Fort Fred Steel Cemetery and the Battle of Milk Creek

 The cemetery has a greater than expected number of graves for young children under five.  25 percent of the graves are for young children.  Life expectancy for children wasn't very great in this remote area.  It was also the final resting place for a group of soldiers from the fort, who were sent to intervene in the Meeker affair in Colorado.  The BIA agent Nathan Meeker there was having what he called issues with the Utes in the area.  He was trying to force them to become farmers.  He asked for help from the army and a unit under Major Thomas Tipton Thornburgh.  The troops were warned not to enter the reservation, which they did anyway which lead to the Utes ambushing the soldiers in Bad Canyon.  Thornburgh was killed as well as 13 of his command with 44 wounded.  The survivors holed themselves in and were surrounded for seven days.  They were finally rescued by the fifth calvary.  19 Ute warriors were killed.  In addition the Utes did kill Nathan Meeker and seven others at his agency.  The Utes were forced to abandon their reservation and were moved to Utah where they now live on the Uintah Ouray Reservation.

When the fort was later abandoned many of the soldiers were disinterred by family and moved elsewhere.  

Fort Fred Steele, Railroad Bridge Fort, Wyoming

Ford Fred Steel (named for a Civil War Hero) was built with the transcontinental Railroad as a post to defend the railroad workers and the bridge over the North Platte River.  Many artifacts have been found and saved.  Most are in the visitors center which was the home of the post trader.  It is being restored.  There was lots of industry in the area, facilitated by the railroad.  Sheep, timber, coal and ice.  An iunteresting aspect is the bridge tenders home.  The cemetery and the Battle of Milk Creek are interesting. 

The majority of the fort was north of the railroad cut.  The fort store/visitors center is south of the railway line.  Most of the fort now longer exists.  The suttler's building and the school still stand.  The officer's housing is all gone.  The barracks are ruins.  

The old gunpowder room, small because they could resupply with the railroad

railroad cut for a railroad never laid

Died in the Meeker campaign

26 Chinese workers murdered in the Coal Miner's riot

Chimney of the old barracks

School on the left and Sutler's office on the right

                                         

ruins of an old barracks

Suttler's building