After the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876, the U.S. Army created forts
in eastern Montana, including one where the north-flowing Tongue River flowed
into the east-flowing Yellowstone River. The first fort was known as the Tongue
River Cantonment or the Tongue River Barracks and was founded on August 27,
1876. A second, permanent fort was constructed on higher ground two miles to
the west of the mouth of the Tongue and this became Fort Keogh.
Fort Keogh (named after Captain Myles Keogh, one of the battle dead, whose
horse, Comanche, was the lone survivor of Custer's command) started as a few
rough winter