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Training Sharpshooters in Nebraska · Nebraska History Podcast

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The following episode features a historic article from the
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Nebraska History magazine. This article may reflect the
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language and attitudes of its time and while it offers
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valuable insight into the past, may contain expressions or
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viewpoints that are outdated or offensive by today's standards.
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Any outdated terms do not reflect the current views or
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perspectives of the Nebraska State Historical Society.
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Welcome to the Nebraska History podcast.
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I'm your host, Chris Goforth. Each episode we explore articles
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written and published in Nebraska History Magazine.
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Between 1882 and 1894, U.S. soldiers fired lead bullets by
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the ton at the Department of the Platts Target ranges, first
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located near Fort Omaha and later near Bellevue.
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In this episode, we learn of their story and how a system of
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target practice helped produce an army of marksmen in this 2016
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Nebraska History Magazine article, Uncle Sam's Sharp
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Shooters, written by James E Potter.
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Between 1882 and 1894, U.S. soldiers fired lead bullets by
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the ton into the butts of the Department of the Platts Target
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Ranges, first located near Fort Omaha and later near Bellevue,
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some 10 miles southeast of the Fort.
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Some of these missiles probably remained buried beneath the
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modern landscape. Physical evidence of the ranges
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themselves, like the clouds of black powder smoke that issued
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from the rifles of the soldiers who used them, have long since
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disappeared. Yet their story can be
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resurrected from the historical record to reveal how a system of
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target practice initiated in the last quarter of the 19th century
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helped produce an army of marksmen by the early years of
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the 20th. Throughout much of the 19th
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century, training soldiers to shoot with accuracy was low on
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the US Army's list of priorities, even as it adopted
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new weapons capable of doing so. Civil War volunteers received
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little, if any instruction beyond how to load and fire
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their guns as rapidly as possible.
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According to the tactics of the day.
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Mass volleys from soldiers deployed in ranks were expected
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to decimate an enemy force by the sheer number of bullets sent
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in its direction. Taking time to aim at individual
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combatants would actually slow the rate of fire.
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Later, during the Plains Indian Wars, U.S. soldiers deficiency
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in marksmanship became painfully evident during encounters with
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an elusive foe who fought individually or in small groups
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and often emerged unscathed by Army bullets.
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Not until the early 1880s, after the Indian Wars were nearly
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over, did the Army brass take significant steps to address
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these shortcomings. They realized that the future
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wars would be waged against foreign armies that were far
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more disciplined and better armed than the Plains tribes.
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In the post bellum years, Nebraska was within the Army's
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Department of the Plat, whose headquarters were in Omaha.
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In 1873, Department commander Brigadier General Edward OC Ord
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took some of the earliest steps to train soldiers to become
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better shots. He ordered post and company
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officers to oversee weekly target practice at the
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department's various stations and published the results in the
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Army and Navy Journal, including the highest and lowest scores
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and the names of the respective company commanders.
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Another of his orders authorized post commanders to use lumber on
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hand to build target frames because, quote.
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Recent campaigns against Indians have demonstrated that it is
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better to expend lumber for targets than for coffins.
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End Quote. After being reassigned to
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command the Department of Texas, Ord continued to promote target
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practice and issued A grim but practical admonition.
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Quote, The soldier is armed so that he may, in battle, hurt
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somebody with his rifle, and the sooner he learns to do so, the
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better the soldier. End Quote.
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During the remainder of the 1870's, the Army took halting
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steps toward developing A systematic marksmanship training
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program, spurred on by Indian Wars reverses demonstrating that
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the soldiers still remained ill prepared to hurt somebody in
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battle. In 1876, the number of
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cartridges allocated to each soldier for monthly target
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practice was increased from 10 to 20.
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A new manual for rifle instruction was adopted in 1879,
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and the Army Ordinance Department was delegated to
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provide ammunition and standardized targets, the latter
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based on those used by the National Rifle Association.
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The Quartermaster's Department was made responsible for the
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funding to build and maintain rifle ranges.
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General Order 44 issued by Army Commander General William
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Tecumseh Sherman on May 10th, 1881 completed the process of
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formalizing the Armys marksmanship training.
