Reprinted and posted by permission from Mr. Emet Huntsman, Fort Clark Historical Society, Brackettville, Texas.
Fort Clark was established June 24 1852 by
Major Joseph H. LaMotte on land long
favored as camp grounds for Comanche,
Mescalero, Lipan and other Indians. This ground
was at Las Moras (The Mulberries) Spring, a beautiful oasis shaded by huge oak and pecan trees. Two
Companies (C 6r E) of the First Infantry encamped
near the Springs. Later, the complete garrison was
moved up the hill from the Spring. By 1853 quarters
for the soldiers were nearly completed, and in 1854
three grass-covered officers' quarters were built. In
1855 a stone hospital and a two-story storehouse
were erected.
At first all materials and supplies were hauled
from Corpus Christi by wagons a 30aay trip. Later
they were landed at Indianola and hauled by government wagon trains via San Antonio, still a 30 day
trip. Prior to erection of storehouses, provisions
were stored in jacales (staked logs and adobe huts)
and covered with canvas.
With the onset of the Civil War and secession of
Texas, the Federal soldiers left Fort Clark March 19,
1861, and returned December 12, 1866. Until
August 1862 the Fort was occupied by the Second
Texas Mounted Rifles, later served as a supply depot
and hospital for Confederate troops and civilians in
surrounding areas.
War Department records indicate that construction started for the fort in 1853 with the major
portion of the Historic District being erected in
period of 1870-1875. The internal portion of the
shell stone building, Post Headquarters, was built in
1857. A twenty acre post was developed with the
construction of quarters, barracks, hospital (now the
Adult Center), bakery, stables, and guardhouse. By
1874 Fort Clark had quarters built of stone for 200
men and nine officer quarters, four from previous
log quarters. A storehouse, the second, known today
as the Old Commissary and a granary capable of
holding 3000 bushels of grain was built in 1882.
During the major construction period of 1874 there
were 104 civilian masons on the payroll. The first
stone construction (1855-1856) stone came from
local quarry, which is now the Amphitheatre. But,
due to poor quality of stone, it was also hauled by
wagon from other quarries.
Fort Clark is perhaps most famous as the home
for the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts. After twenty
years of protecting Mexico's northern states from
hostile Indians for the Mexican Army they came to
Fort Duncan in 1872 and to Fort Clark to serve the
army as scouts. Lt. John L. Bullis, later a general,
was to serve as their commander from 1873-1881.
Fort Clark is also noted as the Headquarters for
Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie's raiders. He led raids
into Mexico to punish renegade Indians, playing a
decisive roll in bringing to an end the Indian depredations in Texas. Comanches on horseback swept
down from the north moonlight nights, raiding,
killing, taking horses, mules, and cattle, and escaping across the Rio Grande into Mexico. Lipans and
Kickapoos from Mexico slipped across the border
into Texas, destroying, stealing, murdering, and
returning quickly to safety. Outlaws of every nationality fled from one side of border to safety on the
other. Hundreds of pioneers were forced to abandon
their homesteads.
Appeals to Washington brought Secretary Of
War W. W. Belknap and General Philip Sheridan to
Fort Clark for secret talks with Mackenzie. On May
17, 1873, Mackenzie, accompanied by Lt. Bullis and
the Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts, led troops of the
4th US. Cavalry into Mexico on a punitive expedition against the Lipans. Other sorties followed.
Again in 1878, Mackenzie was recalled to Fort
Clark to stop the Kickapoo's war on Texas. Mackenzie with Bullis and Seminole Scouts, and a large
peace-time army, crossed the border to effectively
stop the Mexican Army and end the Mexican Indian
hostilities forever. The last Indian depredation in
the Military District of the Nueces was in 1881.
Many infantry units and virtually all cavalry
units, including three 9th and 10th black "Buffalo
Soldiers," were stationed at Fork Clark. Some
famous officers were; General Wesley Merritt, Commander of the Philippine Expedition; General William R. Shafter, Commander of Cuba Expedition;
George C. Marshall, U. S. Chief of Staff in WWII;
Jonathan M. Wainwright, hero of Bataan and Corregidor; and George S. Patton, Jr., famous for his
mighty mobile armored operations in North Africa,
Sicily and from France through Germany. Many
combat decorations and honors were awarded to Fort
Clark veterans, including four Congressional
Medals of Honor awarded to the Seminole Scouts.
The Seminole-Negro Indian Scout Cemetery where
all four of Medal of Honor recipients have special
marked graves, may be visited on FM Road 3348
west of the Fort and 3.1 miles south of U.S. 90. In
1941 the 5th Cavalry was transferred to Fort Bliss
and Fort Clark then manned by 112th Cavalry,
Texas National Guard Unit, until their deployment
for combat duties in Pacific. Later, more than
12,000 troops of the Second Cavalry Division, the
last horse mounted Cavalry division, trained here
until deployment in February 1944. The war also
added another feature to history of Fort Clark, that
of having a German Prisoner of War subcamp on the
4,000 acre reservation.
In June of 1944 the closing of Fort Clark was
announced, and in 1946 it was sold to Brown 6~
Root Company for salvage and later use as guest
ranch.
In 1971 it was purchased by a private corporation
and developed into a private recreation community.
Today Fort Clark encompasses about 2700 acres.
The Springs feeds Las Moras Creek and a dam feeds
the water also into a very large swimming pool, with
68 degree temperature. Below the dam, fishermen,
bird watchers, hikers, picnickers, and campers enjoy
the beautifully wooded Las Moras Creek banks.
The Historic District of the Fort remains much as it
was planned and built in the 1800's. The history is
displayed by six dioramas created by members of Fort
Clark Arts for the Old Fort Clark Guardhouse
Museum maintained by the Fort Clark Historical
Society. Visitors at the museum are welcomed by
volunteer hosts and hostesses.
Copyright © 1985
Fort Clark Historical Society
YOUR VISIT:
of Kinney County, Inc.
Brackettville, Texas 78832
Fort Clark and Brackettville
are located on U.S. 90, 120 miles west of San Antonio and 31
miles east of Del Rio, Texas. The Seminole Indian Scouts Cenetery
is 3.1 miles south of Brackettville on FM Road 3348.
[BRACKETTVILLE AND FORT CLARK, TEXAS]
[NORTHERN MEXICO AND SOUTHWEST TEXAS]
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