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Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series
Fort Davis: Outpost on the Texas Frontier (Volume 8)
This engaging, illustrated history of Fort Davis, one of the U.S. Army's most important western posts, relates the exciting history of Trans-Pecos Texas—the far western reaches off the state. Wooster traces the history of this Davis Mountains region from the days when Indians and later Spaniards and Mexicans inhabited the area, through its days as the site of Texan and American interests. The establishment and construction of Fort Davis in the mid-1850s tells the story of one of the army's largest western posts. We learn about the famous army camels which Secretary of War Jefferson Davis brought to the area, with Fort Davis serving as a base of operations, and about the difficult conditions imposed on the army by weather, climate, and Indians, Evacuated by the U.S. Army at the beginning of the Civil War, Fort Davis later was occupied by Texas state troops, then briefly reoccupied by the Federals. After the war, the War Department began shifting regular army units back to the western frontiers. Among these units were each of the famous black regiments, many of them composed of former slaves who proved to be excellent soldiers. The details of daily life—food, clothing, social activities, weapons, medical care—are thoroughly discussed, as are the often ineffective campaigns against Indians.
Robert Wooster skillfully uses the forty-year history of Fort Davis to provide a clear window into the frontier military experience and into nineteenth-century American society. Because of its black soldiers, and its large Mexican-American civilian community, Fort Davis is a prime resource for studying and understanding the stratified racial relations which accompanied the army's and the nation's westward expansion.
Robert Wooster skillfully uses the forty-year history of Fort Davis to provide a clear window into the frontier military experience and into nineteenth-century American society. Because of its black soldiers, and its large Mexican-American civilian community, Fort Davis is a prime resource for studying and understanding the stratified racial relations which accompanied the army's and the nation's westward expansion.
- GenresHistory
58 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1994
8 people want to read
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October 29, 2022
Last month, my family made our first pilgrimage to West Texas. We stayed at the idyllic Fort Davis State Park, spent some time in Alpine and Marfa, and attended a Star Party at the McDonald Observatory. Quite the weekend!
It may not surprise you at all to find out that Fort Davis is named after an actual “Fort Davis.” It was one on a series of forts leading across Texas to help move settlers West. Fort Davis is now a National Historic Site , more or less set up like it was at the end of the 19th century. While it’s a national park, this little book I picked up at the gift shop is part of the Texas State Historical Associations’ Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series.
While the Fort is the subject of the paperback, the land itself stands out as a character. German traveler Julius Frobel described West Texas’ Davis Mountains as a place in which Mother Nature is “a landscape-painter, composing a picture with the most simple yet refined taste.”
Robert Wooster observes that only 40 miles away from the area are First Nations pictographs suspected to be 1,300 years old. People have always been interested in the land – First Nations, Spain, Missionaries, Mexico, Texas, the Confederacy, the US.
As you can guess from the list of groups above, the social history of the area is complicated at best. This book delves a bit into the disappointing history of African American soldiers at the Fort, and several other books directly on the subject are available at the Fort itself. One figure in particular that stands out is Lt. Henry Flipper. He was the first Black graduate of West Point, but of course racism ruined his career. He was court-martialed and in a farcical sentencing was kicked out of the Army. While he went on to a great career as an engineer, of course the indignity still stung. After a century, his family and other advocates finally won their fight to have the dishonorable discharge overturned. Now there is a bust of him at West Point, and the road to Fort Davis is…a road named after Henry Flipper!
Coming in at a lean forty-seven pages, this little paperback is a great notebook of sorts for history buffs visiting the area. It will help the reader and amateur historian hold on to some of the interesting factoids picked up while visiting Fort Davis. The Notes section may provide a map for additional research if any particular aspects of the time or place are of interest. Recommended for history buffs and dorky dads.
It may not surprise you at all to find out that Fort Davis is named after an actual “Fort Davis.” It was one on a series of forts leading across Texas to help move settlers West. Fort Davis is now a National Historic Site , more or less set up like it was at the end of the 19th century. While it’s a national park, this little book I picked up at the gift shop is part of the Texas State Historical Associations’ Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Series.
While the Fort is the subject of the paperback, the land itself stands out as a character. German traveler Julius Frobel described West Texas’ Davis Mountains as a place in which Mother Nature is “a landscape-painter, composing a picture with the most simple yet refined taste.”
Robert Wooster observes that only 40 miles away from the area are First Nations pictographs suspected to be 1,300 years old. People have always been interested in the land – First Nations, Spain, Missionaries, Mexico, Texas, the Confederacy, the US.
As you can guess from the list of groups above, the social history of the area is complicated at best. This book delves a bit into the disappointing history of African American soldiers at the Fort, and several other books directly on the subject are available at the Fort itself. One figure in particular that stands out is Lt. Henry Flipper. He was the first Black graduate of West Point, but of course racism ruined his career. He was court-martialed and in a farcical sentencing was kicked out of the Army. While he went on to a great career as an engineer, of course the indignity still stung. After a century, his family and other advocates finally won their fight to have the dishonorable discharge overturned. Now there is a bust of him at West Point, and the road to Fort Davis is…a road named after Henry Flipper!
Coming in at a lean forty-seven pages, this little paperback is a great notebook of sorts for history buffs visiting the area. It will help the reader and amateur historian hold on to some of the interesting factoids picked up while visiting Fort Davis. The Notes section may provide a map for additional research if any particular aspects of the time or place are of interest. Recommended for history buffs and dorky dads.
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