Rocky Redoubt: Fort Piute

by Scott Schwartz

Whether establishing a “presence”, in order to protect travelers from hostile Indians, or using its thousands of square miles for the training of its personnel, the U.S. military has been connected with the California desert for nearly two centuries. Even today, traces of these installations remain.

One such place is Fort Piute, which is located on the Mojave Rd., roughly 40 miles north east of Needles, CA.

The year was 1859. During that year, a Colonel William Hoffman and the 60 soldiers under his command stopped for water at Piute Spring. Apparently deciding to make a stand against some hostile Indians, Hoffman had about half his men shoot at the Indians, killing roughly 20 of them. The rest ran off.

Several months went by before Major James H. Carleton and his 1st Dragoons came through this area and established an actual post, which he named Fort Beale. The name was in honor of a Navy officer who had previously led an experimental camel caravan through the area.

Although called a ”fort”, the Piute Springs outpost was really just one of several desert ”redoubts” -- ie, temporary fortifications that were established in order to protect travelers along the Mojave Road against the hostile Indians who frequently stole livestock from and murdered them.

Not surprisingly, the troops stationed at Fort Beale were transferred east at the start of the Civil War. Clearly, and probably correctly, the Army’s priorities lay elsewhere. While the war raged on in the east, Fort Beale and the other installations were manned by soldiers of the California Volunteers. These were state militia men who had not been ”Federalized”, and who stayed in California to protect the roads. Despite the presence of the California Volunteers, thefts of settler’s livestock continued.

When the Civil War ended, however, the desert redoubts were abandoned. Complaints from local settlers, and the fact that the Mojave Road was a U.S. Mail route, prompted the U.S. Army to re-occupy the posts in 1866. At this point, Fort Beale was renamed Fort Piute.

Life here was tough for the soldiers. Aside from the dangers of combat, the men lived in tents full-time, because the fort itself was intended to provide cover and a place to retreat to during combat. In addition, the soldiers ate all of their meals outside. Given the remote location and harsh environment, desertions were not unheard of. Perhaps it is no surprise that Fort Piute was abandoned again -- this time for good -- in 1868.

The remains of the stone blockhouse that was once Fort Piute are still standing today. Plus, the fort is positioned right near the Mojave Road, which is open to four wheel drive vehicles in this area. How could I resist a visit to this place?

So, our ”convoy” of two vehicles headed north on I-15 from the city of Fontana, California. It was 9 am on a June Saturday. I was prepared for a very hot day, but a high overcast was keeping the temperature at a reasonable 85 degrees.

We drove through Barstow and picked up I-40 east bound. 133 miles later, we were heading north on Route 95. We had driven only six and a half miles on Route 95 before I used my ham radio to call my friend in the other vehicle. I told him that I was pulling over to look at a historical marker that was on the right side of the highway. The marker indicated that this was the site of Camp Ibis -- one of the desert training camps established during World War Two by the U.S. Army. We got back in our vehicles and drove about a 1/4 mile past the marker.

During the war, two armored divisions trained here. But now, nothing remains except the small rocks marking the roads that ran through the camp. After eating our lunch, we continued north on Rte. 95.

It was only another 10 miles before we came to the cairn on the left side of the road. The cairn marks the point at which the Mojave Road crosses the paved highway. Now that we were off the pavement, I engaged my four wheel drive. As I do not like dust to get inside my vehicle, I kept my air conditioning on. The road was mostly level, but it was very sandy in spots -- especially at the two points where Piute Wash crosses the Mojave Road.

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Read more about the Mojave Road:

• The Mojave Road
• Dennis Casebier, the Man Behind the Mojave Road
• Mojave Road Trail Notes

Read more about old forts:

• Fort Bowie (AZ)
• Hike to Fort Bowie (AZ)
• Fort Davis (TX)
• Bent’s Old Fort (CO)