Texas Forts of the Old West

Camp Cooper (1856-61) - A collection of tents and makeshift buildings of mud, stone, and wood, this short-lived camp protected settlers and controlled the 400 or so Comanche Indians living on the nearby Comanche Reservation. Robert E. Lee served at the camp as a junior officer in 1856-57. It was the base of numerous expeditions and patrols against the Indians until the Civil War began and the commander surrendered to Texas troops. During the post-Civil War period, State militia and Texas Rangers occasionally used the camp.

A building dating from the early 1850's, probably constructed with fragments of post structures, stands in the vicinity of the southern edge of the parade ground. The present privately owned ranch house, a mile to the east, contains stones and glass from the camp. Permission to visit the site, which involves wading across the hip-deep Clear Fork of the Brazos River, should be obtained from the ranch owners.

The site of the old camp is on a privately owned ranch, in the vicinity of Fort Griffin State Park, which is on U.S. 283. the site is accessible by foot only.

Camp Cureton (1862-1864) - This short-lived post was established in March, 1862 on the Gainesville-Fort Belknap Road, where it crossed the West Fork of the Trinity River southeast of present-day Archer City. Built by Captain Jack J. Creton and his regiment, the fort was named for him. A Confederate post, it along with several others were established to restrict Indians from coming into the region. Several wooden buildings and rock-fence corrals made up the fort. It was closed by March, 1864, when the troops were moved to Fort Belknap. Nothing remains of the fort today.

Camp Holland (1918-1921) - Also known as Jackass Camp, the post was built in 1918 after the Brite Ranch and Neville Ranch raids by Mexican bandits, the fort was named for the J. R. Holland Ranch on which it was built. The post included two barracks, that could house up to 400 men, four officers' houses, a mess hall, a guardhouse, bakery, blacksmith shop, and a quartermaster store. The post was responsible for supplying pack trains for the United States Cavalry as it patrolled the Mexican border against Pancho Villa and his bandits. By 1921 the army began phasing out border patrols in Presidio County and Camp Holland was closed. The buildings were initially leased to civilians, the Texas Rangers, and to customs and immigration border patrols. Later, they were sold. Situated in Viejo Pass about 12 miles west of Valentine, Texas the site is also known as the site of the last battle in Presidio County between the U.S. Cavalry and Apache Indians, which occurred June 12, 1880. A historic marker designates the battle. Some of the old fort buildings still stand on the privately owned Miller Ranch.

Camp Hudson (1857-61, 1867-1877) - Also referred to as Fort Hudson, this post was located on San Pedro Creek, a tributary of the Devils River, 21 miles north of Comstock, Texas. One of several posts built on the San Antonio-El Paso Road to protect travelers, it was established by Lieutenant Theodore Fink in June, 1857 and named for Lieutenant Walter W. Hudson, who died in action on April, 1850 as the result of action against hostile Indians. Built along an isolated section of the creek, the post was constructed of a mixture of gravel and lime, which provided very good insulation. A post office at the site opened the same year it was built. Because of its isolated location, there were very few travelers across this section of road. Most of those who did pass by the fort were military troops, including an experimental camel caravan from Camp Verde, Texas in 1859. When the Civil War began, troops were pulled from the post in March, 1861. Though the camp was abandoned by the U.S. Army, the post office continued to operate, serving area settlers until 1866.

When a stagecoach was ambushed by Indians between Camp Hudson and Fort Stockton, and two military escorts were killed in late October, 1867, soldiers were once again sent to occupy the post. Over the next several years, various companies occupied the post, which was re-organized in 1871. The soldiers were tasked with protecting travelers, new arrived settlers, and fought with Indians on several occasions. By January, 1877, the threat of Indian attacks was over and the post was abandoned. The site is located in a desolate rock-strewn field. A state marker and a small gravestone are all that’s left of the old post. The site is located in Val Verde County, on Texas Highway 163, about 20 miles north of Comstock.

Camp Verde

Camp Verde (1856-69) - One of a chain of forts protecting Texas settlers, the troops of Camp Verde did their share of Comanche fighting, but it won its major distinction as headquarters of the Army's camel experiment. This project was the brainchild of Edward F. Beale, Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California and Nevada, who persuaded the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis, to test camels in transporting personnel and freight in arid country.

At his urging, Congress appropriated $30,000 in 1855 to conduct the experiment. More than 70 camels, acquired by the War Department in the Mediterranean area, and a few herders arrived on Navy ships at Indianola, Texas in 1856-57 and were then herded to Camp Verde.

A specially erected caravansary, or khan, modeled after one in North Africa, accommodated them. In 1857 Beale took about 25 of them to Fort Tejon, California, while surveying a proposed road across the Southwest. Those based at Camp Verde were tested under field conditions in various parts of western Texas. Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee was in charge of the experiment. The Confederates acquired the camels when they took over Camp Verde in 1861 and they were still on hand when Federal troops reoccupied it in 1866.

Three years later, the Army relinquished Camp Verde and sold the herd to a private entrepreneur in San Antonio. Although the camels had demonstrated their superiority over mules, after the war, any project associated with Confederate President Jefferson Davis was discredited. This and other factors brought about the end of the program.

Today, there are only two remaining stucco buildings, much altered and probably dating from the 1850's, used today by the ranch owners as guesthouses. One of these is a linear barracks building, a composite of three original structures. The other building, the officers' quarters, has a rear wing. Mounds of earth reveal the site of the caravansary. The parade ground is distinguishable. Camp Verde is located in Kerr County, on County Road 689, about two miles north of the town of Camp Verde.

Continued Next Page

<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next >>

From the Rocky Mountain General Store

Photo Print Shop - Travel the trails of the American West with our many photographs! Just take a look at our galleries or purchase prints at very reasonable prices! Here you'll see photographs of Route 66, ghost towns, scenic and historic views, and roadside stops.