For Tom, and other history buffs

[waltesefalcon]

My short sojourn yesterday took me to the Ft. Towson historic site in SE Oklahoma. Ft. Towson was originally established in 1824 at cantonment Towson, to guard the US / Mexico border back when the Red River was still the border. After a couple of years the cantonment was abandoned without any permanent buildings having been built. In 1831 the fort was reestablished to keep an eye on the Choctaw who had just been forcibly removed from their homeland. Around the parade grounds were built two barracks, three officer's quarters, and a quartermaster's office. About seventy five yards to the south a hospital and commisary were built. Various work shops, chicken coops, etc. were also built around the fort. Each of the two barracks was built to house 100 soldiers. The fort was soon handed over to the Choctaw Indian Agency as the Army realized that the Choctaw were going to make the best of their new home. After a couple of years thr fort was hit by a tornado, which ripped the roof off about half the buildings, and the fort was abandoned. Then during the Civil War the fort was occupied by the Confederacy. After the war all the buildings but the hospital and commissary were burned in a wild fire. Today only the foundations remain.

I was set up in the middle of the parade ground, and behind my camera you can see some of the old foundations and the visitor's center. They even brought out their pack howitzer to mark the beginning of totality. Choctaw belief says that a giant frog is swallowing the sun during am eclipse and it has to be scared off by making a lot of racket, which a pack howitzer is good at.

 

[NutmegCT]

Walt - that is quite a story, and great photos of the area. If only the stones could talk.

I remember as a kid in Texas, visiting old Fort Stockton (TX), which had been partially reconstructed. That was one of the forts experimenting with the use of camels and dromedaries as pack animals, before the Civil War.

Anyone want to guess who, as Secretary of War, was a primary supporter of the US Army's "camel experiment"?

(And the "Indian Wars" of the early 19th century were absolutely horrible actions against the native Americans.)

 

[waltesefalcon]

I know the answer to your trivia question, but I'll refrain from answering.

As for the Indian Wars, the firm belief in Manifest Destiny led the United States to continously expand, continously displace non Americans, and break every single treaty they made with the Natives.

 

[mikephillips]

Unfortunately, human history is full of instances of the strong taking from the weak. Shouldn't happen, but it did and still continues. All I'll say about it.