";**l er on cach comprising 3,000 or 4,000 acres. They Major Ogden, It is surrounded by a neat corted by Troop B, First dragoons, under was thus allaved the ‘ he panie are known rcspectively as Smoky Hill Flat, iron fence and the shaft, which is twelve Major Chilton, proceeded from Fort Leaven- i " 1@ various ftrades Republican Flat and Pawnee Flat. On thi feet high, is suitably inscribed in memory A ¥9 A0V eR organized Into squads to preserve order latter is the target range which 1 1 limit of the dead founder of the post. The body worth to the new post at Camp Center, when the work of construction was re of 1,000 vards. North of the post al of Mujor Ogden was some years after his ~ with orders to crect the necessary buildings sumed “”‘,‘ g = b gl : MG about A Beath Alatadsusts "ot e e ol ttens” st t and some temporary buildings were erected Sihe aand’ o Solatolo g Re st oyt ,v s g FAVer, : ”'N home 1 1l s sl fn 1853 and 1854, the original plan being for de l.l v v', ' A ‘:"" Major Og i it 48 oy 2 b 18 the arll) - Bt AL N % = an eight-company post Five e e ‘“‘L‘:‘H‘ “’\ :“4" \L ,‘, "-‘.'n“L‘,,."],}K,,'!.“. same r'!:‘ M - ;"..':.y.. l":‘\\\r-l-)- I‘-r” 'llhu‘ was Fort Riley was for some years the sta. ) laborers were brought from Fort Leaven- present, and was I;" m'i” i ' : ‘r“ } At ”l' ‘e @ 'v\ ] I A® QFigINA) ¢ tpital tion of !l"' Seventh l. nited States cavalry worth by wagon and work begun in July, tangle. T 3 ARG 20NN 05 & Y ; erritory of Kansas. Twe ruined and there was erected then at the head of { 1855 - € ) buildings still remain to mark the Sheridan avenue a handsome granite monus I't plan of the present post began to spot; the larger and better preserved one ment to the memory of the officers and sole The ltrnn]:fiy were sent out on a summer take form about 18%. and was prepared by being the capitol building, where met ,the die of t regiment who lost thelr lives :)r\erd t:. i‘d\ln: at the post only Major and under the directlon of Color George first legislature of Kansas, July 2, 1856 in the battle of Wounded Knee. The mons gden, Surgeon Simmons, Chaplain Clark- E. Pond, assistant quartermaster general, Junction City, the nearest town, is about ument with its pedestal 13 about twentye son, Bandmaster Jackson, Wagonmaster P, who was selected for the duty by General four miles southwest of the post and ls five feet in height,