at that one it is led by amos custard. there were 25 guys with that group. there were five in an advanced guard. they get rid of the horses an three of them made it back to the fort. the supply wagons were killed. shortly after that, because of the battles and because we have a young lieutenant called casper collins who was a son of the colonel, they changed the name of the fort. it was called platte bridge station. it is in 1865 that they changed the name of the fort to fort casper. once it becomes fort caspar in the fall of 1865 really only lasts two more years. they add a lot of buildings. there is a massive construction program in 1866 and 1867. this fort becomes as large as fort laramie. what happens is in 1867, the army determined they built it in the wrong place. so in the fall of 1867 they issue orders that they take all salvageable materials and they haul it 45 miles east of here and use that to put up fort fetterman. >> fort caspar when they closed it there was nothing left here. even the early pioneers knew there used to be a fort here, which is h

it was led by commissary sergeant amos custard. there were 25 guys with that group. there were five of them an -- in an advanced guard and they wheel to the right and raced down to the river and get rid of their horses and three of those guys actually made it back to the fort. all the rest of the people at the supply wagons were killed. shortly after that because of the battles and because we have a young lieutenant named caspar collins who was the son of the regimental colonel, the army changes the name of this fort. from 1862 to 1865, this was called platte bridge station. in 1865, they change the name of the fort to fort caspar. this is in the fall of 1865 and it lasted only two more years. they added a lot of buildings. there is a massive construction program in 1866 and 1867. and they add a lot of buildings, a massive construction program 1867.66 and so this fort becomes as large as ft. laramie. are 500 soldiers here stationed by 1867. 1867, the ned is, in army really determined they built it in the wrong place. 1867, they all of issued orders that they are oing