Fort Morgan and Little Bighorn

Fort Morgan featured little in the Indian Wars of the 1860s and 1870s. The purpose of the garrison was to provide protection for emigrants to and from the gold fields of Colorado. The fort was never attacked, as such though there were a number of skirmishes on the prairies. The fort was abandoned in 1868, with the base of operations moving to Fort Laramie, Wyoming so little seems to link the fort with one of the major battles of the age – Little Bighorn. The link is limited, but it is there.

Desertions from Fort Morgan

At times, desertion was a major problem in the military. By no means a daily occurrence, monthly reports note how many soldiers – generally enlisted men – deserted during the month.

Notes were also made of soldiers captured and placed under arrest, sometimes court martialed, sometimes placed back into service. As can be seen on the following chart, desertions were relatively rare with occasional spikes (one of which, that of January, 1867, was detailed in the book In View of the Mountains).

Troops at the Fort

Federal troops arrived in Fort Morgan (or Post of Junction as it was first called) in May, 1865 following a winter of attacks by the allied tribes (Arapahoe, Cheyenne, and Sioux). The Civil War was winding down and soldiers became available to man the post.

The 1st Colorado Cavalry was joined at the post by companies of the 3rd, 5th and 6th U.S. Volunteer Infantry, consisting of captured Confederate soldiers who volunteered for duty in the west in preference to imprisonment, and a company of the 1st Michigan Cavalry. More troops would arrive by the end of the year including the 13th Missouri Cavalry and the 21st New York Cavalry and for a time, nearly 400 men (along with more than 200 horses and 38 civilian employees) were stationed at the small fort.