The Civil War Meets Independence Rock

How did Civil War soldiers make it to the far west along the Oregon Trail during the Civil War?

The video below from the 11th OVC, took a look at an inscription of a Civil War soldier on top of Independence Rock along the Oregon Trail in present-day Wyoming.

There is an inscription on the famous rock from D. Stout of the 6th Ohio Volunteer Calvery. Company A. The year was 1862.

The objective of the Calvary company at that time was to keep the Oregon trail open and keep any telegraph lines up and running.

They were both soldiers and linemen for the telegraph making needed repairs.

The video below goes into a little more detail as to who this soldier was.

While Independence Rock, located in Wyoming, is not directly linked to the Civil War itself, its significance lies in the fact that it served as a prominent landmark on the Oregon Trail.

The Oregon Trail was mostly used from the 1840s through the 1880s, and most heavily used from 1846 to 1869.

Soldiers in the area protecting travelers at the time might have wondered if they would rather be on the trail or back East, fighting The Confederates.

Either mission would have been hard.

Though the Civil was was arguably far more bloody than what was going on out west.

The chances of survival for either were not great.

Below is a gallery of modern-day period actors in Wyoming dressed as settlers and soldiers.