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The program would be underpinned by regular target practice held
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at individual military posts. Scores made during the target
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season would determine the competitors for an annual
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contest to select the 12 best marksmen in each of the Army's 9
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administrative departments. The department teams would then
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compete in the division contest. There were three military
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divisions in 1882. At each stage, medals and badges
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would be awarded. The order also provided that the
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Army's commanding general would select the 12 best marksman in
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the Army based on the reports from the departments and
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divisions, for a head to The Springfield rifle, adopted in
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1873, was the arm used in U.S. It was a single shot breech
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loader that fired a 45 caliber lead bullet propelled by 70
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grains of black powder, which produced significant recoil and
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a cloud of white smoke. Hence the cartridge containing
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bullet powder and primer was designated.
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The 4570 Springfield Cavalry Carbines were the same design,
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though shorter and lighter. For horseback use, the powder
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charge for its cartridge was reduced to 55 grains.
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Initially, the soldiers fired from intervals of 100 to 600
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yards at circular targets developed by the National Rifle
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Association. A standing or off hand position
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was used at the shorter distances, kneeling for the mid
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range targets and prone or reclining positions for the
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targets at 600 yards. In each case the men were firing
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at known distances. In skirmish firing, the soldiers
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both advanced and retreated and on command halted at various
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points from 500 to 200 yards distant to fire at a line of
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targets. This drill somewhat simulated
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combat. It was designed to train the men
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to estimate how far it was to the object they sought to hit
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with the bullets they fired. In 1885, the circular target
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used at the fixed distances was replaced by one with elliptical
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rings that more nearly approximated the vital area of
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the body, while new skirmish targets simulated human
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silhouettes in standing, kneeling, or prone positions.
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In 1889, separate matches were added to the competitive program
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for cavalry men, primarily armed with carbines and revolvers.
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They performed similar skirmish drills, some of them from
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horseback. Fort Omaha faced particular
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challenges in providing marksmanship training for the
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soldiers stationed there. Established as Omaha Barracks in
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1868 and located 3 miles north of Omaha, the fort's military
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reservation encompassed only 85 1/2 acres by 1878, when the
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barracks was declared a permanent post and renamed Fort
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Omaha. The area to the South and West
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remain primarily agricultural, although several subdivisions
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had been planted to the east and southeast.
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The fort's proximity to civilian land holdings and it's
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constricted military reservation made establishing A suitable
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target range problematic. Where Fort Omaha soldiers
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practice marksmanship in 1881 is unknown, but four men from its
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Garrison were on the 12 man department of the Platte team
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that competed in the division of the Missouri Matches at Fort
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Snelling, MN that fall. By April of 1882, a new rifle
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range had been developed West of the Fort and 18 picked men were
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practicing there. The matches to determine the
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Department of the Platte team for 1882 were held in early
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August with 34 competitors. Corporal HW Gordon of Company K,
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9th Infantry received the gold medal awarded to the team member
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with the highest score. No description of the range used
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for the 1882 Department of the Plat matches has ever been
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found, but apparently it left something to be desired, or
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perhaps its use by large numbers of Rifleman sparked complaints
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from nearby land owners. Another range was built South of
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Fort Omaha for the 1883 target season, this too on land outside
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the military reservation leased from private properties.
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In June, an Omaha Daily Bee reporter visited the new
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Creedmoor near Fort Omaha and described it in a lengthy
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article. The range lay due South of the
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Fort, was 150 feet wide and 800 yards long, and oriented
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slightly north of West on rising ground.
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Five target frames were located at the Butts, the impact area on
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the West End, while 5 lines of white posts span the range
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parallel to the targets at intervals OF200300400500 and 600
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yards To mark the firing points. Captain Charles A Coolidge, 7th
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US Infantry, the department's Inspector of Rifle Practice,
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showed the reporter the target scoring trench or pit above
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which the targets were raised. A Bank of earth had been thrown
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up in front of the 8 foot deep trench, behind which rose
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another embankment 15 feet high and 10 feet thick to catch
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bullets. After they passed through the
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targets, both the trench and the embankments were reinforced with
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planks. Each set of two targets was
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mounted on paper, secured to two wooden frames.
