Infantry Encampment
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The public is invited to the Fort Buford Sixth Infantry Annual Encampment on Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT at Fort Buford State Historic Site near Williston. All ages are welcome to this free event, and children must be accompanied by an adult.
“This immersive, hands-on experience connects visitors with the stories and lifeways of those who lived and served at Fort Buford,” said Outreach Coordinator Cheyenne Teal. “Events like this bring history off the page and into real life in a powerful way.”
Discover the routines, traditions and challenges of fort life by attending historical reenactments, drills, and demonstrations. In addition to scheduled demonstrations, fort life activities will run throughout the day. Observe water detail, wood cutting detail, barracks cleaning, uniform upkeep and polishing, and Army laundress demonstrations.
“This encampment is a unique opportunity to experience the daily life of the Sixth Infantry Regiment soldiers stationed at Fort Buford in 1875,” said Ben Gjorven, president of the Fort Buford Sixth Infantry Regimental Association.
Saturday, July 12
- 9 a.m. Morning Colors and Morning Parade
- 11 a.m. Marching/Rifle Drill
- 1:30 p.m. Barracks Inspection
- 2 p.m. Rifle Demonstration and Cannon Demonstration (tentative)
- 2:30 p.m. Laundress Demonstration
- 4 p.m. Mail Call
Sunday, July 13
- 9 a.m. Morning Colors and Morning Parade
- 11 a.m. Skirmish Drill (Bayonet Drill)
Fort Buford State Historic Site was one of several military posts established to protect overland and river routes used by immigrants settling the West. While it served an essential role as the sentinel on the northern Plains for 29 years (1866-1895), it is probably best known as the place where Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull relinquished his rifle to the U.S. government in 1881.
For more information, contact Cheyenne Teal, [email protected] or 701.572.9034. Managed by the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the Missouri-Yellowstone Confluence Interpretive Center and Fort Buford State Historic Site are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 30. Find information about upcoming programs of the State Historical Society at history.nd.gov/events.