DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and Fort Duncan's got a story worth every mile you drove to get here. March 27, 1849. Captain Sidney Burbank rides in with Companies A, B, and F of the First U.S.
Infantry and stakes out a post on the Rio Grande. From that first day, the place carries a name with weight behind it — Fort Duncan, honoring Colonel James Duncan, a hero of the Mexican War. Right there at the edge of the frontier, where California emigrants were threading their way west along the trail, the Army planted its flag and said: this is where we hold the line.
And holding the line was no quiet business. The fort served as a base of operations against hostile Lipan Apache Indians — this was active, dangerous work out on the raw edge of the republic. By 1851, the post had grown important enough to become the headquarters of the First Infantry.
Come 1856, the garrison had expanded again, now folding in units of mounted rifles and first artillery. For a frontier outpost, Fort Duncan was turning into something with real teeth. Then — May 1859 — the Army walks away.
Abandoned. You might think that was the end of it. You would be wrong.
Less than a year later, in March of 1860, they come back. The reason: border assaults by Juan N. Cortina, a desperado of the area.
One man's raids were enough to bring a fort back from the dead. But 1861 arrives, and with it the Civil War, and Fort Duncan is abandoned again. This time Confederate forces move in and run the place under a different name — Rio Grande Station.
The old post wearing new colors. After the war, 1868, Fort Duncan gets regarrisoned once more — this time by the 9th Infantry and the headquarters company of the 41st Infantry, under Colonel William R. Shafter.
And here's where the story takes a turn worth remembering. On August 16, 1870, right here at this post, the Seminole-Negro Scouts are organized. The marker says they played a large part in ridding Western Texas of Indians.
That unit was born on this ground. After 1883, the fort's importance starts to fade. They start calling it Camp Eagle Pass.
Around 1900 it's abandoned again — third time. You'd think the land itself would take the hint. It didn't.
Mexican border troubles in 1916 bring soldiers back once more, and the post carries on as a training camp right through World War I. Five abandonments, five returns — this place had more lives than a Rio Grande catfish. In 1938, the City of Eagle Pass purchases the fort property for use as a park and recreation area.
After nearly a century of soldiers and scouts and border trouble and war, the ground finally gets a little peace. Some places just refuse to be forgotten — and Fort Duncan earned that stubbornness the hard way.
What the marker says
Established March 27, 1849, by Capt. Sidney Burbank with Companies A, B, and F, First U.S. Infantry. Name honors Col. James Duncan, a hero of the Mexican War. Fort served as a frontier outpost near trail of California emigrants; base of operations against hostile Lipan Apache Indians. In 1851 it became the headquarters of the First Infantry. By 1856 garrison included units of mounted rifles and first artillery. Abandoned May 1859, post was regarrisoned in March 1860 because of border assaults by Juan N. Cortina, desperado of the area. At outbreak of the Civil War, 1861, fort was again abandoned, only to be occupied later as "Rio Grande Station", by Confederate forces. In 1868 Fort Duncan was regarrisoned by the 9th Infantry and headquarters company of 41st Infantry, under Col. William R. Shafter. Seminole-Negro Scouts, organized here Aug. 16, 1870, played a large part in ridding Western Texas of Indians. After 1883, post declined in importance; known as Camp Eagle Pass, it was abandoned about 1900. Mexican border troubles in 1916 again brought reoccupation; its use as a training camp continued during World War I. In 1938 the fort property was purchased by City of Eagle Pass, for use as park and recreation area. (1970)