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They revolved on an axle so that one target would be down in the
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pit when another was elevated for use.
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After each bullet struck the target, a soldier in the pit
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raised a pole topped with a colored disc showing The
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Rifleman where the shot had landed in the score.
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Rotating the frame brought a fresh target into position while
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the bullet hole in the previous target was being pasted up in
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the pit. A similar layout and scoring
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system would have been used at other Army target ranges during
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this era, including the future Bellevue range.
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After visiting the target pit, the bee man was invited to take
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a few shots with the Army rifle from 600 yards after missing a 6
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by 6 foot target three times and quote almost fracturing his
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shoulder from the recoil of the gun.
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End Quote. The Reporter gave up.
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The range, South of Fort Omaha hosted the department matches in
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September 1883 and again in August of 1884, but its location
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on leased land, whose further development seemed only a matter
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of time, remained a concern. Shortly before the August 1884
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competition was to begin, a civilian secured an injunction
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against the Army's use of the range, but withdrew it after
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quote having been offered a reasonable compensation for the
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security of life and limb. End Quote At the same time,
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Omaha residents had begun questioning whether Fort
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Robinson itself should be relocated to a more spacious
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site. That quote would afford all the
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room wanted for rifle ranges, storehouses and encampments.
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End Quote. By February 1885, the Army and
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Navy Journal reported that Fort Sydney was being considered to
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host the Department of the Plat Target Range.
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Fort Sydney had space for an extended range and was closer to
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the railroad than Fort Omaha, which was quote 4 miles from the
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railroad depots and often difficult to access for teams
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arriving during the annual contests.
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End Quote. Department commander Brigadier
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General Oliver O Howard, however, decided to seek a new
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lease for the existing range, despite the quote grasping
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avarice of the farmers who own the land and who are asking
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triple prices to allow the government to use it.
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End Quote. When that option fell through,
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Major Guy V Henry, the department's recently designated
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inspector of rifle practice, soon leased a new site about 100
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yards West of the Fort. Though its relation to the site
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of the 1882 range is not known, it likely was a different
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location because here target practice could be extended up to
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1000 yards. Army headquarters in Washington,
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DC provided a $1000 appropriation to cover the cost
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of construction. The 1885 department matches on
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the range West of Fort Omaha, which began on August 10th, had
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an added feature. At Major Henry's suggestion,
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Omaha citizens offer to donate prizes valued at $800 to
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supplement the usual medals and badges the Army provided.
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The donations included several gold watches, a set of
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Shakespeare's works, rugs, cigars, a carving set, a smoking
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jacket and cash. A handsome water set provided by
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the Union Pacific Railroad and a bronze clock donated by the
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Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad went to the
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winning Regimental Team and Regimental Skirmish Team,
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respectively. After the prizes had been
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awarded, the officers hosted an evening party at the range
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attended by a crowd of Omaha citizens.
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An open pavilion had been constructed for dancing with
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music provided by the 4th US Infantry Band.
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Use of the 1885 range proved short lived when the parties
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from whom Major Henry had leased it quote sold out their
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interests to real estate dealers.
14:53
End Quote. Resolution of the seemingly
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constant problem of maintaining A suitable rifle range near Fort
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Omaha finally came in 1886 when Henry found a site that, while
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not adjacent to the Fort, would well serve Fort Omaha and the
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Department of the Plat for the next 9 years.
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It was on the plateau overlooking the Missouri River
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just north of Bellevue in Sarpy County and some 10 miles
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southeast of Fort Omaha. The Burlington and Missouri
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River rail line passed just below the bluff to the east.
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Most of the property belonged to Henry T Clark, from whom the
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Army leased it. Henry and his subordinates
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wasted no time getting the range ready for summer target practice
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and the pending late summer department competition.
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Compared to former Fort Omaha ranges, the one near Bellevue
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was nearly ideal. Not only was it easily
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accessible via the B&M railroad, enough land could be cleared for
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campsites and the firing range itself, while still leaving a
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surrounding belt of Woodlands for shade and to break the wind.
