# Fort Quitman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fort_Quitman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fort_Quitman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Quitman > Source revision: 1337814240 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox settlement | official_name = Fort Quitman | settlement_type = Ghost Town | nickname = | motto = | image_skyline = | imagesize = | image_caption = | image_flag = | image_seal = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Texas#USA | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Texas | pushpin_relief = y | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = [United States](/source/United_States) | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = [Texas](/source/Texas) | subdivision_type2 = [County](/source/List_of_counties_in_Texas) | subdivision_name2 = [Hudspeth](/source/Hudspeth_County%2C_Texas) | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | established_title = U.S. Army Fort | established_date = September 28, 1858 | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | population_as_of = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_density_km2 = | population_density_sq_mi = | timezone = [Mountain (MST)](/source/North_American_Mountain_Time_Zone) | utc_offset = -7 | timezone_DST = MDT | utc_offset_DST = -6 | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 1054 | elevation_ft = 3458 | coordinates = {{coord|31|03|45|N|105|35|02|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}} | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = [GNIS](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System) feature ID | blank1_info = {{GNIS4|1379791}} | website = | footnotes = }} '''Fort Quitman''' was a [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army) installation on the [Rio Grande](/source/Rio_Grande) in [Texas](/source/Texas), United States, south of present-day [Sierra Blanca](/source/Sierra_Blanca%2C_Texas), {{convert|20|mi|km}} southeast of [McNary](/source/McNary%2C_Texas), in southern [Hudspeth County](/source/Hudspeth_County%2C_Texas).{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=History of Fort Quitman: A Military Post in Texas |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fort-quitman |access-date=2025-09-13 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}} The fort, now a [ghost town](/source/ghost_town), was named for former [Mississippi](/source/Mississippi) [Governor John A. Quitman](/source/John_A._Quitman), who served as a [major general](/source/major_general) under [Zachary Taylor](/source/Zachary_Taylor) during the [Mexican–American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War). In 1963, [Recorded Historic Texas Landmark](/source/Recorded_Texas_Historic_Landmark) number 2007 was placed at the county courthouse, honoring Fort Quitman.{{cite web|title=Fort Quitman, C.S.A. - Sierra Blanca, Hudspeth County, Texas|url=http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5229002007&search_term=quitman|work=Recorded Texas Historic Landmark|publisher=William Nienke, Sam Morrow|accessdate=19 February 2011|archive-date=7 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707072058/http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5229002007&search_term=quitman|url-status=dead}} ==Establishment== Fort Quitman was established on September 28, 1858, by units of the [8th Infantry Regiment](/source/8th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)). The first troops were under the command of [Captain](/source/Captain_(United_States)) [Arthur T. Lee](/source/Arthur_Tracy_Lee) and included 86 [officers](/source/Officer_(armed_forces)) and [men](/source/Enlisted_rank). Their mission was to protect the [San Antonio–El Paso Road](/source/San_Antonio%E2%80%93El_Paso_Road). It was a station on the route of the mail coaches of the [San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line](/source/San_Antonio%E2%80%93San_Diego_Mail_Line) and later the [Butterfield Overland Mail](/source/Butterfield_Overland_Mail). By 1860 the [garrison](/source/garrison) had been reduced to one officer [Second Lieutenant](/source/Second_Lieutenant) [Zenas Bliss](/source/Zenas_Bliss) (who would retire from the Army in 1897 as a [brigadier general](/source/Brigadier_general_(United_States))) and 20 men. On the outbreak of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War), Texas joined the [Confederacy](/source/Confederate_States_of_America). Lieutenant Bliss and his men were ordered to march to [San Antonio](/source/San_Antonio%2C_Texas) with other troops evacuating [West Texas](/source/West_Texas) garrisons. They believed they would be put on ships and sent to the [North](/source/Union_(American_Civil_War)), but instead were captured and held as [prisoners of war](/source/Prisoner_of_war). Bliss was later [exchanged](/source/Prisoner_exchange) and rose to the rank of [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_States)) of volunteers. His promotion to [general grade](/source/General_officer) was probably hindered by his having been a prisoner of war. Confederate Texas troops under Brigadier General [Henry Hopkins Sibley](/source/Henry_Hopkins_Sibley) passed through the post on their way to the [New Mexico Campaign](/source/New_Mexico_Campaign) in December 1861. The remnants of his army also passed by the post after their defeat. There is no evidence that Confederate troops ever permanently garrisoned the fort. The fort was inspected by troops from the [California Column](/source/California_Column) looking for any evidence of further Confederate activity or stragglers in 1863, but did not see any need to garrison the post. The Fort was regarrisoned in January 1868 by [Buffalo Soldier](/source/Buffalo_Soldier)s of the [9th Cavalry Regiment](/source/9th_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States)) and 42 Infantry under command of [Major](/source/Major_(United_States)) Albert Payson Morrow of the 9th Cavalry. Much of the post was in bad condition and was never fully restored. Soldiers would complain about [adobe](/source/adobe) from the walls falling into their bunks as they slept due to the poor condition of the buildings. It has been stated, "No worse site for a military post could ever be conceived." It was all but totally isolated from civilization with mountain ranges running down both sides of the river. Any attempts at cultivating gardens to help with food supplies met with little success. Expeditions against the [Apache](/source/Apache) in the [Sacramento Mountains](/source/Sacramento_Mountains_(New_Mexico)) were mounted from Fort Quitman, but they met with little success. Gradually the garrison was reduced to a single company of infantry. The last unit, Company B of the [25th Infantry Regiment](/source/25th_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)), left in January 1877. The post itself was burned later that year by an angry mob from [San Elizario](/source/San_Elizario%2C_Texas) during the [San Elizario Salt War](/source/San_Elizario_Salt_War). The rioters destroyed it in protest of [federal](/source/Federal_government_of_the_United_States) support of a rival faction. It was temporarily reoccupied as a sub-post of [Fort Davis](/source/Fort_Davis%2C_Texas) by troops from the [10th Cavalry Regiment](/source/10th_Cavalry_Regiment_(United_States)) from 1880 to 1882 during [Victorio's War](/source/Apache_Wars). The building of the [Southern Pacific Railroad](/source/Southern_Pacific_Railroad) through the pass in the mountains north-west of the post, effectively by-passing it, eliminated the need for this post. ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://fortwiki.com/Fort_Quitman Fort Quitman, fortwiki.com] accessed December 19, 2010 * {{cite web |url=https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Details/5229002007 |title=Fort Quitman, C.S.A. - Sierra Blanca ~ Marker Number: 2007 |date=1963 |website=[Texas Historic Sites Atlas](/source/Texas_Historic_Sites_Atlas) |publisher=[Texas Historical Commission](/source/Texas_Historical_Commission)}} {{Butterfield5}} {{Hudspeth County, Texas}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort Quitman}} Category:1858 establishments in Texas Quitman Quitman Category:Former installations of the United States Army Category:Buildings and structures in Hudspeth County, Texas Category:Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks Category:Ghost towns in West Texas Category:San Antonio–El Paso Road Category:Butterfield Overland Mail in Texas Category:Geography of Hudspeth County, Texas Category:Stagecoach stops in the United States Category:Military installations established in 1858 Category:Military installations closed in 1877 Category:Butterfield Overland Mail stations --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fort Quitman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Quitman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Quitman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.