FORT LARAMIE – Walking among the ghosts of the past, Fort Laramie National Historic Site provides visitors with an opportunity to take a peek into the fort’s past in the late 1800s. From the cavalry barracks and the “Burt House” to “Old Bedlam” and captain’s quarters, visitors of all ages enjoy exploring the site and viewing the historically accurate displays that bring the past to life. This experience was particularly special on Saturday, May 6 as the 11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry (OVC) hosted a drill day on the fort’s Parade Grounds.

“I grew up loving this place,” 11th OVC rider Steven Dacus said. “Fort Laramie is the key that connects the East all the way to the West. There’s so much history here.”

“[Purchased by the U.S. Army in 1849], Fort Laramie soon became the principal military outpost on the Northern Plains,” according to the History & Culture page for Fort Laramie on www.nps.gov. “Fort Laramie also became the primary hub for transportation and communication through the central Rocky Mountain region as emigrant trails, stage lines, the Pony Express and the transcontinental telegraph all passed through the post.”

The 11th OVC is a mounted cavalry living history unit that reenacts historical drills and events. It is their mission to encourage youth to engage with their local history. While the 11th OVC is based on an actual historical military unit, this group was started in 2013. Currently, the group has about 20 people total in their detachment. On average, they will have six to eight people who show up for drills at a time. 

“The 11th OVC has huge ties to [Fort Laramie], especially with William Collins here,” Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Service Casey Osback said. “These guys are representing soldiers in the past who had a huge linkage to this place.”

According to www.ohiocivilwarcentral.com, during the American Civil War, Ohio provided the federal government with 260 regiments of men, including infantry, artillery and cavalry units. On May 30, 1862, the battalion first arrived at Fort Laramie. At that time, they were tasked with seeking out the Native American enemies in the mountains. They later relocated the battalion’s headquarters to the fort. 

The site continued saying, the 11th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry arrived at Fort Laramie in October 1863. These men were stationed at many different locations throughout the Rocky Mountains to protect mail and travel routes. 

On Saturday, the 11th OVC was represented by three riders, Dacus, Brandon Lewis and Tom Haas. During this event, they practiced drills, fighting on foot, rallying and skirmishing. Visitors could watch the riders or stop them to ask questions. Each rider and horse wore historically accurate uniforms and equipment. 

“[The saddles are built] for the comfort of the horse and for packing,” Dacus said. “All of your stuff would be tied on with straps to the saddle. Your coat would be upfront, and your bed roll would be in the back. All of your horseshoes and ammo would be in the saddle bags and everything else would be on you.”

During the drill, they also practiced linking the horses. Linking is where the soldiers dismount, and link the bridals of each horse, not more than four at a time.

“The cavalry always fights in groups of four,” Dacus said. “When we fight on foot, the number one, number two and number three man get off link the horses. The number four man takes all of the horses and goes to safety while the other three men fight.”

This prevents the horses from running off, getting stolen or getting injured during the battle. 

In June, the 11th OVC will be heading to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania for the 160th Reenactment.

For more information about the 11th OVC or to learn about their next event you can go to www.11thovc.com or follow the “11th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry” on Facebook.