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The area encompassing the target pit and firing stations with
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some 800 yards long and 500 yards wide, easily accommodating
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8 shooters at fixed firing points and providing the
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required 600 yards for both known distance and skirmish
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firing. The target stood at the North
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End, ensuring that the sun would not be in the marksman's eyes at
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any time of the day. A grandstand for officials and
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spectators connected to the target pit by telephone was at
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the South end. In its technical aspects, the
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range conformed well to Army requirements.
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As the campsites signaled. Its distance from Fort Omaha
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meant that soldiers who used it during practice sessions and
16:48
official competitions would bivouac on site.
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Water was provided by a well. A bake house was built near the
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enlisted men's camp in the summer of 1887.
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The railroad added a range depot or platform about 200 yards from
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the range itself where competitors and spectators could
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disembark. Supply wagons could reach the
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range via a male Rd. from Omaha that skirted it along the West
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and South. Just before the first Department
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of the Plat competition was set to begin on the new range, a
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severe storm threatened the hard work Major Henry and his men had
17:24
put in getting it ready. Shortly after midnight on August
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13th, 1886, which was Friday the 13th, quote, a tornado of wind,
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floods of water and the most vivid lightning and quote, blew
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down the 47 tents, swept rifles, carbines and even a mule into
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the tops of trees and injured several men.
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The anonymous soldier journalist who reported the storm to the
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Army and Navy Journal joked that he and his comrades were now
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fully qualified to advise marksmen about, quote, points on
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the wind. End Quote at the Bellevue Range.
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The first Department of the Platte Competition held at the
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Bellevue Range concluded on August 28th, 1886.
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According to the Army's format, the competitors were selected on
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the basis of scores made during the summer target season at the
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various posts within the department.
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The highest scoring marksman in each company, plus the top two
18:25
officers from each regiment as selected by the department
18:28
commander, were eligible for the annual contest to determine the
18:31
12 best marksman. Several days of practice
18:35
preceded the firing for record. Colonel Frank Wheaton presented
18:40
the awards to the 12 winning competitors who would move on to
18:43
the division contest in which in 1886 was held at Fort
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Leavenworth. Major Henry complimented the
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enlisted men who worked much of the summer preparing the site.
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Whose reward quote is in the praise of those who admire your
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beautiful range. End Quote.
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Not only did the Army's marksmanship activities at the
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Bellevue Range spark considerable press coverage,
19:05
including reports of the scores being made, they also drew
19:09
crowds of civilians. The availability of rail
19:12
transportation to the range's very doorstep was no doubt a
19:15
factor, as was its park like setting where citizens could
19:19
enjoy an outing. The opportunity to associate
19:23
with uniformed young men who displayed admirable skill at
19:26
their profession of arms gave the visits an added aura of
19:30
romanticism. In fact, Major Henry had
19:33
encouraged civilian interest in the Bellevue Range by helping to
19:37
organize an Omaha Rifle Club which was allowed to use a small
19:41
range constructed adjacent to the Army range.
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The Citizens Club was quote composed of some of the leading
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men of Omaha, eminent lawyers, doctors, real estate men,
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railroad men and merchants. End Quote.
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Every Wednesday during the summer of 1887, a special car
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delivered the club members and the fair ones of Omaha,
20:02
accompanying them to the range. Those who did not wish to shoot
20:07
could rest in the shade, visit the Army rifle camp or stroll in
20:11
the woods. The Bellevue Ranges attractions
20:14
proved particularly strong on August 23rd, 1887, when awards
20:20
for the Department of the Plat matches were presented.
20:23
Among the spectators were many of Omaha's leading citizens and
20:27
their wives, as well as Nebraska US Senator Charles Manderson.
20:32
The range presented A captivating prospect with its
20:36
combination of brilliant uniforms, Snow White tents, and
20:40
a perfect greensward terminating in a dense wood.
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The Second US Infantry Band from Fort Omaha played a few airs
20:48
before the 79 competitors were assembled and Colonel Henry
20:52
Morrow standing in for department commander.
