Near Mandan in Morton County, North Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Scouts

Photographed by Connor Olson, August 11, 2019

1. Scouts Marker

Inscription. The U.S. Army Quartermaster Department employed both Native Americans and European-Americans as scouts at Fort Abraham Lincoln. Many of these scouts were "Rees" or Arikara who fought the Lakota. Some of the best known scouts at Fort Abraham Lincoln were Bloody Knife, "Lonesome" Charley Reynolds, and Mitch Bouyer.

The scouts knew the country, were excellent trackers, and acted as translators and guides for the soldiers. Better suited than the soldiers for traveling across country undetected, the scouts also carried dispatches between military posts.

In signing a contract, the scout received rations, uniforms, weapons, and housing. The three scouts' quarters were simple log cabins with dirt floors.

Photo caption: Two Native American scouts, typical of these present at the Fort Abraham Lincoln during the mid-1870s

Erected by North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 46° 46.208′ N, 100° 51.101′ W. Marker is near Mandan,

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North Dakota, in Morton County. It can be reached from Fort Lincoln Road. The marker is located at the Fort McKeen Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4480 Fort Lincoln Rd, Mandan ND 58554, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Missouri Plateau

and in Greater Bismarck Area.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Schoolhouse (here, next to this marker); Laundress' Quarter: "Suds Row" (within shouting distance of this marker); Powder Magazines (within shouting distance of this marker); Barracks (within shouting distance of this marker); Post Hospital (within shouting distance of this marker); Officers' Quarters (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Blockhouses & Palisades (about 700 feet away); Fort Abraham Lincoln Infantry Post

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(approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mandan.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 304 times since then and 12 times this year. Last updated on July 7, 2023, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Photo 1. submitted on July 19, 2020, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.