Nestled deep within the remote and challenging landscape of the Missouri River valley, the story of Camp Cooke, Montana, represents a pivotal, albeit short-lived, chapter in the American West’s military history. Established in July 1866, this strategically placed outpost on the Missouri River, just upstream from the mouth of the Judith River, aimed to secure vital transportation routes and manage relations with the region’s indigenous populations. Camp Cooke, Montana, was the first official military post in what would become Big Sky Country, playing a complex role in the protection of settlers, gold miners, and steamboat traffic traversing the vast Montana plains.
The Establishment and Purpose of Camp Cooke
The U.S. Army undertook the ambitious project of establishing Camp Cooke in July 1866. Under the command of Major William Clinton and the First Battalion of the 13th Regiment of Infantry, the post was constructed using sturdy cottonwood logs in a classic quadrangular pattern. Designed to accommodate up to 1,000 men, the barracks incorporated substantial adobe, and the entire fort was protected by a trenched stockade measuring 500 by 600 feet. Named in honor of Brigadier General Philip St. George Cooke, who then commanded the Department of the Platte, this installation marked Montana’s inaugural military presence.
The primary objectives for Camp Cooke, Montana, were multifaceted: to assert control over local Native American tribes, safeguard the bustling steamboat traffic heading towards Fort Benton, and offer protection to emigrants venturing across eastern Montana’s expansive plains on their way to the goldfields. Furthermore, the post served as a crucial supply depot for steamboats, particularly during the high-water months of May, June, and July, ensuring vital provisions could reach distant outposts.
Challenges with Native American Tribes and Western Expansion
The westward expansion that necessitated Camp Cooke’s establishment brought settlers and miners into direct conflict with several powerful Native American nations. The lands traversed by those seeking gold were traditional territories of the Blackfeet, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Crow tribes. The increasing presence of steamboats and freight wagons along the Missouri River disrupted traditional hunting grounds, driving off buffalo and other essential game. In response to these encroachments and the diminishing resources, Native American warriors launched small-scale, guerrilla-type attacks and raids on both steamboats and freight routes, leading to escalating tensions. These persistent reports of raids, livestock theft, and settler killings ultimately spurred Washington, D.C., to authorize the creation of Camp Cooke.
Fort Claggett and Early Criticisms
Almost immediately following the camp’s establishment, Thomas C. Power, a shrewd steamboat entrepreneur and trader, seized the opportunity. He constructed a small trading post adjacent to the camp, known as Fort Claggett, to provide essential goods and services to the soldiers. Power also managed the commissary at Camp Cooke, establishing an early commercial presence alongside the military.
Despite the government’s intention to provide protection, Montana citizens and the local press voiced strong criticism regarding Camp Cooke’s isolated location. Situated deep within the rugged and remote region famously known as the Missouri Breaks, many questioned its effectiveness and strategic value. The terrain was challenging, and the post seemed far removed from the areas it was meant to protect.
Life and Struggles at the Remote Outpost
In 1867, the garrison at Camp Cooke was reinforced with 100 additional soldiers, bringing its total strength to approximately 400 men. However, once the initial construction was complete, the troops often found themselves with limited duties. Steamboat traffic, the lifeblood of the region, was seasonal, restricting its activity mainly to the summer months. Consequently, many soldiers from Camp Cooke, Montana, were often reassigned to more strategic locations within the Montana Territory. Detachments were sent to guard critical transportation routes in Southwestern Montana, including the roads between Fort Benton and Helena. These troops were instrumental in constructing other important posts such as Fort Shaw in 1867 and Fort Ellis near Bozeman in the same year.
For the soldiers remaining at Camp Cooke, life was exceptionally harsh and desolate. The post’s isolation, coupled with its inherent structural flaws, created a formidable environment. The cottonwood logs used in construction quickly deteriorated, splitting, swelling, and cracking under Montana’s extreme weather conditions. This meant buildings leaked during rainstorms and offered little protection from the bitter winter winds and snow. Furthermore, the fort was plagued by infestations of fleas, bedbugs, rats, and even rattlesnakes, making living conditions unbearable. The harsh reality of existence at Camp Cooke led to numerous desertions, as soldiers sought better prospects in the nearby goldfields.
