THE MILITARY HISTORY OF CHILKOOT BARRACKS
Chilkoot Barracks, Alaska, (fornerly Fort William H«Seward),was erec
ted in 1903,under the direction of Col*W&lds P^Richardson^U^S^Army, (now re
tired). •Previous to that tine the troops stationed in Southeastern Alaska
had been located at Dyea and Skag'my• 'Jftyo companies of the 14th Infantry had
been sent from the States in 1898, at the height of the Lold Rush,when it
was thought that an expedition must be sent to relieve the starving miners
of the Klondyke* An appropriation of ** 200,000 had been voted by Congress,
and nrompt action was ‘taken* Lt*D*B*Devore was sent to Norway by the Sec
retary of War to purchase and. bring over from Lapland 500 sled reindeer for
transporting supplies of the expedition* The best pack train in the States
was sent to Haines Mission to aid in the work*
Hie reinde'er. were landed at Pyramid Harbor, on the west bank of the
Chilkat Riyer, (at that period the- port of call for steamers from the States;
ferried across the river to the east bank,.and driven across the peninsula
through what is’now the present military post,to Haines Mission^where they
were groomed for the start of the Relief Expedition* But just at this time
three°things happened whiph had an important bearing on the situation* U/
the reindeer began to” die rapidly from the long journey from Lapland,and
on account of the change from their accustomed food* (2)-inforraation was
received that the Klondyke miners were not starving,-(quite the contrary;;
and (3),-the Spanish War broke out,and buried the Relief Expedition plans
in oblivion as far as public interest was concerned*
In 1899 the* two companies of the 14th Infantry that had been stat
ioned at Dyea,(at that time an.important city,near the present Skagway,at
the foot of Chilkoot Pass),were withdrawn,and peplaced by one company of
the 24th Infantry(coiored)under Captain Hovwy. This company of the 24th
later moved to Skagway, and maintained a detachment at Wrangell* Ihe 24th
was relieved in Skagway,in 1902,by a battery of artillery,under Captain
Summerall. This battery,however, remained in Alaska only a few months,when
it was replaced by two companies of the 8th Infantry*
\
In the summer 6# 1904, Alaska '*as garrisoned by a full regiment of
Infantry, the 3rd, (Col.T.C.Woodbury, commanding), relieveing all other troops
in the Territory. Regimental headquarters a.id one battalion "rere. stationed
at the nearly completed no at of Fort /illiam H,Seward, (now Chilkoot Barracks J
near Haines Mission,in southeast Alaska,and the remaining companies of the
regiment were distributed between Forts Egbert and Ribbon,on the Yukon,
Fort St.Michael, at the mouth of the River,-Fort ilavi s,at Hone, and Fort is
cum,near Valdez. These troops carried on the work of aiding in the complet
ion of the telegraph lire and of its improvement from the first crude state,
service of supply and maintenance of the line,improving and adding to the
comfort of the posts,and giving aid throggh the hospitals and otherwise,to
injured or destitute persons,
Ihe 3rd Infantry was relieved in 1906 by the 10th,-this regiment,in
1909 by the 22nd,-and this in turn by the 16th and the 30th,-each outfit
serving two years.In 1914 the need of troops on the Mexican Border became
so great that the force in Alaska was reduced to one battalion(l4th Inf.)
During this last summer, (1922) .upon the completion of the Government Rail
road the garrisons were withdrawn from Forts Gibbon, St .Michael and Liscum,
(Forts Davis and Egbert had already been abandoned), and concentrated into
two posts,-Chilkoot Barracks, (Headquarters),and Anchorage on the railroad
at the head of Cook Inlet. Two companies of the 7th Infantry,Cos. E and
are now stationed at Chilkoot Barracks,and Co. 0 is at Anchorage. Co. B ,
which,also,has been at Anchorage,is being withdrawn at the present writing.