Fort Bliss Monitor

Guardians of the Pass – the story of the U.S. Army in El Paso

Fort Bliss at Magoffinsville, 1853-1868. The first post in El Paso to be named Fort Bliss. The land and buildings wee leased from James Magoffin.

Editor’s note: The birthday of Fort Bliss is approaching and The Monitor will feature a multipart series taken from “Guardians of the Pass, The story of the U.S. Army in El Paso.” We hope the series informs our readers to the longstanding history and friendship Fort Bliss and the El Paso community has shared over the years.

Chapter 3

When we were needed
Conditions in New Mexico improved with the addition of the troops from the El Paso area. It did not take long; however, for the Apaches to renew their efforts in the vacated area. Incidents of livestock theft and murder rose dramatically. In 1853, Col. Joseph K.F. Mansfield was appointed inspector general by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis and sent to reevaluate the forts and placement of troops in the West. He was convinced that a post at the Pass was necessary and recommended that one be reestablished, this time at Magoffinsville.

Acting on Mansfield’s report, four companies of the 8th Infantry were assigned to garrison the new post. Brevet Lt. Col. Edmund B. Alexander, leading Companies B, E, I, and K, arrived in December 1853, and after negotiations with James Magoffin, rented buildings and established the second location for the Army at the Pass, also called the Post Opposite El Paso. It was about three miles due east of the Coon’s Ranch site. A marker erected by the Texas State Historical Commission in 1936 places it at the corner of Magoffin and Willow Streets.

The first post return from this location was filed for January 1854. It listed Alexander as the commanding officer; 2nd Lt. William I. Mechling as Company B commander; 2nd Lt. Thomas K. Jackson as Company E commander; 2nd Lt. James McIntosh as Company K commander; and Brevet Capt. George E. Pickett as Company I commander. March 8, 1854, the name was changed to Fort Bliss in honor of the late Brevet Lt. Col. William Wallace Smith Bliss, adjutant general of the Western Department, a veteran of the Florida Indian Wars, the Mexican War, and former private secretary (and son-in-law) to President Zachary Taylor. Bliss had died of yellow fever a few months earlier at the age of 37.

Tensions with Mexico were still high at this time and Gov. Trías remained with his force across the river prepared to defend against efforts to seize the Mesilla Valley. The ratification of the Gadsden Purchase resolved the crisis. The financially troubled Mexican government decided to sell the disputed territory to the United States along with some additional land. The new governor of New Mexico, David W. Merriwether, met with Trías at Fort Bliss and it was decided to officially recognize the new boundary in a joint ceremony. In November 1854, upon the approach of American troops flying the Stars and Stripes, the Mexican troops lowered their flag and marched from their fort above Hart’s Mill on the west bank of the Rio Grande.

The new Fort Bliss gained a reputation as a highly desirable duty station. The dances and ranch parties often hosted by the Magoffins and others provided plenty of social life, easily compensating for the lack of luxury for both officers and enlisted men. The post, like the settlement, consisted mainly of adobe buildings with thatched roofs and dirt floors which many of the residents would cover first with canvas, then with rugs. The barracks covered three sides of a tree shaded parade ground and the Rio Grande was less than a hundred meters away. The community of Franklin that grew up around Coon’s Ranch, site of the Post Opposite of El Paso, provided an opportunity to shop on the U.S. side of the river.

It was not all parties and garrison duty for the Soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss. Brevet Maj. James Longstreet, who had arrived in July of 1854, assumed command of Company I from Pickett, and in January of 1855, along with Company K commanded by Capt. Edmund B. Holloway, conducted operations against the Mescalero Apaches in the Guadalupe Mountains. The troops from Fort Bliss joined the 1st Dragoons led by Capt. Richard S. Ewell on the expedition. Lt. J.E.B. Stuart, a Dragoon, was also part of the force. Longstreet, Pickett, Ewell, and Stuart would leave the United States Army at the beginning of the Civil War and become general officers in the Confederacy.

Longstreet became post commander April 24, 1855, when Alexander was promoted and transferred. Another officer destined for Confederate generalship, Brevet Lt. Col. John B. Magruder, stopped at Fort Bliss enroute to California to rejoin his unit. Longstreet would not allow him to proceed westward without escort, so to keep him gainfully employed while awaiting his own troops, who were also enroute (to Fort Clark), and would pass through Fort Bliss, Longstreet placed him in command of a company from May to November.

