Fort Sedgwick, Colorado

Rarely do I get the chance to feature something on the blog from here in Colorado, but the mention of this fort in the last post stirred my curiosity, and I found a couple of ties to the regular cavalry

Originally established on May 17, 1864, this post was known initially as the Post at Julesburg Station, then Camp Rankin once it was more permanently established. It was renamed Fort Sedgwick on September 27, 1865 for Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, pre-Civil War member of the 1st U.S. Cavalry, who was killed during the battle of the Wilderness in 1864. Colonel Christopher McNally was the senior officer to command the post during its existence.

Fort Sedgwick was located at a strategic area of several river crossings that included a branch of the overland trail and the emigrant trail westward to protect the routes from hostile Indians. The south branch of the Platte River was ¼ mile away from the fort.

Fort Sedgwick was abandoned on May 31, 1871, and transferred from the War Department to the Department of the Interior on July 22, 1884. The remains of the fort are currently located on private land in Sedgwick County, near Julesburg, Colorado.