Camp Wood (1) (1857-1861) - A U.S. Army Cavalry Camp established in 1857 at the present day town of Camp Wood in Real County, Texas. Named Camp Wood after Bvt Major George W. F. Wood, who died 8 Nov 1854 of disease contracted in the Mexican War and Second Seminole War. Surrendered by Union troops in 1861 and used intermittently by Confederate troops during the U.S. Civil War and by Texas Rangers after the war.
Camp Wood Site at the Town of Camp Wood.
History
Established 20 May 1857 by Lieutenant J. B. Wiod and a company of 1st U.S. Cavalry on the site of the abandoned Spanish Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz. The post was positioned to protect the San Antonio-El Paso road and the Rio Grande Valley.
Surrendered 15 Mar 1861 at the beginning of the U.S. Civil War to Texas State troops. Garrisoned intermittently during the war by the Confederate Frontier Battalion under Colonel James Morris. Used by the Texas Rangers after the war.
Current Status
Camp Wood Marker
Markers and ruins of the mission in the town of Camp Wood, Texas.
Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 781.
