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Near Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
 

Crime and Punishment on an Army Post

— Fort Union National Monument —

 
 
Crime and Punishment <i>on an Army Post</i> Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
1. Crime and Punishment on an Army Post Marker
Inscription. We cannot sit down and have such a set of [horse] thieves run off with our stock with impunity. The Civil authorities seem to be powerless to cope with them.
—James H. Carleton, lieutenant colonel commanding Fort Union, March 1867

For over 20 years, two buildings on the right side of this company street helped military — and civilian — authorities uphold law and order in New Mexico Territory. Inside the guard house that once stood on the corner just ahead, and inside the prison you see here, deserters, drunkards, burglars, brawlers, assassins, rustlers, horse thieves, and Comancheros were punished for their crimes. A frontier Army post like Fort Union, with its hundreds of soldiers, military families, and civilian employees was — in effect — a small town under martial law. The provost marshal and the daily guard patrols kept the peace and handled problems in this volatile community, like a town marshal with deputies might do elsewhere.

This thing of standing Guard every other night is not very pleasant.
—William Matthews, private, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1870

Most enlisted men did not like to hear their names called for guard duty. During their entire 24-hour shift, they had to stay fully clothed. These men paraded before the Post, escorted prisoners to empty
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trash barrels, guarded the stables and wagon corrals, and "took charge of all Government property in sight." There was little time to get any rest at the guard house.

Guard House
Men guilty of minor offenses served their time “in the mill” — the adobe guard house.

Prison
Dangerous felons were kept locked down in the more secure stone cells of Fort Union’s prison.
 
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and CastlesLaw Enforcement.
 
Location. 35° 54.415′ N, 105° 0.767′ W. Marker is near Watrous, New Mexico, in Mora County. Marker can be reached from New Mexico Route 161, 7˝ miles north of CanAm Highway (Interstate 25). Marker is located along the park trail at Fort Union National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3115 New Mexico Route 161, Watrous NM 87753, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Life Along Suds Row (within shouting distance of this marker); Hard Work, Strict Discipline, and $13 a Month (within shouting distance of this marker); Privy (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Home for the Commandants (about 500 feet
Crime and Punishment <i>on an Army Post</i> Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
2. Crime and Punishment on an Army Post Marker
(Fort Union prison in background)
away); Rank Has its Privileges (about 500 feet away); The Third Fort Union (about 500 feet away); Fort Union and the Santa Fe Trail (about 500 feet away); Fort Union: 1866 (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watrous.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Union National Monument
 
Additional keywords. Crime and Punishment on an Army Post
 
Fort Union Prison Door image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
3. Fort Union Prison Door
Fort Union Prison image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015
4. Fort Union Prison
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 138 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 2, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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Mar. 28, 2024