Fort Duncan facts for kids
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Fort Duncan
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Fort Duncan 1887
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 Fort Duncan
Location in Texas
Fort Duncan
Location in the United States
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| Location | Bounded by Monroe and Garrison Sts,. city limits on the S, and the Rio Grande on the W, Eagle Pass, Texas |
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| Area | 100 acres (40 ha) |
| Built | 1849 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000954 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1971 |
Fort Duncan was an important United States Army base. It was built to protect the first U.S. settlement along the Rio Grande. This area is now near the town of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Contents
History of Fort Duncan
Building the Fort
After the Mexican War (1846-1848), the U.S. Army built a line of seven forts. These forts were meant to protect settlers in West Texas. Fort Duncan was one of them. It was set up on March 27, 1849. Captain Sidney Burbank and his soldiers started the fort. On November 14, 1849, it was named Fort Duncan. This honored Colonel James Duncan, a hero from the Mexican–American War.
The fort had several buildings. These included a storehouse, two places to store weapons (magazines), and four homes for officers. There was also a stone hospital. Soldiers and hired workers built the fort together. They had plenty of stone but no wood for building. The soldiers sometimes suffered from the weather.
Protecting the Frontier
During the 1850s, Fort Duncan helped keep the area safe. It protected merchants and traders from outlaws and some Native American groups. The fort was also a base for scouting missions.
Some famous people were stationed at Fort Duncan. In 1854, Lieutenants Philip Sheridan, Zenas Bliss, and Richard W. Johnson served here. They had just graduated from West Point. Assistant Surgeon Albert J. Myer was also there.
Border Conflicts and the Civil War
In 1855, Fort Duncan played a role in a border event. Texas Ranger Captain James H. Callahan led a group into Mexico. They were looking for people who had escaped slavery. Mexican troops and Seminole people fought back. Callahan's group retreated to Piedras Negras, which caught fire. Captain Burbank used Fort Duncan's cannons to help Callahan's group get back across the Rio Grande.
The fort was ordered to be left empty in May 1859. But in March 1860, Lieutenant Colonel Robert E. Lee ordered soldiers to return. This was during a time of unrest called the Cortina Troubles. At this time, the fort had about 25 buildings. Most were made of stone and adobe with thatched roofs.
Just before the American Civil War began, Fort Duncan was left empty again on February 21, 1861. However, Major William H. French moved soldiers from Fort Duncan and Fort Brown to forts in Florida. During the war, the Confederate army used Fort Duncan. They called it Rio Grande Station. It became an important place for sending cotton into Mexico.
After the Civil War
U.S. troops returned to Fort Duncan on March 23, 1868. The 41st Infantry was led by Lieutenant Colonel William Rufus Shafter. Lieutenant Henry Ware Lawton was also there. Other units, including Buffalo Soldiers from the 9th Cavalry, were stationed at the fort. One of these soldiers was George B. Jackson, who later became a very successful businessman in Texas.
In 1870, the 25th Infantry arrived. The Black Seminole Scouts were also formed at the fort. They were led by officers like Lieutenant John L. Bullis. Fort Duncan was finally left empty again on August 31, 1883.
Camp at Eagle Pass
After Fort Duncan closed, a new military camp was set up nearby. This was called Camp at Eagle Pass. It started on April 3, 1886. It was a smaller post connected to Fort Clark. The camp was used until February 1927.
Various groups used the camp over the years. The 3rd Texas Volunteer Infantry was based here from 1898 to 1899. The camp was ordered to close in 1904. However, a small group from the Signal Corps arrived in 1911. This was because of the Mexican Revolution happening nearby. They stayed until 1914.
The National Guard was called to the camp in 1916. The Coast Artillery Corps also joined them. From 1919 to 1920, the 90th Aero Squadron flew planes called DH-4Bs from the camp. Famous pilot Jimmy Doolittle was part of this squadron. By 1922, only a few people remained to look after the hospital. The camp officially closed in 1927.
Military Aviation
Fort Duncan was part of an important moment in U.S. military aviation. On March 3, 1911, Benjamin Foulois and Philip Orin Parmelee made history. They flew the U.S. military's first cross-country scouting flight. They flew from Laredo to Fort Duncan. They covered 106 miles in two hours, flying at about 800 feet high. They used a Wright Model B airplane.
Preserving Fort Duncan
In 1933, the City of Eagle Pass started taking care of the old fort. They turned it into a public park. The city officially bought the property in 1938.
During World War II (1942), the mayor offered the fort to the military again. The government used the Fort Duncan Country Club as an officers' club. The swimming pool was used by military staff at Eagle Pass Army Air Field.
In 1971, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site. Seven of the original buildings from the fort still stand today. In the early 1980s, the Fort Duncan Country Club building caught fire. Only its outer walls remain.
The building that was once the Commander's Headquarters is now the Fort Duncan Museum. Inside, you can see exhibits about the fort's history and local artifacts.
Images for kids
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Texas historical marker, CSA
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Texas historical marker
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Texas Historical marker for barracks
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Fort Duncan Headquarter and Museum
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Museum 19th century infantry hat, or shako
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Museum 19th century cavalry hat
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Museum John Deere plow
