Fort Inge
Encyclopedia
Fort Inge was a frontier fort in Uvalde County
, Texas
(USA
) established as Camp Leona on March 13, 1849. The fort served as a base for United States Army
troops assigned to protect the southern overland mail
route along the San Antonio-El Paso Road
from Indian
raids. The camp was renamed Fort Inge in honor of Lieutenant Zebulon M. P. Inge a West Point
officer killed in the Mexican–American War
.
There were two wooden barracks
with thatched roofs
that quartered the soldier
s assigned to the fort. There was also a large limestone
building that served as commissary
and later a hospital
. The buildings at Ft. Inge were never sufficient for the troops stationed there, probably because this post was never determined by the Army to be a permanent post. It was started in 1849 but abandoned in the spring of 1851. It was reoccupied that same summer and occupied until 1855 when it was abandoned again. It was reoccupied a third time in 1856 but was abandoned in 1861 to Confederate States Army
troops.
The United States Army
regarrisoned the fort until March 19, 1869, when the garrison
was transferred to Fort McKavett
. The army recovered materials from the site to use for additions to nearby Fort Clark. Fort Inge then saw use as a camp by the Texas Rangers
until 1884.
The fort was surrounded on three sides by a stacked stone wall added approximately at the time of the Civil War
. The wall was dismantled in 1874 and the stone used to build a dam on the Leona River. The wall was relaid along its original lines in 1984.
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II
was posted to Fort Inge in the early 1850s, and his letters from there are preserved by the Maryland Historical Society
.
In 1961, the site became the Fort Inge Historical Site County Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on September 12, 1985. The site is located on the Leona River and is dominated by the 140 feet (42.7 m) high remains of an extinct volcano named Mount Inge.
Uvalde County, Texas
Uvalde County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 25,926. Its county seat is Uvalde. The county is named for Juan de Ugalde, the Spanish governor of Coahuila. Uvalde County was founded by Reading Wood Black who also founded the city of Uvalde,...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
) established as Camp Leona on March 13, 1849. The fort served as a base for United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
troops assigned to protect the southern overland mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
route along the San Antonio-El Paso Road
San Antonio-El Paso Road
The San Antonio-El Paso Road also known as the Lower Emigrant Road or Military Road was an economically important trade route between the Texas cities of San Antonio and El Paso between 1849 and 1882...
from Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
raids. The camp was renamed Fort Inge in honor of Lieutenant Zebulon M. P. Inge a West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
officer killed in the Mexican–American War
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
.
There were two wooden barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
with thatched roofs
Thatching
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge , rushes, or heather, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. It is a very old roofing method and has been used in both tropical and temperate climates...
that quartered the soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s assigned to the fort. There was also a large limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
building that served as commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
and later a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
. The buildings at Ft. Inge were never sufficient for the troops stationed there, probably because this post was never determined by the Army to be a permanent post. It was started in 1849 but abandoned in the spring of 1851. It was reoccupied that same summer and occupied until 1855 when it was abandoned again. It was reoccupied a third time in 1856 but was abandoned in 1861 to Confederate States Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
troops.
The United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
regarrisoned the fort until March 19, 1869, when the garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
was transferred to Fort McKavett
Fort McKavett State Historic Site
Fort McKavett State Historic Site is a state park in Menard County, Texas, United States. Fort McKavett was a frontier fort established as Camp San Saba in 1852 to protect settlers from Indian raids...
. The army recovered materials from the site to use for additions to nearby Fort Clark. Fort Inge then saw use as a camp by the Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
until 1884.
The fort was surrounded on three sides by a stacked stone wall added approximately at the time of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The wall was dismantled in 1874 and the stone used to build a dam on the Leona River. The wall was relaid along its original lines in 1984.
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte II was a son of Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte and Susan May Williams.-Biography:...
was posted to Fort Inge in the early 1850s, and his letters from there are preserved by the Maryland Historical Society
Maryland Historical Society
The Maryland Historical Society , founded in 1844, is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. state of Maryland. The society "collects, preserves, and interprets objects and materials reflecting Maryland's diverse heritage." MdHS has a museum, library, holds educational programs, and publishes...
.
In 1961, the site became the Fort Inge Historical Site County Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on September 12, 1985. The site is located on the Leona River and is dominated by the 140 feet (42.7 m) high remains of an extinct volcano named Mount Inge.
External links
- Fort Inge Historical Park - Uvalde County