pip.NalG^^' HISTORIC SITES ARCHEOLOGY — ^MILLS 37 



party led by Paul L. Cooper. A second Smithsonian Institution field 

 party visited the site in 1950 under the leadership of Thomas R. 

 Garth. Surface indications during these two investigations consisted 

 of small depressions in the ground and glass, iron, and crockery 

 fragments. The site was thus identified as one of wliite provenience 

 and the geographical area was identified as the location of the Whet- 

 stone Indian Agency and Army Post. 



The site is situated in a cultivated field on the first terrace of the 

 right bank of the Missouri River, one-half a mile north of the con- 

 fluence of Whetstone Creek and the Missouri in Gregory County, 

 S. Dak. (map 1). A stand of cottonwood, scrub oak, and ash sur- 

 rounds the site. Tlie Missouri River lies 300 yards to the east of the 

 army post remains. To the west is a stretch of wooded area bordered 

 by cultivated fields of wheat and barley. North of the site, across a 

 narrow channel of the Missouri River, lies Whetstone Island, cov- 

 ered with a grov^'th of cottonwood and cedar. Whetstone Creek, 800 

 y;irds south of the site, flows from the west to empty into the Missouri. 

 The terraces on the west side of the river are relatively level in this 

 area but arc quite precipitous on the east side of the river. 



Tliis area lies in a climatic zone that is marked by the extremes of 

 summer heat and winter cold and raj^id fluctuations in temperature. 

 Temperatures of 100" F. and liigher are not uncommon from June to 

 September, accompanied by high humidity, making living conditions 

 particularly unpleasant. Conversely, from November to March, 

 below zero temperatures often prevail. Heavy snowfalls, however, 

 are unusual and the normal snow cover is less than 2 feet. The post 

 was relatively free from drifts, as it was protected from the wind by 

 a timber stand on all sides. Normally, three-fourths of the annual 

 precipitation is distributed from April to September. November and 

 February are the driest months. Military road travel would have 

 faced definite restrictions during the heavy rainfall months, for the 

 bottomland roads are quite impassable during and immediately fol- 

 lowing the heavy rains. 



EXCAVATION 



During the summer of 1952 the writer and a party of 10 conducted 

 archeological excavations at the site of Whetstone Indian Agency and 

 Army Post for a period of 8 weeks. The IMissouri River flood of 

 1952 had, only a few weeks before, covered the area with a foot of 

 new silt. In order to relocate the artificial terrain features that had 

 been noted during the reconnaissance of 1950, it was necessary to test- 

 pit an area 1 mile square. This testing produced cedar-post remains 

 and a portion of a former stockade wall. The military post ground 

 plan, drafted in 1870, indicated two areas surrounded by stockades 

 of cedar posts. One was the army post proper (pi. 3) and the other 



