Fort Davis

Fort Davis, named for Secretary of War General Jefferson Davis (later President of the Confederacy), was important in insuring safe travel between San Antonio and Sacramento, especially during the 1849 gold rush.  Although much of the fort remains in disrepair, it is considered the best preserved of the frontier outposts.  Several buildings have been restored and are open for inspection.

During our self-guided tour of the grounds, we repeatedly hear bugle calls.  These were recording of various calls made during the soldiers' day, including reveille, sick call and assembly.  The recordings were so good that when we heard the clop of horses we turned to see if they were on the parade grounds.

A short film narrated by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told the history of the fort.  This fort had “Buffalo Soldier” regiments, black soldiers under direction of white officers.  The obvious issues of discrimination did occur.  The first Black graduate of West Point, 2nd Lt. Henry O. Flipper was in charge of the commissary.

In a racially motivated court martial he was charged with stealing government property.  Although he was not convicted of that crime, he was found guilty of conduct unbecoming an officer and dismissed from the army.  The charges were questionable and his dismissal was reversed and he was given posthumous honorable discharge by President Clinton.

The black and white soldiers' job was to protect the fort from hostile Indians and to protect the wagons on the trail west.  During down time they played baseball, billiards, music as well as going into town for other entertainment.

In 1861, when Texas seceded, Texas troops captured the fort but they lost it as the South lost the Civil War.  The fort fell into disrepair and was rebuilt in 1867.  In 1963 it became a national monument.

Our walk in the fort took us to a reconstruction of barracks

Officer’s Quarters

The Commissary

The two story officers' quarters have not as yet been restored.

 The path leading to the Post Hospital had signs telling of the condition of five people, an officer’s wife, a child, a Buffalo soldier and two enlisted men.  Further along their treatment was listed.  In the hospital the sign told of the results.  The wife was given opium for indigestion, the child died of diphtheria, the Buffalo soldier was discharged with broken bones, one enlisted man died and the other returned to service.  Mortality rates were adjusted in such a way that if a soldier was discharged before he died, his death was not counted as a casualty.


We are rarely able to stay in state parks because of our RV’s size.  Fort Davis State Park had a lovely spot for us where we could gaze at the trees and look up at the red rocks. 

We took the scenic drive around the park where the mountains are striking and the animals in hiding.  One site was the McDonald Observatory.

The view of the park from Skyline Drive shows the volcanic origin of the area and how small our RV looks from up high.  We sre the one in the middle.