Fort Ripley was built in conjunction with the
Ho-Chunk had been moved from northeastern
Iowa. Their new
reservation east of
Long Prairie, Minnesota, necessitated a military post nearby to oversee the reservation and administer
annuity payments. The government also hoped that the Ho-Chunk, and the fort, would serve as a buffer between the
Santee Dakota and the
Chippewa, who were warring. Construction began in November 1848. In April 1849, Company A of the
6th Infantry Regiment arrived from
Fort Snelling to take up quarters under the command of Captain
John Blair Smith Todd. Commanders and officers: •
General Dana oversaw the 2 years of construction, would become commander of the
1st Minnesota and promoted to
brigadier general during the
Civil war •
Capt. John Blair Smith Todd was the first commander. Became a Brigadier General. Captain Todd was a first cousin of
Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of
Abraham Lincoln. • Major George W. Patten • Lt. Timothy J. Sheehan would be promoted to a brevetted Lt. Colonel by the end of the Civil War. He was wounded twice at Fort Ridgely and twice at Nashville. In 1898 he commanded the right flank at the last fight with the Chippewa at
Sugar Point where he was wounded 3 times. • Capt. Samuel McLarty post commander sent forward and established Fort Pomme de Terre. Would be brevetted Lt. Colonel by the end of the Civil War. • Capt.
James L. Fisk Lead his second expedition to the gold fields in
Montana Territory from Fort Ripley in 1863. With occasional exceptions, daily life at Fort Ripley was uneventful. The geographic isolation, summer
mosquitoes, and long, cold winters made post life challenging. The
Metis oxcart trains traversing the eastern route of the
Red River Trails between
Selkirk –
Fort Garry and the
American Fur Trading outpost at Mendota/Fort Snelling(later
Saint Paul) passed Fort Ripley. Twice each year, the soldiers trekked to the Long Prairie Agency to supervise government
annuity payments of money and goods to the Ho-Chunk/Winnebago. It wouldn't be until the 1880s a rail line was constructed through the former fort's lands. The
St. Paul and Pacific Railroad had held the right of way for many years, but it would be the
Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway that laid the track. In 1855 C Co.
10th Infantry became the garrison, and the Ho-Chunk were forced to move again—to a reservation in
Blue Earth County, Minnesota. The land ceded by the Ojibwe in 1847 was now assumed to be available to whites, though the 1857 Panic and its aftermath would discourage settlement for many years. Thinking the post was no longer needed, the army withdrew the garrison in 1857. Almost immediately, disturbances broke out between settlers and
some Ojibwe, prompting reactivation of the fort by a Company of the
2nd Infantry. From 1857 to 1861 Companies G, I, L 2nd Artillery Regiment were variously posted to northern forts Snelling, Ridgely, and Ripley. Typical of 19th-century army posts, Fort Ripley's
military reservation was huge. It encompassed nearly on the east side of the Mississippi, plus a single square mile on the west side to house the garrison. This configuration was chosen because the Ho-Chunk reservation abutted the west bank of the river and caused consternation for those who wanted the unused east side opened to
homesteaders. In 1857 the army agreed to auction the eastern lands, but those bidding colluded to underbid. The
Secretary of War annulled the sale. In the meantime, many had begun to build and farm the land. The resulting confusion and ensuing litigation took 20 years to resolve. and were replaced by companies A and E from the
1st Minnesota who in turn were relieved by A and F Companies of
2nd Minnesota. His troop arrived the first week of August at the Upper Sioux Agency and were quickly dispatched to bring in the renegade Chief
Inkpaduta. They were unsuccessful in locating him and returned to the Agency. There, after a heated exchange, Sheehan had got the
indian agent Galbraith to give out food to nearly 4,000 Sisseton and Whapeton. Thinking the task was completed the Fort Ripley men departed for their own post. There they were supposed to become the escort of a treaty commission to Georgetown on the Red river trail. The Red lake and Pembina Chippewa were waiting. A messenger caught up with them near
Glencoe informing them of the attack at the
