 19th Century Base Ball Game set at National Historic Landmark Museum Fort Sill…The National Historic Landmark Museum will once again conduct a special exhibition of 19th century base ball (old spelling) on the original playing field July 11 at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcomed to attend this free event. The event is taken straight from the history of the frontier Army post where the first organized base ball games were played in Oklahoma. From January to March 1869, the 7th U.S. Cavalry under the command of Col. George A. Custer played base ball routinely with the 19th Kansas Volunteers while the men of the 10th U.S. Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers" began building the new fort. By late March, the hand made base ball began to unravel and it was time for the temporarily enlisted Kansas troops to return home. The game of base ball was commonly played by the Army during the Mexican War, the Civil War, and throughout the West in the latter half of the 19th century. The rules, terminology, and equipment of the game were still evolving during this time and would not become the more recognizable athletic contest that we know and love today until after the turn of the 20th century. Throughout the 1870-1900 period, base ball was routinely played at Fort Sill between soldiers of different organizations in fierce competition for prizes often provided by William Quinette, the Post Trader. One unusual aspect of base ball history at Fort Sill is that Native American teams were organized and actively played during the 1880's and 1890's. Troop L, 7th U.S. Cavalry was organized at Fort Sill in 1890 and consisted of Kiowa, Comanche and Apache soldiers. The Anglo soldiers of this organization were originally wiped out at the Little Big Horn Battle in Montana in 1876. It was reconstituted at Fort Sill as an all-Indian unit. Most of the Apache soldiers were also officially prisoners of war, yet all were armed, wore uniforms, received a salary, escorted payroll, chased outlaws and served with distinction as soldiers in the U.S. Army. These Native American soldiers also formed base ball teams that competed routinely against other organizations on the Post. In the late 1890s the famous Apache war leader, Geronimo played base ball at Fort Sill. It was recorded that on one occasion he let out a howl when hit in the shin by a runaway ball causing the opposing players great concern about their well being. Still later in 1951, the legendary baseball giant and Native Oklahoman, Mickey Mantle, would also take his physical examination for the Army at Fort Sill. Today, the descendants of those Native American soldiers are once again playing base ball as the "Fort Sill Indians" on the historic base ball diamond located on the southwest corner of the 1870 Parade Ground. The family lineage of these players is tied to famous leaders/warriors such as Satanta, I See O, Geronimo, Quanah Parker, Naiche and many others. This year the opposing team, referred to as the "Fort Sill Cannonballs," is represented by active duty soldiers of different ranks and position who are training here. No doubt this will be a unique experience for them all. An added feature this year will be the presence of author Michael Blake to autograph some of his many books that have become so successful in the literary and movie arenas. His book "Dances With Wolves" won many literary awards and was made into an Academy Award winning movie of the same name. The sequel to this book, "The Holy Road" is about ready to go into movie production as well. The book provides some emphasis on the Medicine Bluffs Historic Site on Fort Sill. Another book by Blake, "Indian Yell" has also earned many literary awards and his most recent work on wild horses should be out in the very near future. Michael has worked closely with the museum for many years on some of these books and his return to Fort Sill on July 11 will be a welcome addition to the historic base ball game. This special trip into Fort Sill's colorful past is one of several education programs produced by the Fort Sill National Historic Landmark Museum. So plan to spend the afternoon under the shade trees to watch base ball and Oklahoma history come to life on the original grounds where the games were first played 140 years ago. |