Dug Relic Lot from Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory 1863-95 for Sale

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Dug Relic Lot from Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory 1863-95 For Sale

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Dug Relic Lot from Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory 1863-95:
$784.99

Dug Relic Lot from Fort Pembina, Dakota Territory 1863-95

Fort Pembina was established in 1863 by Minnesota troops and again by the Army in 1870 before being destroyed by fire in 1895. These items recovered in a massive dig of the post in the last few years.

This collection was acquired by me in a small part of a massive accumulation from a closer source to the original digger. This lot of post relics consists of:

Local made oak, soldier’s wooden button cleaner measuring 11\" x 1-5/8\". Certainly not a contract item as it is rather crudely finished quite functional. The non-business end has a split to the button channel. Has a small hole.
Small uniform or clothing brush. 5-1/2 x 3/4 inches. All but traces of the original bristles are gone. Don’t know the purpose of the scooped end on the handle, if only decorative.
Civil War – Indian Wars era green beer bottle. Approximately 9 inches. Remnants of glue that held paper or foil around the throat. No chips.
Civil War – Indian Wars era clear whiskey flask / bottle. 7-1/2 inches high, A nice example without chips. Extra glass seepage at bottom of the neck through mould when made.
Civil War – Indian Wars era clay pile bowl measuring 1-1/2 inches high. This type of bowl was made with a lip, where the pipe stem was inserted. This lip is gone and chip extends into the bowl, as well as another chip on the backside of upper lip of bowl. Tannish in color. This type is a commonly found pipe bowl from eastern battlefields, and dugs on other western army posts in this same era. Something that would have been purchased from the post trader.
Civil War – Indian Wars era clay pipe with anchor motifs. This type has been found in many western military post digs. Small chip on top of bowl. stained with either smoke or dirt. The stem section has broken off close to the bowl. 1-1/2 bowl height.

All of these items were dug on site at Fort Pembina, a privately owned property in Northern North Dakota, just across from the Canadian border on the Red River. The dig began in 2019. Metal detecting had occurred for at least 40 years prior, but only metal finds were made to only about a foot below the surface. Once permission to dig was given, some test holes were excavated to determine the layout of the post, using the original map made by the Government in the early 1870’s. The map indicated where barracks, and other buildings were located, as well as latrines and trash pits behind these structures. Latrines (or privies, the term used by the digger), and trash pits were dug about 13 feet down, below the water line and in clay, thus preserving many items deposited there in the forts period of service.

A record of sorts was recorded were many of these types of items were discovered, and I have provided a Fort Pembina map for each of these items with “x” locations where items may have been excavated. Clay pipes, bottles, were found in quantity, but other soldiers (and others) personal, and issue items were found in much fewer numbers, sometimes only one or two examples.

Fort Pembina, began as a log constructed post used as a base for Major Edward A. Hatch (Hatch’s Battalion) of Minnesota Volunteers, raised to arrest the Sioux who had committed the killings of citizens in Minnesota in 1862. The “culprits” had escaped to Canada, where they were safe from their pursuers. During the late 60’s, more white incursion caused more depredations to occur by the Sioux and as the raiding of white settlements increased, the army decided to prepare a post from which to protect citizens and launch needed patrols. The Finian’s used this area as a way to enter Canada, during their brief little war with that government. In 1870, the U.S. Army began to formalize the post and would maintain this garrison until a great fire consumed it in 1895.

During the U.S. Army period, several Infantry regiments were stationed there.

20th Infantry – Mar. 1870 to Dec. 1877. Several companies over that time.
17th Infantry – Dec. 1877 to Aug. 1882.
4th Infantry – Aug. to Nov. 1882.
15th Infantry – Nov. 1883 to July 189i. Several companies over that time.
3rd Infantry – July 1891 to Feb. 1892.
22nd Infantry – Feb. 1892 to Aug. 1895. Several companies over that time.

Life for the soldiers during this time at Fort Pembina, were chasing ambitious Irishman, Indians, escorting boundary commissions, and ordinary patrols along the border with Canada, and assisting local law authorities. Daily activities included routine duties such as, morning roll calls, dress parades, flag raising ceremonies daily, fatigue duty, wood cutting, water gathering from the river (until a pump was utilized at the post), growing gardens to supplement rations, policing grounds, disinfecting latrines, stable duties, and much more.

Company parties were always given, which would include many of the towns folk, thus the abundance of alcoholic beverages found in the trash and latrines pits. (this information came from a“History of Fort Pembina 1870-1895 by William D. Thomson, Grand Forks, ND, August 1968 [a partial requirement for his degree of Master of Arts at Univ. of ND.]).

This is a small lot of items representative of many such items recovered in the digging on site. I have acquired a good deal more and am still researching many of these items.A great view into some of the everyday items used at army posts in the American west.

View all photos for condition and detail.