In the late summer of 1875, Colonel Henry Boynton Clitz commands the 10th Infantry Regiment at its headquarters at Fort McKavett, Texas.  The unit has been stationed at Fort McKavett since September 20, 1872 and Clitz has commanded since his arrival in July 1873.  The garrison is at its greatest size ever at just under 600 soldiers permanently stationed here.  Cos. A and I, 10th Infantry departed the post in August 1874 for service in the recently ended Red River War.  The new hospital was completed earlier in the year and work is being done on a new schoolhouse on the south side of the post.  A small settlement formally called Lehnesburg (but colloquially called Scabtown) sits to the north of the post on the opposite bank of the San Saba River.  

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On July 23, Colonel Clitz received a letter from a Signal Service Officer by the name of Lieutenant A.W. Greely from Denison, the headquarters of the military telegraph within the Department of Texas.  Instructions were given that a party of 1 officer and 30 enlisted men were to begin construction of a telegraph line from Fort McKavett to Fort Concho, a distance of roughly 50 miles.  Signal Service Private Edwin Prince was dispatched to Fort McKavett and is the subject matter expert on telegraph installation and operation.  Under the supervision of Private Prince, Lieutenant (Brevet Major) C.L. Davis and 30 men of Company C, 10th Infantry will begin construction of a military telegraph line from the Post Headquarters building at Fort McKavett towards Fort Concho by the most direct route.  A telegraph office will be established in the Adjutant's Office of the Headquarters building.  Soldiers on construction duty are exempted from other garrison duties.