From the Sergeant's Desk
 Enlisted Men's Barracks at Fort Richardson. Photo by Ricky Dolifka
April was a very busy month for the Buffalo Soldiers. We visited Fort Richardson, The Confederate Reunion Grounds, and Mission Tejas. At Fort Richardson we shared the history of the Buffalo Soldiers right on the grounds where they lived and served. Despite the high winds we visited with over 1800's kids and teachers on the school day and many more scouts and campers visiting the park on Saturday. We closed the weekend by honoring Ray Monroe who has served at Fort Richardson as a Volunteer and Park Interpreter for over 25 years! We all hope you enjoy a well-deserved retirement Ray! Thank you for all your support of the TPWD Buffalo Soldier Program over the years!
Spring of 2018 marks the 150th Anniversary of the return of Federal Troops to Fort McKavett. It was first opened in 1850 to protect settlers against the Comanche but was largely abandoned during the Civil War. The first companies of African-American troops to arrive at Fort McKavett were from the 41st Infantry and the 9th Cavalry. Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie commanded the 41st Infantry and was also was post commander of Fort McKavett.
While at Fort McKavett much of the garrison’s time was spent rebuilding the old fort buildings and building new ones. This was needed to accommodate the larger garrison that would occupy the post. The 9th Cavalry spent a large majority of its time at the Fort conducting patrols of the surrounding area and pursuing raiders. On one famous raid Hermann and Willie Lehmann were kidnapped by Native Americans and the 9th Cavalry pursued them. This led to the skirmish near Kickapoo Springs in which Sergeant Emmanuel Stance earned the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions. The 9th Cavalry accounted for a large majority of the Indian encounters during their tenure at Fort McKavett. The 10th Cavalry replaced the 9th Cavalry at McKavett after they moved west to New Mexico.
This weekend we will be at Fort McKavett's West Texas Heritage Days. There we will be celebrating the rich history of the Buffalo Soldiers at the "Prettiest Fort in Texas". One can also experience other Living Historians sharing many other stories along with the Buffalo Soldiers. So don't be shy, come on out and join us for all the fun this weekend! For more information about this event and Fort McKavett in general please visit their website here Fort McKavett SHS.
Ready Forward! We Can.. We Will!
For more information please visit our website.
Texas Parks & Wildlife - Buffalo Soldiers
We look forward to seeing you further down the trail!
 Artillery Demonstration at Fort McKavett
|
