Camp Del Rio

Camp Del Rio (1857-1922) - First established in 1857 as a temporary camp in Val Verde County, Texas. Used by Confederate forces during the U.S. Civil War. Occupied by regular U.S. Army forces in 1876 as Camp San Felipe or Post of San Felipe. Named Camp Del Rio on 31 Mar 1881 and abandoned in 1891. Regarrisoned in 1914 and finally abandoned in 1922.

History of Camp Del Rio

In 1850, Army Engineer Lt. William H. C. Whiting (Cullum 1231), made a reconnaissance of routes between the Red River and the Rio Grande, and a study of the Indian situation. He recommended to the War Department that a chain of posts be established from the mouth of the Little Washita River (on the Red River) to the Rio Grande at Presidio del Norte, from which line a better observation of the movements of the Comanche of the plains and the Apache of the Trans-Pecos country could be maintained. The government favored the locations recommended by Whiting because they would be on the route of the South Texas-California road, and military posts were therefore built along the San Antonio-San Felipe Springs line: Fort Clark (1) (1852), Fort Davis (1) near the Comanche Trail (1854), Fort Lancaster (1) (1855), and Fort Hudson (1) (1857); Camp Del Rio itself, on the San Felipe River in Val Verde County, Texas was established in 1857 as a temporary camp.

It was used intermittently by passing troops and travelers, and during the U.S. Civil War by Confederate forces.

Occupied by regular U.S. Army forces on 6 Sep 1876 by Company E, 10th U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Captain Joseph M. Kelly, 10th U.S. Cavalry, as an outpost of Fort Clark. The post buildings included Officers’ Quarters, a hospital, bakery, storehouse and warehouse. Named Camp Del Rio on 31 Mar 1881 and abandoned 8 May 1891 when the garrison returned to Fort Clark.

Regarrisoned by the U.S. Army in 1914 and finally abandoned in 1922.

Camp Del Rio Partial Commanders List (edit list)

Assumed	Relieved	Rank	Name	Cullum	Notes
1888-05-07	1888-09-14	’1st Lt.	Eckerson, Theodore H.	2547
1890-03	1891-05	Capt.	Wheeler, William B.	2400
Dates are formatted in yyyy-mm-dd to sort correctly. The Cullum Number is the graduation order from the United States Military Academy by year and class rank and links to a page for the officer on the website version of the Cullum Register. Listings without a Cullum Number indicate that the person was not a graduate of the United States Military Academy.

Current Status

No remains, marker located on Ogden St., Del Rio, Texas.

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Location: Ogden St. north of South Bedell, Del Rio, Val Verde County, Texas. Map point is the marker location. Maps & Images Lat: 29.36753 Long: -100.8852 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....'

See Also:

• Fort Clark

Sources:

• 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 760-761.
• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 158.
• Post returns available Camp Del Rio - 1884 Mar - 1916 Apr at Ancestry.com (by Subscription)
• Post returns available Post of San Felipe - 1876 Sep - 1881Jan at Ancestry.com (by Subscription)

Links:

• North American Forts - Camp Del Rio
• Texas Handbook Online - Camp San Felipe
• HMDB - Site of Camp Del Rio Marker

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