Fort McRae facts for kids

Fort McRae was an important military outpost. It was first set up by the Union Army in 1863 during the American Civil War. Later, it became a regular U.S. Army post from 1866 until it closed in 1876. The fort was located in what is now Sierra County, New Mexico. It was named after Alexander McRae (1829–1862), a brave soldier who died in the 1862 Battle of Valverde.

Today, you can find the site of Fort McRae on the east side of the Elephant Butte Reservoir. It's near Elephant Butte, New Mexico, inside McRae Canyon. About 21.6 acres (8.7 hectares) of the fort's area were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

History of Fort McRae

How the Fort Began

Fort McRae was first built by soldiers called California Volunteers. These soldiers were part of the Union Army during the American Civil War. They started building the fort on April 3, 1863. The fort was placed east of the Rio Grande river, on the south side of Canyon del Muerto. This canyon is now known as McRae Canyon. The fort was about 4,423 feet (1,348 meters) high in the southern Fra Cristobal Range. It was also about 3 miles northeast of Elephant Butte in Sierra County, New Mexico.

The fort was built close to a spring called Ojo del Muerto. This spring was one of the few places to find water along a tough desert trail called the Jornada del Muerto.

Protecting Settlers and Travelers

Fort McRae was built to keep people safe. It protected new towns and roads on the west side of the Rio Grande Valley. It also guarded the road that crossed the Jornada del Muerto. The main goal was to stop Navajo and Apache groups from raiding these areas. The fort also blocked these groups from using the Canyon del Muerto gap and the Ojo del Muerto spring.

The California Volunteers first set up the fort to protect towns like Alamosa and Canada Alamosa. They also protected travelers on the Fort Craig - Fort Thorn Wagon Road and the Jornada del Muerto from Apache raids. Later, the fort also protected newer towns. These included Alamocita (in 1867), Plaza del Rio Palomas (also in 1867), and Cuchillo Negro (in 1871).

During their time at Fort McRae, the Volunteers built a special monument. It was a cenotaph with the names of soldiers in the fort's cemetery. This monument was surrounded by a stone wall. The Volunteers stayed at the fort until 1866. That's when regular U.S. Army soldiers took over after the American Civil War ended.

The U.S. Army Takes Over

Fort McRae was the only military post within 30 miles (48 km) for a while. The closest other U.S. Army forts were Fort Craig, about 23 miles (37 km) north, and Fort Selden, about 60 miles (97 km) south.

In 1867, a small New Mexican town called Alamocita was started. It was on the east side of the Rio Grande, about six miles upriver from the fort. Some people from Alamosa, which had been destroyed by floods earlier that year, moved there. Also in 1867, Plaza del Rio Palomas (later called Las Palomas) was founded. It was twenty miles downriver from the fort on the west side, where Palomas Creek meets the Rio Grande. People thought it would be safer from Apache attacks and easier to get help from Fort McRae.

Between 1868 and 1871, Cuchillo Negro was settled by farmers from Alamosita. After a peace agreement was made, Fort McRae also provided soldiers for the Apache reservation at Ojo Caliente. In October 1876, Fort McRae was officially closed down. The soldiers left, and Fort Craig took over their duties.

The Fort Site Today

Today, parts of the Fort McRae site are sometimes underwater when the reservoir is full. But in recent years, lower water levels have shown more of the old fort. You can still see some foundations and other signs of the fort on the south side of McRae Canyon.