New Mexico Forts

American Forts: West

NEW MEXICO

Last Update: 16/JUNE/2007

Fort Lowell
(1866 - 1869), near Tierra Amarilla
Located on the Rio Chama southwest of town. Originally named Camp Plummer until 1868. Became an Indian agency in 1872 for the Ute and Apache and consolidated with the Pueblo Agency in 1878. The Indian Agency was discontinued in 1881.

Post at Abiquiu
(1849, 1850 - 1851), Abiquiu
A temporary station using rented adobe buildings in the town.

Post of Taos
(1847 - 1852, 1860 - 1861), Taos
A Federal garrison was established here in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. Originally called Camp at Fernando de Taos in 1847 when Missouri Volunteers occupied rented adobe buildings.

Fort Burgwin
(1852 - 1860), Ranchos de Taos
A reconstructed Dragoon fort originally called Cantonment Burgwin, and also known as Fort Fernando de Taos. Located 10 miles south of Taos, it was built to protect the wagon road between Santa Fe and Taos. Now occupied by the Fort Burgwin Research Center.

Camp Loring
(1858 - 1861), near Questa ?
An encampment located on the Red River.

Rayado Post
(1850 - 1851, 1854), Rayado
A Dragoon post south of Cimarron on the Santa Fe Trail. The post initially consisted of rented quarters at the mansion of Lucien Maxwell. The town was regarrisoned in 1854. The Kit Carson Museum is here.

Fort Union (National Monument)
(1851 - 1894), near Watrous
Three forts were located here. The first post consisted of several log buildings (1851 - 1861), but was deemed inadequately sited for military purposes. The second was an eight-pointed star-shaped earthwork called Star Fort (1861 - 1862) located across Coyote Creek, about one mile away, built to defend against a possible Confederate attack. The attack never came and it was abandoned. The third was an extensive adobe fort begun in 1863 just north of the earthwork fort and took six years to complete. It was the largest post in the Southwest. The ordnance depot (1863 - 1882) occupied the site of the earlier log fort. Abandoned in 1891 and left under caretakers for three more years. Nothing remains of the previous two forts. The third site lies in ruin, covering 80 acres. Located near the junction of the Mountain and Cimarron branches of the Santa Fe Trail.

Alexander Barclay's Fort
(1849 - 1854), Watrous
A civilian two-story adobe trading post with two circular bastions, enclosed by a 64-foot square palisade, located along the Mora River. Also known as Fort Barclay. Sold in 1853. A flood around 1900 carried away the remains.

Camp in Cañon Largo
(1863), Ancon
A temporary NM Volunteer post located 20 miles southeast of Fort Union where the Mora and Canadian Rivers meet in San Miguel County.

Fort Butler
(1860), near Conchas
A Federal post located 12 miles from Fort Bascom on the Canadian River. Possibly never built.
(info provided by Marshall Sitrin)

Fort Bascom
(1863 - 1870), near Tucumcari
Located on the south bank of the Canadian River eight miles north of town. It was originally called Camp Easton until 1864. The Officers' quarters were built of stone, the rest of the post was adobe. The garrison was transferred to Fort Union.

Fort Sumner (State Monument)
(Old Fort Sumner Museum)
(1862 - 1869), near Fort Sumner
A trading post was first located here in 1851. The Apache and Navajo were confined here by Col. Kit Carson beginning in 1863. However, control of the Bosque Redondo Reservation was deemed a failure, and the Navajos were allowed back to their homeland in 1868. The fort was discontinued soon after that and sold to Lucien Maxwell. Billy the Kid was killed here in 1881 and his gravesite is nearby. Maxwell abandoned the site in 1894. Most of the site has since been damaged by floodwaters of the Pecos River.

Post at Beck's Ranch
(1859 - 1860), near Santa Rosa
A temporary military outpost located two miles northeast of town.

Camp Anton Chico
(1863 - 1864), Anton Chico
A temporary post garrisoned by CA Volunteers.

Camp at (Alexander) Hatch's Ranch
(1859 - 1864, intermittent), near Dilia
Leased by the Army as a supply stop from Fort Union. Located 12 miles northeast of town on the west-bank of the Gallinas River. The main house (115 x 288 feet) was adobe surrounded by a 10-foot high adobe wall. Remains located on private property.

Camp Tecolate
(1850 - 1860), Tecolote
A foraging camp for Fort Union located just south of Romeroville.

