Fort Abraham Lincoln log scouts' quarters. Water was supplied to the fort by being hauled from Missouri River in wagons, while wood was supplied by contract. By 1873, the 7th Cavalry moved into the fort to ensure the expansion of the Northern Pacific Railway. The first post commander of the expanded fort was Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer, who held the position until his death in 1876. In 1876, the Army departed from here as part of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77, resulting in Custer's defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where they were to push the non-treaty Indians back
1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Regiment 1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Regiment The 1st Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, the "Mounted Rangers," was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was mustered in at St. Cloud, St. Peter, and Fort Snelling for one year's service between October and December 1862, and the men were mustered out between October and December 1863. The 1st Minnesota Cavalry served entirely in Minnesota and the Dakota Territory, guarding the frontier against the hostile Sioux Indians. The 1st Minnesota Cavalry lost 2 officers and 4 enlisted men killed in action or died of wounds