Expeditions that were not entirely of military character also used Fort Abercrombie as the base for their operations into the western frontier.

Notable among these were the Fisk Expeditions of 1862 and 1863 which were traveling in search of gold which had been discovered in Idaho and Montana. Fisk's companies were made up of Minnesotans who wished to join the general gold-rush westward.

These two early expeditions of Captain James L. Fisk passed through Fort Abercrombie. Later trips in 1864 and the two succeeding years took a route somewhat south of the fort. Captain Fisk's own report of his first journey, in 1862, is reprinted here, as published in the collections of the North Dakota State Historical Society, Volume 2.

"Sir: Under instructions of the Secretary of War, I was dispatched from this place, on the 3^rd day of June last, to proceed at once to organize, equip, and conduct an escort to emigrant wagon train from Fort Abercrombie, across the plains of the north, to Fort Benton, Dakota Territory, thence across the mountains, via Captain Mullan's government road, to Wall Walla -- there dispose of the expedition property, and return via Oregon and San Francisco.

"The fact that most of the route designated for my trip was entirely (except as surveyed by the late lamented General Stevens in 1853) and that the season was so far advanced before orders reached me at my regiment in Central Tennessee, together with the limited means placed at my disposal, led me to doubt much whether I could accomplish the objects of my commission. Having entered upon the work, however, and done the best in my power under the circumstances, I am pleased to be able to report at this date the experience and general results of the expedition.

"Samuel R. Bond, Esq, who accompanied me as a clerk and journalist, respectfully submits a summary of his notes, and which is a fair statement of principal incidents of trip, topography of country, etc.

"In the proper place will be found the brief report of Dr. Dibb, physician and surgeon of party; and I likewise offer for your consideration, as supplementary to the general report required, an itinerary of each day's travel, with accompanying chart of route from Fort Abercrombie to Fort Benton.

"I need hardly assure you, in this connection, of my personal regards and esteem for those gentlemen, one and all, who accompanied me as assistants -- of them the entire journey. Always true, and never found wanting in the discharge of duty, I can but commend them for those good qualities which fit men for public service.

"The importance at present attached to this route, and which will very much increase as the new gold fields are opened up by it come to note, constrains me to believe it justifiable in extending my report so as to cover all the chief points of interest, and to believe that the itinerary and map furnished will prove of great utility if published.

"That our little expedition, being wholly an experiment, succeeded beyond the most sanguine expectations is attributable to several facts, viz: Nearly if not quite all of the men of the escort and emigrants had seen more or less of frontier life, were not afraid of hardships, and know how to surmount impediments in whatever shape occurring. The season was most wonderfully favorable, plenty of grazing and water for our purpose, and not yet sufficient rain at any time to swell the streams or soften the basins of the prairie country.

"Our organization was complete, not only of the fifty (50) men of the escort, but of the emigrants also, in case of an emergency. No violation of rules occurred from first to last; every order was promptly and cheerfully obeyed. We moved, halted, camped, corralled on the march, rallied, mounted guard, etc., by bugle calls.

"We had no serious difficulty with the Indians, though we met numerous bands and tribes, and were not aware, until we were met in the mountains by an express from Walla-Walla, giving news how narrowly we had escaped the terrible raid of the Sioux on the border of Minnesota, even laying siege to the very post which we had shortly previous started from (Fort Abercrombie).

"The Assineboines were 'saucy' which with them is preliminary to mischief. Their conduct convinced me that they were knowing to the raid of the Sioux Indians, and that they themselves were becoming infected with a desire for plunder.

"It required more nerve to refrain from punishing them for their insolence than to have done it. The traders along the Missouri besought me to urge upon the department the necessity of establishing one or more military posts along that river, between Forts Berthold and Benton. From what I could see and learn, I do not hesitate to say that the presence of troops is absolutely necessary to insure the safe occupancy and transit of that upper country by the whites.

"The severe chastisement of the hostile Sioux the coming season would intimidate the Missouri river and mountain tribes; and distribution of an infantry or cavalry regiment along the Missouri, from Fort Berthold to Benton, with headquarters in the mountain district at the head of that river, where there are most people scattered about, mining, would insure safety in travel, exploration and development of a rich mineral country.