20:55
Brigadier General George Crook presented medals and praise to
20:59
the top 12 marksman. Afterwards, Major Henry and 40
21:04
soldiers demonstrated skirmish, firing with volleys.
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That quote awoke 100 echoes in the neighboring woods.
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End Quote. The spectators then adjourned to
21:13
a shady Grove near the officer's camp for a picnic lunch,
21:17
including palatable slices of watermelon.
21:21
Before boarding a train back to Omaha.
21:23
The civilians and military dignitaries posed for
21:26
photographs. In the short time since its
21:28
establishment, the Bellevue Range and the officers and
21:32
enlisted men who ran it had earned an excellent reputation
21:36
which led to the ranges selection to host both the
21:38
Division of the Missouri and the Army Wide Distinguished Marksman
21:43
competitions that followed the 1887 department matches.
21:48
By the time the Department of the Platte competition concluded
21:51
on August 23rd, several of the 48 Division match competitors
21:55
had already begun to arrive. One of them reported that the
21:59
officer's mess was excellent, vegetables were plentiful, and
22:03
quote, excellent bread is made at the Camp Bake House and
22:06
quote. What's more, a camp canteen
22:09
furnished beer at $0.05 a glass or $0.25 a bottle.
22:14
After the division of the Missouri match was finished,
22:17
twelve soldiers from throughout the Army competed at the
22:20
Bellevue Range in the first Biennial Distinguished Marksman
22:24
Competition from September 19th to September 22nd.
22:29
Also attending was Colonel Stanhope E Blunt, the Army's
22:32
Inspector General of Rifle Practice, who had developed the
22:36
marksmanship manual adopted in 1885.
22:40
Blunt was impressed with Bellevue and thought quote it
22:43
was the best range for matches in the country as it is entirely
22:48
separated from outside influences.
22:50
End Quote. General Crook presented the
22:53
first place Distinguished marksman gold medal to a
22:56
Department of the Platte Soldier, Sergeant EA Stevens.
23:00
Soldiers from the departments of Texas and Dakota received silver
23:04
medals for second and third place.
23:07
Large details of officers and enlisted men were needed to run
23:11
these competitions. Henry, the Department of Platts
23:14
Inspector of Rifle Practice from 1885 to 1889, later renamed
23:19
Inspector of Small Arms Practice, was in charge, aided
23:23
by another officer appointed as Rifle Camp commander.
23:27
Camp medical officers and adigents were also designated.
23:31
Officers from regiments at posts other than Fort Omaha were
23:35
detailed to Bellevue as range officers and statisticians to
23:39
ensure impartiality in scoring and record keeping.
23:42
Enlisted men were assigned as cooks and mess stewards,
23:46
carpenters, Teamsters, clerks, and target markers.
23:50
During the 1887 Department of the Platte Competition, 90
23:54
enlisted men were detailed to work at the camp and the range.
23:58
By contrast with the Army's parsimonious 10 rounds per month
24:01
allowance to each soldier for target practice during the early
24:05
1870s, an enormous quantity of ammunition was expended in
24:10
practice and competition during the 1880s.
24:13
Well, no information is readily available on how many rounds may
24:17
have been fired during practice sessions that were a regular
24:20
feature at the various military posts.
24:23
The figures for the 1887 matches at Bellevue are indicative over
24:29
7 days, including preliminary practice and firing for record.
24:33
In the Department of the Platte competition, 79 competitors
24:37
fired some 34,000 cartridges, according to a report by the
24:42
Ranges Acting Ordinance officer to the Division of the
24:45
Missouri's Inspector of Rifle Practice.
24:48
At the subsequent division competition, 53 men use some
24:53
29,000 cartridges over 9 days. Although the 19th century Army
24:59
was segregated, soldiers from the African American cavalry and
25:03
infantry regiments were eligible for the marksmanship
25:06
competition, including those held at Bellevue.