Lower Sioux Agency and Redwood Ferry ambush. They double timed through the night to Fort Ridgely learning the post commander, Capt. Marsh, was dead. 1st Lt. Sheehan took command by rank and is credited with leading the Fort's defense. Meanwhile, at Fort Ripley, indian agent Lucius C. Walker had requested Lt. Forbes arrest Chief Hole-in-the-Day fearing he would attack. Hole-in-the-Day had departed shrewdly anticipating Walker. Three companies of militia joined the fort, one from St. Cloud, Stillwater, and Olmstead County. Despite an undercurrent of mistrust, relations between settlers and Chippewa was mainly peaceful in northern Minnesota. That nearly changed when the Santee Sioux hostilities broke out. According to the media Chief
Hole in the Day of the
Gull Lake Band considered the Sioux conflict as an opportunity to gain leverage for redress of grievances by threatened to launch a simultaneous war in northern Minnesota. The rumors caused fearful settlers to flock to Fort Ripley for security. Company's from both the 6th and 7th Minnesota were rushed to the post. Word reached the Mille Lacs Band reservation that Chief Hole-in-the-Day was considering attacking the fort. Head civil Chief Shaw-Bosh-Kung of the
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe organized his band and lead 700-750 warriors to Fort Ripley to defend the fort and to volunteer to fight the Sioux. According to the record they presented a sight waving flags and beating drums. The Indian commissioner Dole met with them and told them to return to the reservation and they would be contacted if their assistance was needed. The town's woman prepared a welcome meal and the men smoked the peace pipe with the warriors. Shortly after the executions in Makato the Chippewa leaders were summoned to Washington where Lincoln repeated that the Milles Lacs could remain on their reservation for a 1000 years. In recognition for their service to the State the participating bands were designated as "non-removable". On September 2 two Chiefs of the Fond du Lac band were the first to send Lincoln an offer to fight the Sioux. On September 8, 1862 a Mille Lacs Band Chief with 75-100 warriors was met and stopped at Watab, Minnesota just north of St. Cloud. They wanted to join the government forces fighting the Sioux. Fort Ripley was informed and Capt. Hall invited the Chippewa to come to the fort as guests of the State to await a decision on their offer. Fall-winter of 1862–63 Fort Ripley became the headquarters for the 8th Minnesota. The regiment had four companies posted there. In the end of January 1863, Captain Samuel McLarty and D Co 8th Minnesota were ordered from Fort Ripley to garrison at
Pomme de Terre and Chippewa Station. After arriving at Pomme de Terre orders came to erect a
palisade 9 feet in height creating Fort Pomme de Terre, the largest garrison point between
St. Cloud and
Fort Abercrombie on the Red River Trail. Fort Ripley's garrison, Co. C, 5th Minnesota, at the battle of Fort Ridgely: • First Lieutenant T. J. Sheehan, Commanding • Sergeants, John P. Hicks, F. A. Blackmer (wounded) John C. Ross. • Corporals, M. A. Chamberlain, Z. C. Butler, Wm. Young, Dennis Porter (wounded). • Privates, S. P. Beighley, E. D. Brooks, J. M. Brown, J. L. Bullock, Chas. E Chapel, Zachariah Chute, Sidney Cook, L. H. Decker, Chas. Dills, Chas. H. Dills, Daniel Dills, S. W. Dogan, L. A. Eggleston, Halvor Elefson, Martin Ellingson, C. J. Grandy, Mark M. Greer (killed), J. P Green, A. K. Grout, Andrew Gulbranson, Peter E. Harris (wounded), Philo Henry, James Honan, D. N. Hunt, L. C. Jones, N. I. Lowthian, A. J. Luther (wounded), John Malachy, John McCall, Orlando McFall, F. M. McReynolds, J. H. Mead, J. B. Miller, Dennis Morean, Peter Nisson, Andrew Peterson, J. M. Rice, Chas. A. Rose, B. F. Ross, Edward Roth, C. O. Russell, W. S. Russell, Isaac Shortledge (wounded), Josiah Weakley, G. H. Wiggins, J. M. Ybright, James Young. In June 1865 the 10th Infantry returned to Fort Snelling and Companies A and I were posted to Fort Ripley. On April 20, 1869 the
20th Infantry Regiment arrived at Fort Snelling and Companies A and G were the relief sent to Fort Ripley. In May A Co. was sent to
Fort Totten, North Dakota. On a sub-zero night in January 1877, fire destroyed three buildings. Believing the post had outlived its purpose, the
War Department decided to permanently close it rather than rebuild. The troops moved out that summer. The buildings stood abandoned for many years. By 1910, the ruins of the
gunpowder magazine, built of stone, were all that remained. ==Legacy==