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SOLDIER’S SOCK FROM FORT PEMBINA, ND

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Undergarments are about the toughest antique uniform items to find- after all, who would save them? They would be too useful not to use up in civilian life and not have enough eye-appeal or sentimental value to preserve as a memento. This lowly soldier’s sock only survived by being discarded at some point between 1870 and 1895 at Fort Pembina, ND, where it was preserved in remarkable condition by wet, anaerobic soil conditions, that have preserved a trove of items throwing light on the material culture of a small postwar garrison on the frontier that was supplied first from the vast stores of Civil War gear left over in government warehouses, and then later from newer patterns as they were adopted and issued, along with a good amount of privately purchased material. The excavations were conducted on private property with the owner’s permission.

This sock is woven and shows largely as an off-white, likely close to its original color, with a lighter color, separately applied toe. There are some holes and small tears at the toe. The leg shows some raggedness and brown staining on the back, above the ankle and the torn top edge.

Situated in the Red River Valley in North Dakota near the Canadian border, Fort Pembina was established in 1870 and in operation until 1895. Trading posts existed earlier in the area as part of the fur trade, and the first U.S. military post there was temporary- manned by a detachment of Minnesota troops in 1863-1864 following the 1862 Sioux uprising. In March 1870 a new fort was established south of the Pembina River and about 200 yards west of the Red River, completed by July and named in honor of Gen. George H. Thomas. The name was changed to Fort Pembina in September and the initial garrison consisted of two companies of the 20^th US Infantry. Their main duty was to provide security for settlers worried about Sioux returning south from Canada, but the troops were more occupied with escorting boundary surveys along the Canadian border and preventing Fenian raids heading north into Canada.

The fort included enlistedmen’s barracks, officers’ quarters, guard house, ordnance storehouse, company kitchen, root house, laundress’s quarters, quarters for civilian employees, hospital and hospital servant’s house, a barn for the “hospital cow,” quartermaster and commissary offices and storehouse, stables, wagon shed, etc. The garrison reached peak strength in 1878 af 200, but the average was about 125 enlisted men and 8 officers. An October 1885 return listed 97 men, 2 field pieces, 1 mountain howitzer, 100 rifles, 19 pistols, 23 mules, and 9 wagons. By 1890 the post had just 23 men, and after an 1895 fire destroyed some 19 buildings it was decided to abandon the fort rather than rebuild, the last detachment left in September. The property was turned over to the Interior Department and later sold in 1902.

This is in remarkably good condition for an excavated piece, displayable, and has a tight provenance to an Indian War post garrisoned by the U.S. army for a well-defined period that encompasses the 1870s and 1880s Indian Wars.    [sr][ph:L]

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