25:10
Corporal Beeman Walker, Company A, 9th US Cavalry, stationed at
25:14
Fort Nyer, Brera, earned a place on the Department of the Platt
25:18
Rifle Team in 1887. Other representatives of the
25:22
black regiments included Sergeant Frank F Jackson from
25:25
Company G, 9th Cavalry at Fort Robinson, who garnered
25:29
recognition as a Distinguished Marksman in 1889189018921893 and
25:37
in 1894. William Mason, a private in
25:41
Company B of the 9th at Fort Duchesne, Utah, when he first
25:45
shot at Bellevue, later transferred to the 10th Calvary
25:48
where he continued to rank high in carbine and revolver
25:52
competitions. Spencer Thomas, a Private and
25:54
Company A, 9th Calvary at Fort Robinson, became the 8th ranked
25:58
marksman at the Bellevue competition in 1890.
26:02
After promotion to corporal and transfer to Company H of the
26:05
Ninth Thomas ranked #2 on the Army carbine team in 1894.
26:11
As late as nineteen O 5 he was still making scores, qualifying
26:15
him as a distinguished marksman. In 1891, the Secretary of War
26:21
authorized 1 troop in each of several regular Army Calvary
26:25
regiments to be composed entirely of Indians commanded by
26:28
white officers. Unlike the Indian auxiliaries
26:32
the Army had previously employed for short term service, these
26:36
men were enlisted for five years, issued standard uniforms
26:40
and arms, and trained as other soldiers.
26:43
Troop L of the 6th Cavalry at Fort Nyar Brera enlisted Brule
26:48
men from the nearby Rosebud Reservation, although
26:51
regulations barred the Indian soldiers from participating in
26:55
the Army marksmanship matches. Sergeant Fast Dog of Troop L,
26:59
who had apparently demonstrated skill on the Fort Niobrara
27:02
range, was mistakenly ordered to Bellevue for the 1893 Calvary
27:08
competition. Once he was there, Department of
27:11
the Platte commander, Brigadier General John R Brooke, allowed
27:14
him quote to take the prescribed course of firing along with
27:18
competitors. Regularly detailed End Quote
27:22
Fast Dog placed 21st out of 37 shooters with a carbine and 2nd
27:27
with the revolver. When these astonishing scores
27:31
became known, the officers at the range club together to
27:34
purchase a non military medal for Fast Dog.
27:38
In presenting it, General Brooke remarked, quote, I want you to
27:42
wear this medal as a symbol of what the Indian can do under
27:45
proper surroundings. Let it be a Talisman of
27:48
priceless value because you have won it against white and colored
27:52
alike. I deeply regret that you could
27:55
not have been permitted to wear a medal made by the nation.
27:59
End Quote. No such episode would happen
28:02
again, however, because the Army ended its experiment with
28:05
enlisted Indian soldiers in 1894.
28:09
For most of the competitors at Bellevue, their accomplishments
28:11
as marksmen may have been the pinnacle of their military
28:14
careers. That was not the case with
28:17
Second Lieutenant John J Pershing of the 6th US Cavalry,
28:21
stationed at Fort Nye Barrera in 1891.
28:24
At the Platte East and California Tri Department
28:27
Cavalry competition at Bellevue that August, Pershing earned 5th
28:32
place on the carbine team and 2nd place on the revolver team.
28:36
That same month, the Army detailed him as Commandant of
28:39
Cadets at the University of Nebraska, a post he held until
28:43
1895. His leadership of troops while
28:47
campaigning against moral tribesmen in the Philippines
28:50
during the early 1900s led to his rapid rise through the
28:54
ranks, culminating with his appointment to command the
28:58
American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War One.
29:04
The 1894 Department of the Platt Rifle Competition and the Tri
29:08
Department Cavalry Competition was held as usual at the
29:11
Bellevue Range. Again a crowd came from Omaha by
29:16
train on September 25th to witness the presentation of
29:19
awards by General Brooke. Sergeant Robert Wilson of the
29:23
17th US Infantry at Fort DA Russell in Wyoming was the top
29:27
rifle shooter with a record score of 350 out of 400 possible
29:33
points at the known distance targets.
