Fort Ewell
Fort Ewell (1852-1854) - Established May 18, 1852 by Ltc. William W. Loring, U.S. Mounted Riflemen, and named for Capt. Richard S. Ewell who was a veteran of the Mexican-American War, then 1st lieutenant of the 1st U.S. Dragoons. The fort was commanded by Captain/Brevet Major John Smith Simonson and occupied by three companies of the U.S. Mounted Riflemen, E, G, and I. Abandoned October 3, 1854.
Fort Ewell History
Fort Ewell was located on the south bank of the Nueces River where it crossed the old road from San Antonio to Laredo. The location was poorly chosen because of frequent flooding and a lack of proper building materials and forage for the animals. The fort was constructed of soft adobe walled buildings most with canvas roofs. Every soldier had a rifle but only 40 revolvers were provided for each regiment which did not account for every man. Sergeants and Buglers additionally carried a sabre. Scurvy, dysentery, and diarrhea was common. At least one soldier is known to have been buried in a whiskey barrel. The poor conditions, lack of food and timber, and the incidences of disease caused the fort to be ordered abandoned in December 1853 and by October 1854 it was abandoned. The soldiers were either transfered to Fort Merrill and Fort Inge or abandoned the military. The settlement that formed around the fort remained until the mid-1880's when it too was abandoned. Confederates occupied the site in 1864 as a supply depot. William Sydney Porter, later known as O. Henry, rode to Fort Ewell to get his mail while he worked at the Dull Ranch, 15 miles away.
Current Status
No physical remains are left of any buildings, as 150 years of wind and rain will wear down anything made of adobe if not managed. In 1871, a report was made in which was said all that was left of Fort Ewell was a few crumbling walls and some graves. The site is dominated by mesquite trees and other thick brush.
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Location: Located approximately 25 miles Southeast of Cotulla, Texas on the South bank of the Nueces River where it was crossed by the old San Antonio-Laredo Road. Maps & Images Lat: 28.144357 Long: -99.032049 |
Sources:
- Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 150
- The Handbook of Texas OnLine
- 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 762
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