More photos and information on Hebron can be found here.
In all the time I lived in New Leipzig, I'd never even heard of Ft. Sauerkraut. In fact, I can remember only two times ever visiting the community of Hebron in any capacity.
One was with my Dad to pick up some bricks from the brick factory there. He intended to build a trash burner in our back yard (yes, at that time it was still legal to do so), and the only place he knew of to get them was Hebron. Prior to that, he'd used a metal barrel/oil drum to burn most of the trash. When the barrel got full, we'd empty it into the small trailer Dad had and haul it out to the town dump west and north of town. I remember Dad complaining about having to take less than half loads to the dump because the barrel wouldn't hold that much. That's why he made the enclosure out of brick. Lots bigger - lots more shoveling to clean it out. But we had full loads now and longer in between trips to the dump. Fun.
The second time in Hebron was when I was a freshman in high school. Our basketball team was undefeated. The Hebron Brickmakers were supposed to be a so-so team. Our guys (I was a benchwarmer for the varsity) weren't even cocky going into the game. In fact, I'd have to say most of them were pretty blase' about this particular game. Maybe that wasn't the best attitude to have because it turned into a real barn-burner, and we came away with our first defeat of the season. I believe it was by one point.
Long story short, Hebron wasn't a planned destination for us. When the Interstate went in, Hebron (and a few other smallish communities along the route) was bypassed and left in a more remote situation than previously. If I remember right, Old Highway 10 went through every one of them. The Interstate didn't do that. Richardton was the only one that I remember being left right on the thoroughfare.
So, when I "discovered" the story of Ft. Sauerkraut, I was fascinated. My kids in 8th grade social studies were, too.
Here's part 3 of this story:
Frightened Men Build Fort, Scouts Watch From Hilltops
All night long people continued coming into town and as the news of the Indian outbreak spread from settler to settler the panic grew, so that at daybreak nearly the entire farm population was a moving caravan hastening toward town as fast as they were able to go. Fred Schweigert, sleeping in his shoemaker shop, was aroused from sleep at about midnight and was told to get his pony and as quickly as possible ride out and notify the people in the south. He did so, going out in the neighborhood of Vetters and Kindsvogels and rode hard all night. At each place he told them in turn to arouse other neighbors farther on. By morning he was so tired that he had to go back and sleep, Indians or no Indians.
In town everything was found astir. Charles Krauth was busy among the refugees exhorting them to prepare for immediate defense. Soon he and Burkhardt had a large body of men at work on the cemetery hill hastily throwing up fortifications.
They outlined the walls of a fort to be built around the top of the hill. Its contour was somewhat elliptical, extending something over 100 yards in its north and south diameter and embraced about half a city block in area. The ground was dry and hard but the men worked with the energy of despair. Ox teams were set to work plowing for the trenches, men with spades and shovels threw up the embankments; and other teams were kept busy plowing up sod with which to lay up the walls, for there was no other materials available. Most of the men had become familiar with the art of laying up sod walls for houses by this time so rapid progress was made. The plan of the fort provided for a deep trench on the outside of the wall; and another trench not so deep on the inside. The wall itself was made about three feet thick and at suitable places and distances port holes were provided so the defenders could shoot out without being much exposed. Inside the fort and near the center of the space was constructed a shelter building with sod walls and railroad ties for a roof. This was about 100 feet long, extending north and south, with an entrance at the south end. This was intended to shelter the women and children. The entrance to the fort was through a winding and fortified passage near the south east part.
There was little time for rest that first day, and the activities on that hill were as busy as any even observed on an ant hill. Practically all the people from the Haymarsh came and helped. Wehris, Brauns, Nagels and others worked with spirit. Fred Kinnischtzke, who had served as an officer in the Franco-Prussian War, was by common consent chosen as commander in chief of the fort. Rev. Debus stoutheartedly stood with his people and helped with the work. From the Heart River country in the south and the Knife River in the north people came. Everybody brought their guns along, and those who had no arms were provided after they arrived. A requisition was sent to Ft. Lincoln for a supply of rifles and ammunition, while men were busy at Fruehaufs moulding bullets. The women were busy preparing their meager victuals for a siege.
As no Indians showed up during the day, the men became bolder and decided on sending out scouting parties to see where the Indians were. Among the scouts were Peter Treiber, Emil Kindsvogel and Herman Mees. In scouting the country they went as far south as the Heart River but failed to find any trace of hostile savages.
Scouting parties were posted on the high hills far to the south and east who were to watch day and night for the coming of the Indians. A large quantity of straw and combustibles was piled up on top of Heart Butte, and at the first sight of the Indians this was to be fired as a signal. It is said that none of the men would sleep up there on account of the numerous rattle snakes that were then there.
During the day some of the party ranged down as far as the Cannon Ball looking for signs of the Indians. After a few days their provisions ran out; there was no a settler at home where food could be obtained. They had been given the strictest orders not to fire a gun but in their necessity they at last had to shoot and roast a rabbit for food.
When the women went to Bismarck Ole Tollefson went with them and from his vantage point continued to send up messages exhorting the people here to keep up their spirits.
After the first couple of days in town the activities at the fort waned some. The walls were already about eight feet high on the outside, most of the trench digging had been done and the work of finishing did not require so many teams. It is said that Urban and Funk were the only ones who had horses working on that job, the rest being all oxen. Some people who lived close by returned to their homes during the day to look after things, returning to the safety of town again at night. When the supply of army rifles arrived from Ft. Lincoln it was found that some were defective and lacking in parts so many were not serviceable.
At night the weary people slept on the floor of the church and school where they were packed together like sardines in a can, for every house, barn and shed was crowded. The scanty meals of most of them were prepared over little fires made in improvised ovens of sod or stone out in the open air.
Ferd. Leutz had been during all this time at his Hidden Wood ranch, near the present town of Zap, where C. F. Ewald was foreman. When they heard about the Indians coming they hastened in and arrived as the fort was about finished.
They suggested that at proper intervals railroad ties be set in the ground around it on which barb wire was securely fastened and in a short time a formidable barrier fence was built all around it, while farther out short posts were set in the ground at irregular intervals and directions from which barb wires were also strung a few inches above the ground. The purpose of this was to trip up the horses in case the Indians attempted to rush the hill. Water barrels were brought up and filled and everything made ready for immediate use as soon as the Indians should come.
It was not thought probable that they would be besieged any great length of time, for just as soon as the Indians came word would be wired to Ft. Lincoln where soldiers would be in readiness to come to the rescue at once.
The main object and purpose of the fort was to have a secure place where the people could defend themselves from a furious assault of probably not more than a day or two duration and until the soldiers could get here.
In the afternoon of November 18 Peter Kastner arrived in Hebron from his former home in Russia. As he alighted from the train he wondered at the great crowd of people in town. They told him that a great army of Indians was coming to attack the town and that a fort had just been finished on the hill. He finally found Franz Berger in the crowd, recognizing him at once as a countryman from his old home town, so he got some comfort in his strange surroundings that day.
This ends part 3 of this historical story.
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