510 - Fort Rice History

The year was 1862. After a poor harvest season in what is now Southern Minnesota, a band of Dakota Indians grew frustrated after years of accumulated grievances against white settlers and delayed or undelivered promises of goods and annuities by government officials. And so, fearing starvation, the upset Native Americans raided government food stockades, attacked farms and several settlements.

Fearing further Indian attacks and collaboration from surrounding tribes on the still-nervous frontier, led to General Pope devising a plan. The plan was simple. General Sibley, a former governor of Minnesota and a well-respected military leader was to march an army from Minnesota to the Devils Lake area, engaging Sioux along the way. General Sully, an experienced West Point graduate was chosen to lead the second army northward along the Missouri river, preventing the escape across the river. The two armies were scheduled to rendezvous on July 25th 1863 at the Missouri river.

The rendezvous was missed.

General Sully was delayed further south due largely to a prolonged drought which prevented the expedition’s steamboats from moving on the low water levels of the Missouri. So while the conflict began in 1862, Fort Rice wasn’t established until 1864 when General Sully returned to the Missouri River with 3500 men to force the Sioux to reservations, and to strengthen the peace by building military forts. The first, Fort Rice was established on July 7th of 1864 at the point at which you are standing now, near the mouth of Long Lake Creek. Another fort was placed at what is now known as Fort Buford at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers, and the third near the mouth of the Powder River.