Excerpt from History of Fort Davis, Texas About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Fort Davis National Historic Site, Texas Soon after the return of the hays-highsmith Expedition, Maj. Gen. William J. Worth, commanding the 8th Military Department (texas), ordered two engineer officers, Lts. William H. C. Whiting and William F. Smith, to extend the exploration of the Texas Rangers westward to El Paso del N orte. Escorted by nine Texas frontiersmen and guided by Richard A. Howard, the lieutenants left San Antonio on February 12, 1849. By the middle of March they were in the Davis Mountains, where the journey nearly ended. The column found itself suddenly sur rounded by about 200 menacing Apache warriors. The grim demeanor of the well-armed Texans inspired the Indians with caution, however, and they ended by escorting the white men to a nearby village for the night. There were five chiefs. Four proved reasonable enough, but Gomez - the terror of Chihuahua, Whiting called him - was insulting and belligerent. He innocently asked why the Americans did not scatter out and gather wood for cook fires. Patting his rifle stock, Whiting replied that we held wood enough in our hands. At a council with the chiefs, the lieutenant argued forcefully that the expedition meant no harm and should be allowed to proceed unmolested. While the Americans spent an uneasy night, the chiefs debated. Finally, Gomez was outvoted, and the crisis passed. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This publication is one of a series of handbooks describing the historical and archeological areas in the National Park System.

The idea of the West conjures exciting images of tenacious men and women, huge expanses of unclaimed territory, and feelings of both adventure and lonesome isolation. Located astride communication lines linking San Antonio, El Paso, Presidio, and Chihuahua City, the United States Army?s post at Fort Davis commanded a strategic position at a military, cultural, and economic crossroads of nineteenth-century Texas. Using extensive research and careful scrutiny of long forgotten records, Robert Wooster brings his readers into the world of Fort Davis, a place of encounter, conquest, and community. The fort here spawned a thriving civilian settlement and served as the economic nexus for regional development Frontier Crossroads schools its readers in the daily lives of soldiers, their dependents, and civilians at the fort and in the surrounding area. The resulting history of the intriguing blend of Hispanic, African American, Anglo, and European immigrants who came to Fort Davis is a benchmark volume that will serve as the standard to which other post histories will be compared. The military garrisons of Fort Davis represented a rich mosaic of nineteenth-century American life. Each of the army?s four black regiments served there following the Civil War, and its garrisons engaged in many of the army?s grueling campaigns against Apache and Comanche Indians. Characters such as artist and officer Arthur T. Lee, William "Pecos Bill" Shafter, and Benjamin Grierson and his family come alive under Wooster?s pen. Frontier Crossroads will enrich its readers with its careful analysis of life on the frontier. This book will appeal to military and social historians, Texas history buffs, and those seeking a record of adventure.