"Pierre Chouteau, Jr. and Co. take occasion to inform me by letter that they will most cheerfully give all the accommodations necessary for quartering troops and storing supplies in either or all of their posts on the Upper Missouri. These forts, as they are called, are not undeserving the name, for they are most admirably adapted as quarters for troops, militaire in appearance, and entirely defensible.

"After merging from the Coteau du Missouri on the west side, opposite to the nearest point to the river Des Lacs, I was desirous of heading straight for Fort Benton coming down to Milk river at last crossing, instead of making that circuitous route by Fort Union. But not finding any of my party ready to try the experiment, I moved southward to a camp on the Missouri fifteen (15) miles above Fort Union. On our journey to Fort Benton we were joined by two French half-bred voyageurs, from whom I learned that the line of travel from the Coteau to Fort Benton, which I proposed trying, was in every way practical for a wagon road, and ten days shorter.

"My loss of stock between Abercrombie and Benton were two oxen and one (1) mule. Between Benton and Walla-Walla, one (1) team horse and one (1) saddle horse. In the wilderness of St. Regis de Borgia at the eastern base of the Coeur d'Alene mountains, I found Major Hutchins, Indian Agent, in distress from having lost part of his pack animals while on his journey to relieve Major Owen, agent of the Flathead Indians. In the emergency of his case I felt obliged to relieve him, so far as I could give him anything available for transporting his supplies, and fitted him out with a span of animals and a good wagon.

"From this point to Walla-Walla I hauled only the howitzer and flag wagon, and every animal I had was unmarketable, because so very thin in flesh. If I could have had the usual allowance of extra work animals upon the start, such would have been the condition of the whole as to bring, at public sale, at the close of the journey, all they would cost in fitting out.

"Captain Mullan's road, from Fort Benton to Walla-Walla is passable and there has been performed upon it an immense amount of labor, but it will have to be worked, materially improved in places, or it will soon be useless as a wagon road.

"On leaving St. Paul on the 16^th (sixteenth) of June, I had unfurled from a staff lashed to the front of the express wagon which led the train, the national colors; and I am proud to say that it every day floated to the breezes from the Mississippi to the Columbia, and no man insulted it.

"At Portland, Oregon, I was glad to meet Captain Medorum Crawford, who had just closed his expedition on the central overland route. We spent a day together in comparing notes. Captain Crawford did not hesitate to congratulate me on having discovered a most desirable route, and one that must soon attract a large emigration over it. I am under obligations to this gentleman for the courtesies which he extended to me while there, and for pecuniary favor in my need.

"Under dates of December 14 and 27, I am in receipt of letters from very reliable men, who went out with me and are now mining at Grasshopper diggins, (the Grasshopper being a small tributary of the Jefferson fork of the Missouri, and at which place there are now about one thousand (1,000) persons, stating their general success beyond all expectations, and that claims are yielding from fifty dollars ($50) to one hundred and fifty dollars ($150) per day to the man.

"Reaching this city, on my return, about the 1^st of the present month, (February 1863) I hastened to prepare this report, which I now have the honor to submit.

"With very great respect, I am, sir your most obedient servant, James L. Fisk, Captain A. Q. M., Commanding Expedition."

Thus ends Captain Fisk's own report of his first expedition from Fort Abercrombie westward with a troop of emigrants seeking gold. It illustrates the commercial as well as military importance of Fort Abercrombie as a base of operations into the west.

Also within the North Dakota State Historical Society collections, preserved with Captain Fisk's report is the diary of the secretary who traveled with him, and the part of the journey in the territory directly under the influence of Fort Abercrombie and the Red River Valley, is printed here because of the interesting tales, of early days in this district, as told by a man who traveled through here.

"The recent and continued discoveries of gold in Oregon and Washington Territories having incited an extensive emigration to those regions, congress, by act January 27, 1862, appropriated a sum of twenty-five thousand dollars for the purpose of affording, to such as should wish to make the overland trip, a safe escort through the various Indian tribes inhabiting the country along the route, as well as that efficient aid which an emigrant train cannot fail to derive from the organization and order which it becomes the chief duties of the commander of such an escort to secure and preserve.