29:36
All the competitors use the Springfield rifle or carbine
29:40
that had been the Army's staple since 1873.
29:43
Once the award ceremony was over, Lieutenant Henry Lyon,
29:47
also an accomplished marksman, demonstrated the new Craig
29:51
Jorgensen bolt action repeating rifle which the Army had
29:55
selected to replace the Springfield.
29:58
Even amateurs could distinguish the Krag Jorgensen rifles
30:01
sharper report and the limited smoke from its discharge by
30:04
comparison with that of the Springfield's black powder
30:07
cartridge. Most spectators probably did not
30:10
realize that the appearance of the Krag Jorgensen, along with
30:14
the pending completion of nearby Fort Crook, signaled the end of
30:18
the Bellevue Range. Developments that brought this
30:22
result had been underway for several years.
30:24
First was the July 23rd, 1888 approval of Senator Charles
30:29
Manderson's bill to build a new and larger military post in the
30:33
vicinity to replace Fort Omaha. In February 1890, the government
30:38
bought 545 acres for this purpose southwest of the village
30:42
of Bellevue. By March 1891, Congress had
30:46
appropriated some $700,000 for the new posts construction and
30:51
renamed it Fort Crook in honor of the Department of the Platts,
30:54
recently deceased former commander George Crook.
30:58
Once Fort Crook was completed and occupied, it was expected
31:01
that a target range would be constructed somewhere within its
31:05
military reservation. The second development was the
31:08
Army's adoption of the Krag Jorgensen as its new rifle and
31:12
carbine, an arm tested and authorized between 1890 and
31:16
1893. Production began at the
31:19
government armories in January 1894.
31:22
It was May 1895 before all the Army's infantry regiments had
31:27
been issued the Krag rifle. It took until September before
31:31
the carbine's distribution to the Calvary was complete.
31:34
Providing the required ammunition completely new both
31:37
as to caliber and its use of smokeless powder also took time.
31:43
In January 1895, the Army suspended regular target
31:47
practice until all units had received the crag.
31:51
When practice resumed that summer, the brass realized that
31:54
the competitive program should also be suspended until the
31:57
Soldiers had been given enough time to use the new arm and
32:01
learn its capabilities. Accordingly, no departmental or
32:05
Army wide marksmanship competition was held in 1895 and
32:09
1896. With completion suspended and
32:13
Fort Crook nearing completion, the Bellevue Range now seems
32:17
superfluous, and the annual appropriation to lease it $600
32:21
in 1891, for example, could be saved.
32:24
Although troops would not occupy Fort Crook until June 1896, a
32:29
rifle range was laid out there in early spring in 1895, and so
32:34
the Fort Omaha soldiers could begin practicing with the new
32:38
rifle. Firing began on May 20th.
32:41
A few days later, a local farmer living in rear of the Target
32:45
Butts asked to meet at the range with department Commander
32:48
Brigadier General James J Coppiner.
32:51
The farmer arrived quote with his pockets full of steel cased
32:55
bullets which he had picked up about and beyond his dwelling.
32:58
End Quote. While the Butts were as high as
33:01
those in the Bellevue Range, the Crag's rifles flatter trajectory
33:06
and higher velocity sent many bullets ricocheting over the
33:10
backstop for a mile or more, quote like skipping stones on a
33:13
pond. End Quote.
33:15
Coppiner immediately suspended use of the range so terraces
33:18
could be built to stop the bullets.
33:21
Unfortunately, the terraces did not solve the problem and the
33:25
Fort Crook range could not be used with safety.
33:29
Faced with this reality and needing to give the Fort Omaha
33:33
soldiers an opportunity to practice with the Krag Jorgensen
33:36
rifle, the officers came up with a solution that also provided
33:40
the men with practice marches. In August and September 1895,
33:45
portions of the Fort Omaha Garrison marched to the Omaha
33:49
Indian Reservation in Thurston County, where firing practice
33:53
was held on a site provided by the Omaha Indian Agent.
33:58
Soldiers actually moved into Fort Crook in June 1896, but
34:02
they continued to go to the Omaha Reservation in lieu of
34:06
taking target practice at the Fort.
