Inscription
WHO LIVED IN THE BARRACKS?
Most soldiers at Fort Ridgely were low-ranking enlisted men, and before 1861 most of these were foreign-born. Out of 166 enlisted men in the 1860 census, 70 were from Ireland, 34 from Germany, ten from Great Britain, and 33 from the United States. The men enlisted for five years. For many, the military provided their first job in America and a way to learn the country's language and customs. Once their enlistments were over, many stayed in the region.
Desertion
From 1853 to 1855 the garrison at Fort Ridgely averaged one desertion a month. In July 1855 alone, 31 soldiers deserted. Nearby civilian towns like New Ulm may have tempted the men. Still, the rate was in line with the national average; the U.S. Army annually lost 15 percent of its forces to desertion. Revealing the anti-immigration bias of the time, Fort Ridgely Commandant Major Hannibal Day attributed the desertion rate to "the character generally of our rank and file which I have no doubt, is made up in some measure of criminals from Europe."
Fort Ridgely
Details
| HM Number | HM1DHS |
|---|---|
| Series | This marker is part of the Minnesota Historical Society series, and the Minnesota: Fort Ridgely Interpretive Series series. |
| Tags | |
| Historical Period | 19th Century |
| Historical Place | Battlefield, Fort, Military Installation, Monument, Park |
| Marker Type | Other |
| Marker Class | Neither |
| Marker Style | Free Standing |
| Placed By | Minnesota Historical Society |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 7:29am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] MARTHA DECKER [2] MARTHA DECKER
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 15T E 362015 N 4923699 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 44.45343333, -94.73431667 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 44° 27.206', W 94° 44.059' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 44° 27' 12.3600" N, 94° 44' 3.5400" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 507 |
| Can be seen from road? | Yes |
| Is marker in the median? | No |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling West |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 416 Co Hwy 30, Fairfax MN 55332, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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Show me all markers in: Fairfax, MN | Nicollet County | 55332 | Minnesota | United States of America
Maintenance Issues
- This marker could use another picture or two.
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