Buried deep in a little traveled corner of North Dakota lays a forgotten scene of fierce survival. Fort Dilts, a hastily constructed outpost - besieged for 16 days, seems the quintessential case of circling the wagons. Protected only by sod walls two feet thick, this cavalry escorted wagon train held off a larger force of Sioux attacking with as much ferocity as people protecting their way life can. Eight troopers and several wagon trains member died during the two week seige. It stands alone now, windswept, untouched. In the far distance an occasional train lumbers by. Further out a row of giant windmills power unseen houses. Even further out the low buttes that dot North Dakota frame the horizen. A flagless flagpole stands in the center of the fort and eight gravesites mark the troopers who made Fort Dilts their last stand. One feels the hallowed ground out here. An outpost just as desperate as any besieged in far off lands whet with the blood of men. From both sides.
 |
| The Last Stand of Cpl. Dilts |
I am somewhat saddened by the lack of a flag here today. This forgotten battlefield in our own back yard. I walk the grounds and salute each troopers resting site with the solemnity I suppose only an old infantry man can give. I acknowledge and affirm the rights of the attacking Sioux. We do what we do.
 |
| Even Today the Battle Reverberates |