"The usual route of emigration westward, across the plains and mountains has been the central one by way of Fort Laramie, Salt Lake, and the South Pass; at least the government had never sent an escort for the protection of emigrants by what may be called the extreme northern route, and it had never been tried by them. In 1853 Governor Stevens of Washington Territory, who had so recently and gloriously fallen in his country's cause, made his explorations for a route for a Pacific railroad, near the forty-seventh and forty-ninth parallels of north latitude, from St. Paul to the Puget Sound, starting from Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and passing over a country not before explored to Fort Union, on the Missouri River; thence to Fort Benton, and through the mountains into the valley of the Bitter Root, and onward to the Columbia. Since then a military road has been laid out and constructed under the supervision of Lieutenant Mullan, between Fort Benton and Fort Walla-Walla, but that portion of the route pursued by Governor Stevens, lying between the western boundary of Minnesota and Fort Union, had not been traveled since 1853. Many persons on the Upper Mississippi, especially in Minnesota, in the spring of last year, were desirous of crossing the plains by this route to the new El Doradoes beyond, but were diffident about starting without an escort, on account of the difficulty and uncertainty of finding the best and most direct course over the trackless plain to Fort Benton, as well as on account of their fears lest the Indians, and especially the Sioux, should prove hostile and troublesome to a private party, which they found traveling through their country, while they would feel comparatively safe if accompanied by a small protective force sent out under the auspices of the government.

"To afford guidance and protection to these emigrants, and at the same time test the practicability of this northern route for future emigration, the secretary of war, under whose direction the above appropriation was to be expended, set apart five thousand dollars, and Captain James L. Fisk, assistant quartermaster United States Volunteers, was appointed to command the expedition, with authority to employ assistants, who were at once to enlist fifty men as a protective corps, to be used as guards, sentries, scouting parties, and in such other ways as the best mean of affording protection to emigrants might require. Competent persons were also to be engaged as physician, guide, and interpreter, whose services were to be freely rendered for the advantage of the whole party. His instructions required Captain Fisk to make Fort Abercrombie the point of rendezvous, and to disband the guard upon his arrival at Fort Benton. Immediately upon the receipt of his instructions, Captain Fisk proceeded to make his preliminary arrangements at St. Paul, and appointed the following assistants, namely: First assistant, E. H. Burritt; second assistant, N. P. Langford; third assistant, (surveyor), David Charlton; secretary or journalist, S. R. Bond; physician, William D. Dibb, M.D.; wagon master, R. C. Knox; guide and Chippewa interpreter, Pierre Bottineau; Sioux interpreter, George Gere.

Pierre Bottineau

"In former years our guide had been a Red river hunter, and he was one of Governor Stevens' guides in 1853, so that was considered a stroke of good fortune to be able to secure his services which the progress of our journey, over a country where there was no sign of trail either of Indian or white man, proved to be invaluable and our Sioux interpreter had but recently come from a residence of many years among the Yanktons, Sissetons, and other tribes of that nation.

"Having been appointed secretary of this humble expedition, I have kept a full daily record of the marches made, camping places, the leading incidents on the route, and character of the country passed over, etc., from the departure of Captain Fisk from St. Paul to his arrival at Walla-Walla, and, indeed, until he reached New York on his homeward trip. . . this being too extensive, the following condensed part of my journal is herewith submitted.

"A few days in St. Paul sufficed to complete the necessary preparations for starting, and on the 16^th of June Captain Fisk, having received his instructions from Washington . . . our small supply and baggage train, consisting of three 4-ox teams, one 2-mule team, and one 2-horse team, set out from there for Fort Abercrombie, which is situated on the west bank of the Red river of the North, about two hundred and fifty-five (255) miles northwest from St. Paul. Meanwhile notice had been given for those wishing to join the train to rendezvous at that post by the first of July, and when we arrived there on the third of that month, we found quite a party of emigrants awaiting for us, while letters from others stated that they were on the way. We formed a camp near the fort to wait for those who had started to join us and to make the final preparations which the long journey before us rendered necessary; and for valuable assistance in this respect, as well as for every courtesy and kindness in their power to render, we are indebted to Captain Vander Horck, commander of the post, Dr. E. E. Braun, post surgeon, and Lieutenant Groetsch, quartermaster.