Changes in station were common in the West, as were extended leaves for officers. Brevet Maj. John T. Sprague returned from an extended absence and replaced Longstreet as commander until August when Brevet Lt. Col. I.V.D. Reeve arrived to assume command as post and battalion commander. December saw Sprague and Company E transferred to Fort Stanton. This left Fort Bliss garrisoned by 111 Soldiers.

Department of New Mexico Commander, Brevet Brig. Gen. John Garland visited Fort Bliss Dec. 23, 1855, as part of an inspection tour. It was also an opportunity to visit with his daughter, Mrs. James Longstreet, and his grandchildren. Some resentment developed among Longstreet’s peers as a result of perceived preferential treatment by his father-in-law.

Maj. Theopolis Holmes took over for Reeve in February 1856, when the latter went on extended leave. Then in August, Fort Bliss again changed command when the Regiment of Mounted Rifles arrived on their way to New Mexico. After a two week stay the regiment continued, leaving Company K under Capt. John G. Walker to assume command upon the transfer of Holmes to Fort Stanton. This was the first time the post was commanded by a cavalry officer. This lasted until October when Capt. Walker was ordered to San Elizario in response to Indian trouble. Longstreet assumed command again as a result this movement. The order was Garland’s last official act before leaving command of the department.

Fort Bliss units took part in the 1857 campaign against the Gila Apaches in west central New Mexico. Two companies of the 8th Infantry, B and I, led by 2nd Lt. John R. Cooke and 1st. Lt. Thomas K. Jackson, marched for Fort Thorn April 20. Company K, Mounted Rifles, was also tasked as part of the southern column along with one 3rd Infantry company and two additional Mounted Rifle companies. Lt. Col. Dixon S. Miles commanded this force of 10 officers and 270 troops. The ensuing Battle of the Gila, fought June 27, 1857, resulted in 24 Indians killed and 26 captured. Two officers and seven enlisted were wounded. Lt. Lazelle, acting as adjutant for the force, and assigned to Fort Bliss, was one of the wounded. The Fort Bliss participants of the Gila campaign returned Sept. 8, after having marched more than 1,300 miles in four months.

James Wiley Magoffin, 1799-1868, a Kentuckian who left home to seek his fortune in Mexico, became the first American consul in the state of Saltillo, married into a prominent Chihuahua family and began a prosperous trade along the Santa Fe Trail.

While the majority of Fort Bliss was taking part in the Gila Campaign, an unusual caravan passed through. The Army Camel Train coming across from the Texas Gulf Coast on its way to California stopped at San Elizario July 26, for a few days while Lt. Col. Benjamin L. Beale, commander of the group from the 1st Dragoons, and other members of his crew, attended a reception at the post and a party at the Magoffins’ the following day.

The 28 camels in the caravan were then taken through the Pass and on to Fort Defiance and used in building a wagon road to Fort Tejon, Calif., from 1858 to 1859. The camel experiment was considered a failure and the camels were turned loose in the desert.

By July 1858, the post had undergone another shuffling of units. Company K of the Mounted Rifles was sent to Fort Union. Company D of the Mounted Rifles replaced them. Company B of the 8th Infantry transferred to Fort Stanton and Company E to Fort Marcy, Companies A and B were joined by Company K at Fort Stanton. Holmes was back in command at Fort Bliss with Company I, 8th Infantry, and Company D, Mounted Rifles. Longstreet had become a pay officer and was stationed at Fort Union. Then in 1859, Company D of the Mounted Rifles changed places with Company A at Fort Stanton, and Capt. Washington L. Elliot assumed command of Fort Bliss.

After another campaign against the Navajo in 1859, Company K of the Mounted Rifles was again assigned to post relieving Company A. Walker was in command for the second time until February of 1860, when ordered back to New Mexico. This left Jackson in command of the one company post. In March, Capt. Thomas G. Pitcher arrived and took command until October, when he went on leave and returned command to Jackson.