34:08
By early 1897, Lieutenant Groat Hutchinson of the 9th US Calvary
34:13
Department of the Plat Inspector of Small Arms Practice lamented
34:18
the lack of a usable range at Fort Crook.
34:20
Quote. The command at Fort Crook is and
34:23
will be greatly embarrassed in building up its efficiency until
34:27
a suitable range convenient for use is near at hand.
34:31
At present this command is compelled to go nearly 100 miles
34:34
to conduct its target practice at the Indian Reservation, which
34:38
then occurs in connection with the annual practice March and
34:42
field exercises. End Quote.
34:44
Efforts to establish a range at Fort Crook that was safe for at
34:48
least limited use continued because the Omaha Bee in July
34:52
1897 noted that practice was again being held and more
34:56
terraces or back stops were being built.
34:59
This range may not have been at the same location of Fort Crooks
35:02
first range in 1895, but it is clear that it still fell short
35:07
of expectations. After a 2 year hiatus,
35:10
Department Infantry and Calvary Marksmanship competition was
35:13
held in 1897 because the Fort Crook range would not serve even
35:19
though Department of the Plat Headquarters remained in Omaha.
35:22
The Calvary matches were held at Fort Robinson September 24th and
35:26
27th and the infantry matches at Fort Niabara October 4th through
35:30
the 9th. All Department and Army wide
35:33
matches were again suspended from 1898 through 19 O1 due to
35:38
the war with Spain and the subsequent fighting with
35:41
Philippine nationalists in those islands.
35:45
Not until 19 O3 did the Army's competitive marksmanship program
35:48
fully resume. In the meantime, another attempt
35:52
to use the Fort Crook range in June 1900 resulted in a farmer's
35:57
horse being struck by a stray bullet.
36:00
In June 19 O1, the Department of the Missouri authorized Fort
36:04
Crook's commanding officer to close the range.
36:07
As late as nineteen O 4, the soldiers at Fort Crook were
36:11
still going to the Omaha Reservation for target practice.
36:15
By then it had been 10 years since the Bellevue Range, in its
36:18
garb of green, last attracted the flower of Omaha to observe,
36:23
quote, the relentless possibilities of war that go on
36:27
there. End Quote.
36:28
Notwithstanding the romantic hyperbole by which an Omaha Bee
36:32
reporter once described the Bellevue Range, it had served a
36:35
serious purpose and contributed much to the improvement of U.S.
36:39
Army marksmanship during the 1880s and 1890s.
36:43
Being in rifle camp at Bellevue likely was a pleasant respite
36:48
from the hundreds of soldiers competing there.
36:51
In hindsight, had the Army kept control of the Bellevue Range
36:55
until the Fort Crook Ranges shortcomings had become
36:58
apparent, the former might have continued to serve the
37:01
Department of the Platts needs for years to come.
37:04
Even with the Army's new high velocity rifle, the landscape
37:09
beyond the ranges impact area was heavily wooded and unsuited
37:13
for agriculture, unlike the area surrounding Fort Crook which
37:17
sparked problems with its target range.
37:19
From the beginning, the decision to abandon the Bellevue Range
37:23
must have seemed the right one under the circumstances in view
37:27
at the time. Once those circumstances
37:30
changed, the decision apparently could not be reversed.
37:34
Nevertheless, during its nine years of use, the Bellevue Rifle
37:38
Range was a critical component of Nebraska's military
37:42
infrastructure that also attracted attention to and
37:45
support for the Army's mission from the civilian community.
37:50
Most important, the range provided opportunity for both
37:53
officers and enlisted men to learn, demonstrate, and be
37:57
rewarded for their proficiency at one of the basic skills
38:02
required to be a soldier. Thank you for listening to the
38:05
Nebraska History Podcast. To learn more about Nebraska
38:08
History Magazine, to listen to more podcast episodes, or to
38:12
support our podcast by becoming a member of the Nebraska State
38:15
Historical Society, go to history.nebraska.gov/podcast.
38:19
And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and get notified
38:22
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38:26
Until next time, I'm Chris Goforth.