"We here had the pleasure of joining the officers and soldiers of the fort and settlers of that neighborhood in an appropriate celebration of the anniversary of our national independence, before starting on our long journey, the greatest deprivation of which was to be the suspense under which we must remain for months as to the progress of our arms in crushing the rebellion that would undo the great act of ('76) seventy-six.

"A day or two before we got ready to depart the emigrants expressed fears of the dangers which we might encounter in taking the most direct route from Fort Abercrombie to Fort Union, on account of the absence of any trail, through a country about which so little was known, and more especially on account of anticipated hostility on the part of the Sioux, (which later culminated in the Breckenridge massacre and the siege of Fort Abercrombie), who range over a large part of the country through which our route would take us. A party of about eight emigrants had started from Minnesota about a month before (not knowing that an escort would be sent by the government) for the new gold regions, and to avoid these Indians they took a less direct route by Pembina and St. Josephs, which lie about two hundred and fifty (250) miles to the north of Fort Abercrombie. This route the emigrants of our party were desirous of taking, notwithstanding Captain Fisk's expressed determination not to make such a detour out of a direct course, and their apprehensions could not be allayed until he had obtained from the fort a 12 pound mountain howitzer, with ammunition and equipments, and organized an artillery squad to take charge of it. The belief that the Indians would be more awed by this by this than by an increase in number, reconciled them to the route proposed, and it was announced that the train would start on Monday July 7.

"On the morning of that day a party of men was sent out to throw a bridge across the Wild Rice river, a small stream flowing northeastwardly and emptying into the Red River below Fort Abercrombie. At the point selected for crossing it was some five (5) feet wide and four and a half (4 1/2) feet deep, with soft, muddy bottom. The timber on its banks afforded the means of bridging with ease, and before noon it was ready for our train to cross, when it should arrive, which it did in the afternoon, and camped near the opposite bank, with excellent food, water, and grazing. The morning of the 8^th opened with heavy rain showers, which lasted until near noon. Our train however, started at an early hour, during a short intermission in the rain, and proceeded a distance of sixteen and a half miles, which brought us to a very fine camping place on the right bank of the Sheyenne river. The country between the Wild Rice and the Sheyenne is a level prairie with rich soil and tall grass, presenting a beautiful picture to the view as it stretched out in every direction as far as the eye could reach, unbroken except by the dark green lines of timber which mark the course of these two streams. The only water between the Wild Rice and the Sheyenne along our course is a lake over a mile in circumference, which we passed about three miles before reaching the latter stream, the waters of which are strongly alkaline. At this camp our stock luxuriated in the richest pasture and had it not been for the mosquitoes, there would have been no draw back to the pleasures of camp life, which are by no means few or inconsiderable. Some of our party opened a spring about half way down the bank of the river, which affords almost ice-cold water. The Sheyenne at this point, which was selected for crossing, is well-timbered with a thick growth of basswood, popular, and oak, flows northwestwardly into the Red river, has swift current, deep, steep banks, and is about seventy-five (75) feet wide and six (6) or eight (8) feet deep.

Wednesday, July 9 -- Early this morning escorts and emigrants were at work felling and hauling trees for the construction of a bridge. Many of them were Minnesota lumbermen and could not be more in their element than when it became necessary to swim the stream and float logs across. Some of them jumped in and stemmed the swift current with their clothes on, even to their hats and with their pipes in their mouths, as though it were but a pastime for them. Considerable digging was necessary to render the descent and ascent practicable for loaded wagons, but this was soon accomplished, for the axe and spade were both handled like playthings by such pioneers as our train was principally composed of. The members of the escort were of the same class as the emigrants, and were, indeed, almost entirely enlisted from among them, but such of them only were taken as had no families or wagons requiring their attention, in case they were needed for other duties.

