Fort McDermit

Fort McDermit (1865-1889) - A U.S. Civil War era fort established as Quinn River Camp No. 33 in 1865 by Captain J.C. Doughty and elements of the 2nd California Volunteer Cavalry in present-day McDermitt, Humboldt County, Nevada. Renamed Camp McDermit after Lt. Colonel Charles McDermit, Commander of the Nevada Military District, who was killed 7 Aug 1865 by hostile Indians. Designated Fort McDermit 15 Apr 1879. Abandoned in 1888 and turned over to the Interior Department in 1889. Also spelled Fort McDermitt. Fort McDermit Marker. Fort McDermit Original Jail. Fort McDermit Original Building. History A U.S. Civil War era fort was established as Quinn River Camp No. 33 on 14 Aug 1865 by Captain J.C. Doughty and elements of the 2nd California Volunteer Cavalry. The post was established to control some 2000 hostile Paiute Indians and to guard travel routes north into nearby Oregon. The post was built with a 660-foot by 225-foot central parade surrounded by the post buildings. The garrison participated in the Snake War (1864-1868), Modoc War (1872-1873), and the Bannock War (1878). The post was abandoned on 1 Dec 1888. Second Lt. Dwight E. Holley, (Cullum 3170), 1st U.S. Infantry, and seven enlisted men from Company H, 1st U.S. Infantry, were ordered to remain at the post until the authorized agent of the Interior Department arrived. The post was transferred on 24 Jul 1889. Current Status Two original buildings remain on the Fort McDermit Indian Agency in Humboldt County, Nevada. A Nevada roadside marker is placed at the intersection of U.S. 95 and South Reservation Road. Location: Fort McDermit Indian Agency, Humboldt County, Nevada. Maps & Images Lat: 41.97218 Long: -117.62239 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 4,600' GPS Locations: 41.94292, -117.70761 Fort McDermit Marker 41.97218, -117.62239 Fort McDermit Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 492. Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 93. Post returns available Jan 1876 - Jul 1889 at Ancestry.com (by Subscription) - Fort McDermit Links: North American Forts - Fort McDermit Wikipedia - Fort McDermit Fortification ID: NV0064 - Fort McDermit NV0063 - Camp McDermit NV0078 - Quinn River Camp NV0079 - Quinn River Camp No. 33 Visited: 11 Oct 2016