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Fort Belknap (Newcastle, Texas)
Encyclopedia
Fort Belknap, located near Newcastle, Texas
, was established in 1851 by brevet Brigadier William G. Belknap to protect the Texas
frontier against raids by the Kiowa
and Comanche
. It was the northernmost fort in a line from the Rio Grande
to the Red River
. The fort functioned as a base of operations rather than as a fortified point, and it became the center of a substantial network of roads, including the Butterfield Overland Mail
.
Notable officers who were stationed at Fort Belknap included Captain Randolph B. Marcy
and Lieutenant George B. McClellan
, who together explored the Canadian River
and found the headwaters of the Red River.
Prior to the outbreak of the American Civil War
the post was abandoned, partly as a pullback of Federal troops to the north, and partly due to the fort's unreliable water supply. The fort was briefly re-occupied in 1867, then abandoned for the last time.
The fort was gradually dismantled for building materials, so that by 1936 only the magazine and part of the cornhouse remained. Beginning with the Texas Centennial, portions of the fort were rebuilt and restored. mostly on their original foundations. The fort is home to the Fort Belknap Archives, which houses records from North Texas.
Newcastle, Texas
Newcastle is a city in Young County, Texas, United States. Following the beginning of coal mining in 1908, the town was established and named for the English coal town, Newcastle upon Tyne. Coal mining had ended by 1942...
, was established in 1851 by brevet Brigadier William G. Belknap to protect the 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...
frontier against raids by the Kiowa
Kiowa
The Kiowa are a nation of American Indians and indigenous people of the Great Plains. They migrated from the northern plains to the southern plains in the late 17th century. In 1867, the Kiowa moved to a reservation in southwestern Oklahoma...
and Comanche
Comanche
The Comanche are a Native American ethnic group whose historic range consisted of present-day eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, southern Kansas, all of Oklahoma, and most of northwest Texas. Historically, the Comanches were hunter-gatherers, with a typical Plains Indian...
. It was the northernmost fort in a line from the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
to the Red River
Red River (Mississippi watershed)
The Red River, or sometimes the Red River of the South, is a major tributary of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers in the southern United States of America. The river gains its name from the red-bed country of its watershed. It is one of several rivers with that name...
. The fort functioned as a base of operations rather than as a fortified point, and it became the center of a substantial network of roads, including the Butterfield Overland Mail
Butterfield Overland Mail
The Butterfield Overland Mail Trail was a stagecoach route in the United States, operating from 1857 to 1861. It was a conduit for the U.S. mail from two eastern termini, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri, meeting Fort Smith, Arkansas, and continuing through Indian Territory, New Mexico,...
.
Notable officers who were stationed at Fort Belknap included Captain Randolph B. Marcy
Randolph B. Marcy
Randolph Barnes Marcy was a career officer in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Brigadier General before retiring in 1881. Although beginning in 1861 his responsibilities were those of a brigadier general, the U.S...
and Lieutenant George B. McClellan
George B. McClellan
George Brinton McClellan was a major general during the American Civil War. He organized the famous Army of the Potomac and served briefly as the general-in-chief of the Union Army. Early in the war, McClellan played an important role in raising a well-trained and organized army for the Union...
, who together explored the Canadian River
Canadian River
The Canadian River is the longest tributary of the Arkansas River. It is about long, starting in Colorado and traveling through New Mexico, the Texas Panhandle, and most of Oklahoma....
and found the headwaters of the Red River.
Prior to the outbreak of the American 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 post was abandoned, partly as a pullback of Federal troops to the north, and partly due to the fort's unreliable water supply. The fort was briefly re-occupied in 1867, then abandoned for the last time.
The fort was gradually dismantled for building materials, so that by 1936 only the magazine and part of the cornhouse remained. Beginning with the Texas Centennial, portions of the fort were rebuilt and restored. mostly on their original foundations. The fort is home to the Fort Belknap Archives, which houses records from North Texas.
External links
- Fort Belknap Handbook of Texas OnlineHandbook of TexasThe Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...