"A bridge was constructed by two o'clock by throwing across the stream three heavy stringers, and then making a roadbed of logs, and all our train was safely over by four. For a mile and a half on the other side our route was through thick timber, among which we wound our way with as little felling of trees as possible. Beyond this timber opens a broad level prairie, on the edge of which we found a camping place equally as fine as that of last night, for the river bends so abruptly towards the west, just below our point of crossing, as to again flow close to our camp. Our train now consisted of one hundred and seventeen (117) men and thirteen (13) women, one hundred and sixty-eight (168) oxen, eight (8) mules, fourteen (14) team horses, thirteen (13) saddle horses, seventeen (17) cows, with the inevitable camp accompaniment of dogs too numerous to mention. At night we shut our cattle in a corral formed from wagons, picket our horses and mules close to camp, and have four men on guard, with two reliefs, the captain and his assistants acting in turn as sergeants of the guard. This precaution against surprise or horse stealing on the part of the Indians, who are liable to be in the vicinity at any time, and who, though they may profess ever so much friendship for the white man, will not allow an opportunity to steal our stock pass unimproved, cannot safely be relaxed until we reach Fort Benton, and will be increased should there be special reasons for it. The wagons of the emigrants as well as of the escort are all numbered, to regulate their proper places in the train, and have the letters U.S. conspicuously emblazoned on their sides; for the Indians well know their significance, and would hesitate to attack a government train, when they would feel much less fear or scruple to fall upon one of equal size belonging to private individuals."

Showing the readiness of the pioneer to adapt himself to his new environment and carry on community life are the stories related of the weekly church service, and interesting to those who can remember pioneer wedding ceremonies is this story of one which was solemnized on the prairies at the camp made by the expedition at the second crossing of the Sheyenne.

"At this camp occurred an incident which served to break the monotony of camp life, and to consecrate the spot in the memories of at least two of our party of emigrants. A couple had been observed, early in our journey, to evince a strong and growing affection for each other, and with the consent of the young lady's relatives, who were in the train, determined to celebrate their nuptials with all forms and solemnities that the absence of municipal organization would permit. So after the evening meal, with the moon shedding a bright, chaste light over the scene, the young couple, in the presence of all the members of our train, pledged their troth to live together as husband and wife until death should them part, and the forms of the Episcopal marriage service, which were read by one of our party, were, used upon the occasion. The congratulations and good wishes of friends followed, and then a dance upon the green sward to the music of violin closed the ceremony of this wedding on the plains."

The expedition of 1863 was nearly a repetition of the one in 1862, although the place of rendezvous was moved to St. Cloud, with the first stop being Fort Abercrombie, and the troops planned to avoid the Devils Lake region, following the Red from the Fort to Pembina and then traveling along the northern boundary of the state. This detour was meant to skirt hostile Indian tribes, but in a letter from Major Camp, then commandant at Fort Abercrombie, he states that Fisk took his route of the year previous on his way westward from the military post.

Dr. Dibbs, in a letter to his wife in St. Anthony from Ft. Abercrombie on July 14, 1863, tells her of the rejoining of their band by George Gere, the Sioux interpreter of the year previous. He told Mrs. Dibbs that Gere had just been with Little Crow, and that the Sioux were turning against their leader, whom they blamed for bringing all their trouble upon them. He reported that the chief had left for the Black Hills, and that Little Crow had said he would give himself up if he thought he would not be hung.

Fisk's train consisted of 55 men and 20 wagons. Twenty-five of the men were mounted, and one howitzer was taken by the expedition. They expected to over take Sibley's army approximately a week after leaving Fort Abercrombie.

These two early expeditions led by Captain Fisk did not result in the building of a national road across what is now North Dakota and Montana from Fort Abercrombie to Fort Benton, probably due to the Civil War, and partially to the development of the Missouri river steamboat traffic. Later expeditions from the years 1864-1866 were connected with the establishment of Fort Wadsworth, Fort Rice, and the Sully expedition, and are more closely connected with the history of western North Dakota than with the area surrounding Fort Abercrombie.

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