Fort Quitman

Fort Quitman was a United States Army installation on the Rio Grande in Texas, United States, south of present-day Sierra Blanca, 20 miles southeast of McNary in southern Hudspeth County.^[1] The fort, now a ghost town, was named for former Mississippi Governor John A. Quitman, who served as a major general under Zachary Taylor during the Mexican–American War.

In 1963,

Fort Quitman was established on September 28, 1858, by units of the 8th Infantry Regiment. The first troops were under the command of Captain Arthur T. Lee and included 86 officers and men. Their mission was to protect the San Antonio–El Paso Road. It was a station on the route of the mail coaches of the San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line and later the Butterfield Overland Mail.^[1]

By 1860 the

The Fort was regarrisoned in January 1868 by Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th Cavalry Regiment and 42 Infantry under command of Major Albert Payson Morrow of the 9th Cavalry. Much of the post was in bad condition and was never fully restored. Soldiers would complain about adobe from the walls falling into their bunks as they slept due to the poor condition of the buildings. It has been stated, "No worse site for a military post could ever be conceived." It was all but totally isolated from civilization with mountain ranges running down both sides of the river. Any attempts at cultivating gardens to help with food supplies met with little success.^[1]

Expeditions against the

External links

• Fort Quitman, fortwiki.com accessed December 19, 2010
• "Fort Quitman, C.S.A. - Sierra Blanca ~ Marker Number: 2007".
  Texas Historic Sites Atlas. Texas Historical Commission
  . 1963.