The Indian Attack of 1868
On May 17, 1868, Camp Cooke, Montana, faced a significant challenge when it came under attack by Native American forces. This assault occurred at a particularly vulnerable time, as 100 troops had been dispatched to a summer camp on the Musselshell River, known as Camp Reeve, leaving the post shorthanded. Despite the reduced numbers, the garrison, consisting of two companies commanded by Major William Clinton, successfully defended the fort for six grueling hours. Aided by several cannons, the soldiers managed to repel the attack with only a single accidental casualty among their ranks, demonstrating their resilience even in dire circumstances.
Investigation and Calls for Abandonment
By 1869, the persistent criticisms regarding Camp Cooke’s unsuitable location finally prompted an official investigation. Lieutenant Colonel Samuel B. Holabird of the War Department conducted an assessment and his report painted a damning picture of the post’s condition:
- “This unfortunate post is situated on the right bank of the River Missouri, at the mouth of the Judith, upon a sage bottom saturated with alkali.”
- “It is entirely overrun with rats and may be said to be in the process of demolition by them.”
- “The storehouses are in ruins; they were wretchedly constructed in the first instance, and nothing since has been done to remedy their shortcomings.”
- “General neglect and indifference characterized the post. The small garrison merely holds on in spite of rats. The Indians have moved away and left it alone.”
- “Little idea can be formed of what it costs the government to occupy this post and feed these rats; it would build a new post every two years.”
The Helena Weekly Herald seized upon Holabird’s scathing report, amplifying its findings to advocate for the immediate abandonment of the camp. The newspaper likely hoped that the soldiers stationed there would be redeployed to more populated and strategically important communities within the state.
On April 1, 1869, the Helena Weekly Herald published an article explicitly announcing the intent to abandon the post, stating: “We never learned who was responsible for the unpardonable blunder of establishing a post at that miserable, outlandish, isolated, bleak, sterile, and worse than useless spot, but one thing now appears to us certain, that an all-merciful Providence has visited this terrible plague of rats upon Camp Cooke, for the beneficent purpose of impelling the removal of a force of enlightened beings, naturally brave and efficient for their country’s service, to within the lines of civilization, where, instead of being themselves a sweet morsel for savages and ravenous vermin to prey upon, they may fill the grand object of their mission by protecting and encouraging the white settlers upon our borders, and at the same time open to occupation and usefulness the valley and mouth of the Musselshell, destined perhaps to be the head of navigation.”
The Abandonment of Camp Cooke
Responding to the consistent and well-founded complaints regarding the post’s remote and impractical location, the decision was made to relocate the troops to Fort Benton, Montana. Consequently, Camp Cooke, Montana, was officially abandoned on March 31, 1870, less than four years after its initial construction. Following its abandonment, the remnants of the fort were purchased by Thomas Power, the proprietor of the nearby Fort Claggett trading post. Power subsequently established the extensive PN Ranch, which continues to operate in the region to this day.
Legacy of a Short-Lived Outpost
Despite its relatively short existence and the significant challenges it faced, Camp Cooke was not without its contributions to the development of the Montana Territory. Though often deemed a dismal failure due to its poor construction and strategic location, the fort undeniably played a role in establishing safer mail and stagecoach routes. It facilitated the construction of more permanent and effectively located military posts and provided crucial protection for steamboats navigating the Missouri River. Moreover, its presence initiated crucial efforts to engage with and manage relations with the various Native American tribes in the region.
Today, virtually nothing remains of the original structures of Camp Cooke. The historic site is located at what is now known as Judith Landing on the Missouri River, specifically at River Mile 86.8 Right. This area is now encompassed within the Missouri Breaks National Monument, preserving a landscape that once witnessed the struggles and aspirations of early American expansion.
