Fort Belknap (2)

Fort Belknap (1851-1859)(1864-1875) - One of eight forts authorized by Bvt. Maj. Gen Persifor F. Smith in the 1850's. The fort was founded on 24 Jun 1851, at the site of present Newcastle by Bvt. Brig. Gen. William G. Belknap. Commanding officer, Capt. C. L. Stephenson, 5th U.S. Infantry could find no water on the original site and he relocated the fort two miles south, where where spring water was available.

The post had no defensive works. Troops pursued raiding bands of Indians, and mounted expeditions from the fort and carried the war to the enemy on the plains as far north as Kansas. Fort Belknap became the center of a network of roads; the most notable was the Butterfield Overland Mail route from St. Louis to San Francisco.

Fort Belknap was a four-company post and companies from the 5th U.S. Infantry, the 2nd U.S. Dragoons, the 7th U.S. Infantry, the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, and the 6th U.S. Cavalry stationed there at various times. Among the commanding officers were Col. Gustavus Loomis, Maj. Enoch Steen, Capt. Paul, Maj. George H. Thomas, Maj. Samuel Henry Starr, Lt. Col. Samuel Davis Sturgis, and Capt. Richard W. Johnson.

U.S. Civil War

In early 1861, believing that war was imminent, Gen. David E. Twiggs ordered Col. William H. Emory to gather all federal troops and move them north to Fort Leavenworth. General Twiggs surrendered all United States forts and military equipment in Texas on 9 Feb 1861. Abandoned before the start of the U.S. Civil War, the fort was occupied from time to time by Confederate troops of the Texas Frontier Regiment under Col. James M. Norris.

Post U.S. Civil War

The Texas Rangers occupied Fort Belknap from 1864 to 1867. It was reoccupied by U.S. troops on 28 Apr 1867 by Major Starr with troops of the 6th U.S. Cavalry. The fort was abandoned in September of 1867 when Fort Griffin was founded in Shackelford County.

There is one original building and six replicas, and a museum.

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Location: Three miles south of Newcastle, Young County, Texas Maps & Images Lat: 33.15083 Long: -98.74056 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation:

Links:

• Texas Handbook
• U.S. Army on the Texas Frontier

Publications:

• Roger N. Conger, et al., Frontier Forts of Texas, Waco: Texian Press, 1966
• Carrie J. Crouch, Fort Belknap, Graham, Texas: Graham Leader, n.d
• Barbara Neal Ledbetter, Fort Belknap Frontier Saga: Indians, Negroes and Anglo-Americans on the Texas Frontier, Burnet, Texas: Eakin Press, 1982
• Kenneth F. Neighbours, Robert Simpson Neighbors and the Texas Frontier, 1836-1859, Waco: Texian Press, 1975
• Robert B. Roberts, Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, New York: Macmillan, 1988
• Bill Winsor, Texas in the Confederacy, Hillsboro, Texas: Hill Junior College Press, 1978

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