In March 1849 lieutenants William H. C. Whiting and William F. Smith were sent out by Maj.
Gen. William J. Worth of the Texas 8th Military Department to look for a route from San Antonio to El Paso del Norte.
A second party, led by Dr. John S. Ford and financed by a group of Austin merchants, pioneered a trail that ran north of the Davis Mountains before turning southward toward El Paso.
June 1849 Lt.
Col.
Joseph E. Johnston, attached to Bvt.
Maj.
Jefferson Van Horne’s battalion, was sent for additional surveying.
At El Paso, Horne established Fort Bliss.
Texas Ranger Big Foot Wallace escorted the San Antonio-El Paso Mail coach through the mountains.
Fort Davis was established in 1854.
The land was leased from surveyor John James at $300 a year.
The fort was surrendered to the Confederacy in 1861, and abandoned in 1862 after the Confederate defeat at Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, but was reoccupied by U.S. troops July 1, 1867.
In March 1849 lieutenants William H. C. Whiting and William F. Smith were sent out by Maj. Gen. William J. Worth of the Texas 8th Military Department to look for a route from San Antonio to El Paso del Norte. A second party, led by Dr. John S. Ford and financed by a group of Austin merchants, pioneered a trail that ran north of the Davis Mountains before turning southward toward El Paso. June 1849 Lt. Col. Joseph E. Johnston, attached to Bvt. Maj. Jefferson Van Horne’s battalion, was sent for additional surveying. At El Paso, Horne established Fort Bliss. Texas Ranger Big Foot Wallace escorted the San Antonio-El Paso Mail coach through the mountains. Fort Davis was established in 1854. The land was leased from surveyor John James at $300 a year. The fort was surrendered to the Confederacy in 1861, and abandoned in 1862 after the Confederate defeat at Glorieta Pass, New Mexico, but was reoccupied by U.S. troops July 1, 1867.
Jeff Davis County, Texas