Fort Bliss was detached from the Department of New Mexico Dec. 8, 1860. The 8th Infantry was to garrison the post with three of its companies that were now reassigned to the Department of Texas. The fourth company was assigned to Fort Davis. Reinforcements from the 5th and 7th Infantry Regiments and a battalion from the 10th Infantry and the 2nd Dragoons took the 3rd and 8th Infantry’s mission in New Mexico.
“Guardians of the Pass – The story of the U.S. Army in El Paso” will continue in next week’s edition of The Monitor.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	October 21, 2004

	Guardians of the Pass – the story of the U.S. Army in El Paso Fort Bliss at Magoffinsville, 1853-1868. The first post in El Paso to be named Fort Bliss. The land and buildings wee leased from James Magoffin. Editor’s note: The birthday of Fort Bliss is approaching and The Monitor will feature a multipart series taken from “Guardians of the Pass, The story of the U.S. Army in El Paso.” We hope the series informs our readers to the longstanding history and friendship Fort Bliss and the El Paso community has shared over the years. Chapter 3 When we were needed Conditions in New Mexico improved with the addition of the troops from the El Paso area. It did not take long; however, for the Apaches to renew their efforts in the vacated area. Incidents of livestock theft and murder rose dramatically. In 1853, Col. Joseph K.F. Mansfield was appointed inspector general by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis and sent to reevaluate the forts and placement of troops in the West. He was convinced that a post at the Pass was necessary and recommended that one be reestablished, this time at Magoffinsville. Acting on Mansfield’s report, four companies of the 8th Infantry were assigned to garrison the new post. Brevet Lt. Col. Edmund B. Alexander, leading Companies B, E, I, and K, arrived in December 1853, and after negotiations with James Magoffin, rented buildings and established the second location for the Army at the Pass, also called the Post Opposite El Paso. It was about three miles due east of the Coon’s Ranch site. A marker erected by the Texas State Historical Commission in 1936 places it at the corner of Magoffin and Willow Streets. The first post return from this location was filed for January 1854. It listed Alexander as the commanding officer; 2nd Lt. William I. Mechling as Company B commander; 2nd Lt. Thomas K. Jackson as Company E commander; 2nd Lt. James McIntosh as Company K commander; and Brevet Capt. George E. Pickett as Company I commander. March 8, 1854, the name was changed to Fort Bliss in honor of the late Brevet Lt. Col. William Wallace Smith Bliss, adjutant general of the Western Department, a veteran of the Florida Indian Wars, the Mexican War, and former private secretary (and son-in-law) to President Zachary Taylor. Bliss had died of yellow fever a few months earlier at the age of 37. Tensions with Mexico were still high at this time and Gov. Trías remained with his force across the river prepared to defend against efforts to seize the Mesilla Valley. The ratification of the Gadsden Purchase resolved the crisis. The financially troubled Mexican government decided to sell the disputed territory to the United States along with some additional land. The new governor of New Mexico, David W. Merriwether, met with Trías at Fort Bliss and it was decided to officially recognize the new boundary in a joint ceremony. In November 1854, upon the approach of American troops flying the Stars and Stripes, the Mexican troops lowered their flag and marched from their fort above Hart’s Mill on the west bank of the Rio Grande. The new Fort Bliss gained a reputation as a highly desirable duty station. The dances and ranch parties often hosted by the Magoffins and others provided plenty of social life, easily compensating for the lack of luxury for both officers and enlisted men. The post, like the settlement, consisted mainly of adobe buildings with thatched roofs and dirt floors which many of the residents would cover first with canvas, then with rugs. The barracks covered three sides of a tree shaded parade ground and the Rio Grande was less than a hundred meters away. The community of Franklin that grew up around Coon’s Ranch, site of the Post Opposite of El Paso, provided an opportunity to shop on the U.S. side of the river. It was not all parties and garrison duty for the Soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss. Brevet Maj. James Longstreet, who had arrived in July of 1854, assumed command of Company I from Pickett, and in January of 1855, along with Company K commanded by Capt. Edmund B. Holloway, conducted operations against the Mescalero Apaches in the Guadalupe Mountains. The troops from Fort Bliss joined the 1st Dragoons led by Capt. Richard S. Ewell on the expedition. Lt. J.E.B. Stuart, a Dragoon, was also part of the force. Longstreet, Pickett, Ewell, and Stuart would leave the United States Army at the beginning of the Civil War and become general officers in the Confederacy. Longstreet became post commander April 24, 1855, when Alexander was promoted and transferred. Another officer