Fort Brown

Fort Brown (originally Fort Texas) was a military post of the United States Army in Cameron County, Texas, during the latter half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century. Established in 1846, it was the first US Army military outpost of the recently annexed state. Confederate Army troops stationed there saw action during the American Civil War. In the early 20th century, it was garrisoned in relation to military activity over border conflicts with Mexico. Surviving elements of the fort were designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Early years

In 1846, Captain Joseph K. MansfieldBauer, K.J., 1974, ''The Mexican War, 1846–1848'', New York: Macmillan, directed the construction of a star-shaped earthwork for 800 men called "Fort Texas" on the northern side of the Rio Grande "by the order from General acharyTaylor to command the city of Matamoros" south of the river.Ashcroft, A.C., 1963, "Fort Brown, Texas, in 1861," in ''Texas Military History'', A Quarterly Publication of The National Guard Association of Texas, Vol. 3, Winter, 1963, No. 4, pp. 246–247

The next year, the fort was besieged during the opening of the Mexican–American War. During the Siege of Fort Texas, two Americans were killed, including Major Jacob Brown and George Oakes Stevens (of Vermont) of the 2nd Dragoons. In honor of the fallen major, General Taylor renamed the post as Fort Brown. In 1849, the city of Brownsville, Texas, was established not far from the fort's grounds, after the United States had acquired Texas following the war.

Cortina

While in command at the fort, Major Samuel P. Heintzelman coordinated with John Salmon Ford in the Cortina Troubles, culminating in the Battle of Rio Grande City in 1859.

Civil War

In 1861, Confederate Colonel John "Rip" Ford occupied the fort,Ford, J.S., 1963, ''Rip Ford's Texas.'' Austin: University of Texas Press, with a garrison there until 1863. The Confederate forces were finally driven out by Union forces under General Nathaniel P. Banks, who had his troops camped in tents erected at the fort site. This Union occupation ended in 1864, when Confederate forces under General James E. Slaughter and Colonel Ford took control of the area. They held the post until the end of the war, when it was occupied again by Union forces under General Egbert Brown.

Postbellum

From 1867–1869, a permanent US Army fort was constructed under the supervision of Captain William A. Wainwright.

In 1882, Dr. William Crawford Gorgas was assigned to the hospital at Fort Brown during the height of a yellow fever outbreak. Using Fort Brown as his base of operations, Gorgas studied the disease for several years. He was sent to Cuba during the Spanish–American War.

Brownsville raid

A unit of African-American soldiers, known as Buffalo Soldiers, was stationed at Fort Brown. White residents of town resented the presence of the Black soldiers, and tensions rose. On August 13 and 14, 1906, unknown persons "raided" Brownsville, indiscriminately shooting bystanders. They wounded one White man and killed White resident Frank Natus. The townspeople of Brownsville quickly blamed the Black soldiers for the incident. The Army investigated the matter and concluded that the Black soldiers were guilty although their supervising officers supported them and said that they had been at the fort. William H. Taft, then President Theodore Roosevelt United StatesSecretary of War">Secretary of War