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History of Fort McKavett and Military Telegraphy.

Fort McKavett was established on March 14, 1852.  As a frontier fort in western central Texas, it served the dual role of fortifying the Texas Frontier and providing armed security to westbound settlers.  It was established at the headwaters of the San Saba River along the westward bound Emigrant's Road and within 5 miles of a north-south trail used by Comanches during annual migrations.  During the antebellum period, soldiers of the 1st and 8th Infantry Regiments and the 2nd Dragoons were stationed at the post.  Several limestone buildings were constructed including barracks, officer quarters, headquarters, hospital, stables, and warehouses; all of limestone and wood.  The post was abandoned in 1859 after Texas Comanches were relocated to a reservation near present-day Abilene.

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During the Civil War, Fort McKavett was home to Co. E, 1st Texas Mounted Rifles in the winter of 1861-2.  Several regulars from the 8th U.S. Infantry were held as prisoners of war at the post following their surrender at Adams Hill in May.  When the prisoners were relocated in April 1862, the post was again abandoned by the Texas soldiers.  The fort would be occasionally occupied by Texas State Troops and Texas Ranger patrols traveling through the area.  Owner of the property, J.D. Robinson, lived in the Commanding Officer's Quarters during this period.

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Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army returned to Texas and began to refortify the frontier.  The line of settlement had retreated during the war and many antebellum posts would not be reoccupied.  In August 1866, Menard County was the scene of one of the largest Indian raids in Texas history, resulting in two deaths.  One of those deaths, William McDougall, was killed in the vicinity of the abandoned fort.  The Indians (primary sources dispute whether it was Comanche or Kickapoo) entered and left the San Saba Valley within two miles of the fort and it was determined that Fort McKavett would be reopened.  In March 1868, soldiers of the 4th Cavalry and 35th Infantry regiments arrived at the old fort and began a massive repair, reconstruction, and expansion campaign.  During the late-60's and early-1870's the post was home to elements of three of the four regiments of black soldiers, known later as "Buffalo Soldiers".  In 1874, the post was used as a staging point for Colonel Ranald Mackenzie's Southern Column in the Red River War.  Companies A and I of the 10th Infantry would participate in that campaign, primarily in support roles.  By the end of summer 1875, the Indian Wars in Texas had largely ended with the surrender of Quanah Parker in June.  In subsequent years, Fort McKavett transitioned to a remote Quartermaster Depot and closed in June 1883.

Army telegraphy began in the 1850's.  Army Surgeon Albert John Myer began experimenting with the use of signal flags for short range, "aerial" telegraphic operations.  Prior to joining the Army, Myer was a dentist and developed a sign language for the deaf that was easily adaptable to signalling.  He presented his technique to the War Department in 1859 and spent the next year continuing tests and manual writing at City Point, New York.  There, the U.S. Army Signal Service was born.  

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During the Civil War, the Signal Service conducted operations using the short range aerial techniques developed by Myer.  Electronic telegraphy was under the purview of a civilian bureau called the United States Military Telegraph Corps.  This organization was comprised of railroad executives carrying field grade commissions and former railroad telegraph operators working lines and stations across the various theaters of war at all levels of operation.  USMT operators suffered a 10% casualty rate, commiserate with line infantrymen during the conflict.  Still subject to the draft and not eligible for soldier's pensions after the war, the USMT operators worked in extreme circumstances and were credited with a large portion of the success enjoyed by Federal armies.  Confederate telegraph operations existed but were very limited due to few sources of necessary material available to the Confederate States.  

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Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army largely discarded its electric telegraphic infrastructure.  Over 25,000 miles of permanent telegraph lines were built, most of which were sold to private interests.  Army Signal offices were opened in existing corporate offices and used existing lines to send traffic.  The Army's return to Texas was met with increased depredations across the entire state.  District Commander J.J. Reynolds wrote in 1869 that "Indians raids during the past year have been unusually bold, and have penetrated into the settlements."  Veteran officers were well-familiar with the military advantages of telegraphic abilities and began advocating for the Army to construct a telegraph line connecting primary installations in Texas.  A combination of military and civilian lobbying efforts led to congressional approval for military telegraph lines connecting Texas forts in June 1874.  The telegraph would be installed over the next 6 years until 1880 when all major military installations, including far-flung Fort Bliss (El Paso), were connected to the Department Headquarters at San Antonio.  

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Fort McKavett State Historic Site

7066 Ranch Road 864

PO Box 68

Ft. McKavett, Texas 76841

P: (325) 396-2358

F: (325) 396-2818

ft-mckavett@thc.texas.gov

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© 2020 by Kevin R. Malcolm

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