Fort Belknap

1
Fort Belknap

• A famous historic fort located in
• North Central Texas.
• By Amanda Cerecedez, Rikki Buckalew, and Erin
  Mazy
• Graham High School Graham, TX. Young County

2
The Founding of Ft. Belknap

• Founded in 1851.
• Named for General William Belknap.
• One of the many frontier posts placed by the
  federal government along the line from the Red
  River to the Rio Grande to guard settlers from
  Indian attacks.

3
Belknap as a Fort

• Fort Belknap was a four-company post. Among the
  companies stationed there during its existence
  were some from
• The Fifth United States Infantry
• The Second United States Dragoons
• The Seventh United States Infantry
• The Second United States Cavalry
• The Sixth United States Cavalry

4
Officers

• Among the commanding officers were
• Col. Gustavus Loomis
• Maj. Enoch Steen
• Maj. George H. Thomas
• Maj. Samuel Henry Starr
• Lt. Col. Samuel Davis Sturgis
• Capt. Richard W. Johnson.

5
Civil War

• In early 1861 Gen. David E. Twiggs ordered Col.
  William H. Emory to gather all federal troops
  from Ft. Belknap and move them north to Ft.
  Leavenworth.
• On February 9, 1861, General Twiggs, in San
  Antonio, surrendered all United States forts and
  military equipment in Texas

Civil War cannon
6
Civil War

• Tonkawa Scouts
• Tonkawa Indians from the Ft. Belknap area were
  used during the civil war to track union troops.
  
• They were said to of been worth more than two or
  three companies of regular soldiers and could
  stalk enemies better than bloodhounds.
• They were fed at the Confederacys expense and
  were even given a tribal home in Ft. Griffin when
  requested by Chief Castile.
• In 1884 they were relocated to Oklahoma.

7
Reasons for Fort Failure

• Lack of water
• Kiowa tribes raided the fort and nearby farms.
• No defensive walls.

Well dug in 1857
8
Interesting Facts

• Mark Twain once visited Ft. Belknap.
• The fort was on The Butterfield Overland Stage
  Route, which carried passengers and mail between
  St. Louis to San Francisco.
• Also on Dec. 27, 1856 a blizzard hit and killed
  all of Fort Belknaps horses.
• Ten members of both the Cameron and Mason
  families were murdered in 1858 during the last
  Indian raid in Texas.

9
Reconstruction of Fort Belknap

• In 1936, to celebrate the Texas Centennial, the
  commissary store, magazine, forage house, and
  infantry quarters were restored in Ft. Belknap.
• The Works Progress Administration gave 29,302 to
  restore the fort.
• The kitchen and the stone wall were added.

Stone kitchen
10
Reconstruction

• During reconstruction the Young County Citizen
  Group added amenities such as a vine terrace with
  picnic tables, swings, basketball court, and even
  barbeque pits.
• Ft Belknap Society was organized in 1970 to
  supervise the maintenance of the fort.
• The Young County Commissioners Court supports it
  financially.

11
Present Day Ft. Belknap

• Ft. Belknap is used presently for family
  reunions, weddings, church events, and other
  community gatherings. Around 30,000 visitors
  annually visit.
• It also houses a museum and the records of North
  Texas.

Corn house
12
Bibliography

• Coleman, Elaine. Texas Haunted Forts. Waco, TX
  Republic of Texas Pree, 2001. 1-237.
• Conger, Roger N., James M. Day, Joe B. Frantz,
  Kenneth F. Neighbours, W.C. Nunn, Ben Procter,
  Harold B. Simpson, and Dorman H. Winfrey. "Fort
  Belknap." Frontier Forts of Texas. Vol. 1. Waco,
  TX Texian, 1966. 5-189.
• Crouch, Carrie J. A History of Young County
  Texas. Vol. 2.
• Crouch, Carrie J. A History of Young County
  Texas. Vol. 2. Austin, TX Texas State Historical
  Association, 1956. 3-326.
• Ledbetter, Barbara N. Fort Belknap Frontier Saga.
  Burnett, TX Eakin P, 1982. 1-299.
• Webb, Walter P., ed. "Belknap Texas." The
  Handbook of Texas. Vol. 1. Austin, TX The Texas
  State Historical Association, 1952. 1-977.
• Webb, Walter P., ed. "Belknap William Goldsmith."
  The Handbook of Texas. Vol. 1. Austin, TX The
  Texas State Historical Association, 1952. 1-977.
• Young County Historical Commission. Directory to
  Historical Markers and Sites In Young County,
  Texas. Olney, TX Olney Enterprise, 1992.