Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Commanding the Fort

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2018

1. Commanding the Fort Marker

Inscription.
The Commanding Officer was the highest ranking officer on this frontier post. As such, his life was a mixture of meager privileges and grave responsibility. The commanding officer was entrusted with the security and defense of the post and, by extension, the nearby town of Fredericksburg.

In December, 1848, Captain Seth Eastman led his infantry company to Camp Houston (later renamed Fort Martin Scott). Eastman and his men spent cold winter nights in drab canvas tents before quarters and barracks were constructed. Commanding officers that succeeded Eastman enjoyed the relative luxury of a comfortable log residence comprised of four rooms and a kitchen. From his front porch he could see the flagpole and guardhouse across the parade ground.

The post commander and his family stayed in the commanding officer's residence. During the five years the Army occupied Fort Martin Scott, there were eleven different commanding officers. In its first year of existence, Fort Martin Scott had a new commanding officer almost every month. One of the fort's last commanders, and perhaps the most famous, was Captain James Longstreet, who went on to be one of General Robert E. Lee's lieutenants at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles

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• War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1848.

Location. 30° 14.973′ N, 98° 50.825′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Marker can be reached from East Main Street (U.S. 290) 0.2 miles west of Heritage Hills Drive, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located within the Fort Martin Scott parade grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1606 E Main St, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of Fort Martin Scott (a few steps from this marker); Officers Row (within shouting distance of this marker); The Comanche Indians (within shouting distance of this marker); The Town and the Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); The Barracks (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Uncovering the Past (about 400 feet away); Peace with the Indians (about 500 feet away); The Sutler's Store (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.

More about this marker. Fort Martin Scott is a restored United States Army outpost in Fredericksburg, Texas, that was active from 1848 until 1853. It was part of a line of frontier forts established to protect travelers and settlers within Texas. This marker is somewhat weathered and difficult

Marker detail: James Longstreet image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: James Longstreet

One of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." (Wikipedia)

to read.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Martin Scott

Also see . . .
1. Fort Martin Scott. Capt. Seth Eastman, commander of Companies D and H, First United States Infantry, established Camp Houston as one of the first United States Army posts on the western frontier of Texas. The post was two miles southeast of Fredericksburg on Barons Creek, a tributary of the Pedernales River. This fort, part of the army's effort to protect Texan settlers and travelers from Indian depredations, served the Fredericksburg-San Antonio road and the local region. (Submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. The Texas Frontier in 1850: Dr. Ebenezer Swift and the View From Fort Martin Scott. Construction at Fort Martin Scott, two miles from town, proceeded at a snail's pace. Citizens of Fredericksburg were eager to earn ready money by hauling wood and supplies and helping with construction. Yet as late as April 1850 the post doctor, U.S. Army Assistant Surgeon Ebenezer Swift, was still living in a tent without a flap, getting soaked when it rained. His hospital was a tarpaulin-covered log building, without proper windows or doors. (Submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. James Longstreet. Longstreet attended West Point, where he graduated fifty-fourth out of sixty-two cadets in the class

Commanding the Fort Marker (<i>tall view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2018

3. Commanding the Fort Marker (tall view)

of 1842. At the academy Longstreet befriended a young man from Ohio, Ulysses S. Grant, and after graduation both officers would be assigned to the 4th U.S. Infantry. Like many future Civil War generals, Longstreet’s first real war experience came during the Mexican War. From 1846 to 1848 Longstreet rendered distinguished service in some of that war's most important battles including Vera Cruz, Churubusco, and Chapultepec, where he was wounded. (Submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Commanding the Fort Marker (<i>wide view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2018

4. Commanding the Fort Marker (wide view)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 6, 2018. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 420 times since then and 37 times this year. Last updated on September 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.