Texas' frontiers in the 1840s were buffeted by disputes with Mexico
and attacks by Indian tribes who refused to give up their
life-styles to make way for new settlers. To ensure some measure of
peace in the far reaches of Texas, the U.S. Army established a
series of military forts in the state. These outposts varied in
size and amenities, but the typical installation was staffed with
officers, enlisted men, medical personnel, and civilian
laundresses. Many soldiers brought their families to the frontier
stations. While faced with the hardships of post life, wives and
children helped create a more congenial environment for all
concerned. In this, the second volume in the Clayton Wheat Williams
Texas Life Series, historian Robert Wooster covers life at the
forts from reveille to taps, detailing the soldiers' uniforms,
weapons, and duties, along with the activities of the local
civilian inhabitants. As the numerous anecdotes of post residents
show, military life on the Texas frontier was not one long battle
against Indians or invaders. Many of the daily battles waged were
against roaches, cholera, inappropriate government-issue items,
harsh weather, and personalities. The presence of women in the
forts was considered a healthy and civilizing influence by some;
others doubted the morals of the fort's laundresses among lonely
enlisted men. Despite the popularity of gambling and drinking,
family environments did flourish at many posts: school was taught,
dramatic entertainments were performed, religious services were
held, and dances were organized to celebrate almost any occasion. A
variety of troops manned the army's Texas posts. Blacks and whites,
immigrants and Easterners, West Pointers and illiterates all
contributed to garrison life. Their presence in Texas until the
building of the railroads and defeat of the Indians prompted the
closing of the forts affected the state dramatically, often in more
subtle ways than fighting. As Sgt. H. H. McConnell explained in the
1880s, "if we didn't actually kill many Indians, who shall
say...[the army] was not a potent factor in 'settling up the
country.'"
General
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