destined for Confederate generalship, Brevet Lt. Col. John B. Magruder, stopped at Fort Bliss enroute to California to rejoin his unit. Longstreet would not allow him to proceed westward without escort, so to keep him gainfully employed while awaiting his own troops, who were also enroute (to Fort Clark), and would pass through Fort Bliss, Longstreet placed him in command of a company from May to November. Changes in station were common in the West, as were extended leaves for officers. Brevet Maj. John T. Sprague returned from an extended absence and replaced Longstreet as commander until August when Brevet Lt. Col. I.V.D. Reeve arrived to assume command as post and battalion commander. December saw Sprague and Company E transferred to Fort Stanton. This left Fort Bliss garrisoned by 111 Soldiers. Department of New Mexico Commander, Brevet Brig. Gen. John Garland visited Fort Bliss Dec. 23, 1855, as part of an inspection tour. It was also an opportunity to visit with his daughter, Mrs. James Longstreet, and his grandchildren. Some resentment developed among Longstreet’s peers as a result of perceived preferential treatment by his father-in-law. Maj. Theopolis Holmes took over for Reeve in February 1856, when the latter went on extended leave. Then in August, Fort Bliss again changed command when the Regiment of Mounted Rifles arrived on their way to New Mexico. After a two week stay the regiment continued, leaving Company K under Capt. John G. Walker to assume command upon the transfer of Holmes to Fort Stanton. This was the first time the post was commanded by a cavalry officer. This lasted until October when Capt. Walker was ordered to San Elizario in response to Indian trouble. Longstreet assumed command again as a result this movement. The order was Garland’s last official act before leaving command of the department. Fort Bliss units took part in the 1857 campaign against the Gila Apaches in west central New Mexico. Two companies of the 8th Infantry, B and I, led by 2nd Lt. John R. Cooke and 1st. Lt. Thomas K. Jackson, marched for Fort Thorn April 20. Company K, Mounted Rifles, was also tasked as part of the southern column along with one 3rd Infantry company and two additional Mounted Rifle companies. Lt. Col. Dixon S. Miles commanded this force of 10 officers and 270 troops. The ensuing Battle of the Gila, fought June 27, 1857, resulted in 24 Indians killed and 26 captured. Two officers and seven enlisted were wounded. Lt. Lazelle, acting as adjutant for the force, and assigned to Fort Bliss, was one of the wounded. The Fort Bliss participants of the Gila campaign returned Sept. 8, after having marched more than 1,300 miles in four months. James Wiley Magoffin, 1799-1868, a Kentuckian who left home to seek his fortune in Mexico, became the first American consul in the state of Saltillo, married into a prominent Chihuahua family and began a prosperous trade along the Santa Fe Trail. While the majority of Fort Bliss was taking part in the Gila Campaign, an unusual caravan passed through. The Army Camel Train coming across from the Texas Gulf Coast on its way to California stopped at San Elizario July 26, for a few days while Lt. Col. Benjamin L. Beale, commander of the group from the 1st Dragoons, and other members of his crew, attended a reception at the post and a party at the Magoffins’ the following day. The 28 camels in the caravan were then taken through the Pass and on to Fort Defiance and used in building a wagon road to Fort Tejon, Calif., from 1858 to 1859. The camel experiment was considered a failure and the camels were turned loose in the desert. By July 1858, the post had undergone another shuffling of units. Company K of the Mounted Rifles was sent to Fort Union. Company D of the Mounted Rifles replaced them. Company B of the 8th Infantry transferred to Fort Stanton and Company E to Fort Marcy, Companies A and B were joined by Company K at Fort Stanton. Holmes was back in command at Fort Bliss with Company I, 8th Infantry, and Company D, Mounted Rifles. Longstreet had become a pay officer and was stationed at Fort Union. Then in 1859, Company D of the Mounted Rifles changed places with Company A at Fort Stanton, and Capt. Washington L. Elliot assumed command of Fort Bliss. After another campaign against the Navajo in 1859, Company K of the Mounted Rifles was again assigned to post relieving Company A. Walker was in command for the second time until February of 1860, when ordered back to New Mexico. This left Jackson in command of the one company post. In March, Capt. Thomas G. Pitcher arrived and took command until October, when he went on leave and returned command to Jackson. Fort Bliss was detached from the Department of New Mexico Dec. 8, 1860. The 8th Infantry was to garrison the post with three of its companies that were now reassigned to the Department of Texas. The fourth company was assigned to Fort Davis. Reinforcements from the 5th and 7th Infantry Regiments and a battalion from the 10th Infantry and the 2nd Dragoons took the 3rd and 8th Infantry’s mission in New Mexico. “Guardians of the Pass – The story of the U.S. Army in El Paso” will continue in next week’s edition of The Monitor.