Old FORT GARLAND
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF COLORADO, DENVER
IN MEMORY
OF
EDGAR C. McMECHEN
[This map in higher resolution]
Copyright, 1954, by
State Historical Society
of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
All Rights Reserved
Artwork for this booklet by Paul Rossi
A Soldier’s Journal of
Life at Old Fort Garland
1860-1883
By James T. Forrest
(Author’s note: This is a brief history of Fort Garland, Colorado, asit might have been told by a soldier present during most of the fort’sactive years. The soldier and his journal never existed, but the factscontained in the journal are basically true. The information in thisstory is a product of research through most of the available documentsconcerning Fort Garland. In places, fiction has been introduced togive the journal color, but all important events or facts occurred asdescribed.) J.T.F.
Fort Garland, July 29th, 1860. Arrived here yesterdaywith my company, Company F of the U. S. 10th Infantry.Our outfit just limped in from a 640 mile march from CampFloyd, Utah Territory. Took us most a month. Our commander’sname is Major (E.R.S.) Canby. It’s good to bunkdown some place indoors for a change and to wash some ofthe dust out of my throat and off my trail-weary feet. Tootired to look around new post today.
Fort Garland, August 10th, 1860. Getting settled.Guess my company will be here awhile. Major Canby andCompany A left a few days ago to quiet some outlaw Indians(Navajos) somewhere southwest of here. CompaniesF and H of the 10th remained.
Looked into the past of this fort. Named for BrevetBrigadier General John Garland, commanding the Departmentof New Mexico. It was built in 1858 by Captain TomDuncan and his Mounted Riflemen, with a company (CompanyA) of the 3rd Infantry. Seems Fort Massachusetts,north of here some six miles, was built in 1852 to protectthis area from the Indians. After a few years on this frontierwith bands of Ute Indians all around they decided the oldfort was too close under the mountains to be safe againstsurprise attack, so the command was moved down here onthe open plain. Guess if the wind doesn’t blow us all away,the post will stick it out here until the last Indian is dead orput off somewhere on the desert to eat sand and yucca.
September 12, 1860. Got a promotion today. We allfell out for first call at 5 a.m. and lined up to be read off.2“Here,” we called out, hardly more’n awake. “All present or accountedfor,” said