Las Vegas Post
(1846 - 1851), Las Vegas
Initially garrisoned by MO and IL Volunteers until 1848, then became U.S. Military Headquarters in the territory until Fort Union was established. The post consisted of rented quarters.

Camp Luna
(1904 - unknown), near Las Vegas
A NM National Guard summer training area, known under several different names until 1929. Federalized in 1942 for WWII training. Post-war status undetermined.

Camp Lewis
(Pecos National Historic Park)
(1862), near Rowe
400 Colorado Volunteers left from here for the Battle of Glorietta Pass in which a Confederate supply wagon train was destroyed, forcing the Confederates to retreat back to Texas.

Presidio of Santa Fe
(1610 - 1680, 1692 - 1846), Santa Fe
Originally named La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco. Abandoned by the Spanish in 1680 and occupied by Pueblo Indians during the Pueblo Revolt. Recaptured by Spain in 1692. The presidio was rebuilt and named Presidio de Exaltación de la Cruz del Nuevo México (aka Presidio of New Mexico). Also known as El Real Presidio de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios y la Exaltación de la Santa Cruz. The Palace of Governors is at the heart of this presidio. Fortified barracks were north of the Palace. The Plaza de Armas outside the Palace later became part of Fort Marcy (see below).
Santa Fe was the capital of the Spanish province of New Mexico beginning in 1610. Since it continues to be the state capital, this makes it the oldest seat of government in the United States.

San Miguel Mission
(1625, 1710), Santa Fe
The chapel of the mission was fortified in 1710.

Fort Marcy (Park)
(1846 - 1867, 1875 - 1894), Santa Fe
This was the first American fort built in this state, also referred to as Post at Santa Fe. Located near the site of the Presidio, it was an earthwork with an adobe blockhouse, a dry-moat, and mounted 13 guns. The post was briefly abandoned when the Confederates invaded New Mexico in 1862. It was reoccupied by NM volunteers soon after. The post was ordered abandoned in 1867 but somehow the military forgot this and when a relief garrison was sent in 1875, the commander reported that there was no post at Fort Marcy. The government then re-established the fort. It was finally abandoned in 1894. The Officers' Quarters remain. Hotel suites are now at the site.

Post at Galisteo
(1851 - 1858, intermittent), Galisteo
An Army horse and mule grazing camp until 1852, then used by Dragoons.

Algodones Quartermaster Depot
(1851), Algodones
A temporary Army supply depot in rented buildings. Abandoned because of the expense.

Jemez Post
(1849), Jemez Pueblo
A temporary Army post.

Post of Albuquerque
(1846 - 1867), Albuquerque
A Federal garrison post and quartermaster depot in rented adobe buildings. Became department headquarters in 1852. Captured by the Confederates in 1862, with a gun battery set up in the town square (plaza).
A Presidio was established here in 1706 and both the Spanish and Mexicans had military posts here.

Camp Vigilance
(1852 - 1853), near Albuquerque
A temporary Federal encampment.

Los Pinos Depot / Station
(1862 - 1866), Peralta
A Federal quartermaster depot and remount station occupying rented quarters. Originally known as Camp at Peralta, or Camp Peralta.

Camp Los Lunas
(1852, 1859 - 1860, 1862), Los Lunas
A Dragoon post prior to the Civil War. Also known as Post of Los Lunas. Abandoned and reoccupied several times.

Camp near Casa Colorado
(1855), near Belen
A Federal encampment. Located about five miles southeast of town.

Camp Tome
(1848), Tome
A temporary Army tent camp.

Laguna Post
(1851 - 1852), Laguna
A temporary Dragoon post that replaced Ceboletta Post. Transferred to Fort Defiance, Arizona.

Post at Ceboletta
(1850 - 1851), Cebolleta
A Dragoon post. Spelling variations include Cebolleta, Cibolleta, Sebolleta, Seboyeta, Seyboyeta.

Paraje Post
(1862), Paraje
A Union 45-man garrison post. Attacked by the CSA in 1862.

Post at Cubero
(1862), Cubero
A small temporary garrison of NM Volunteers guarding stores of ordnance, later captured by the CSA.

Fort Wingate (1)
(1862 - 1868), San Rafael
A Federal infantry post used in Col. Kit Carson's 1863 Navajo Campaign. Also known as Fort El Gallo. The garrison was moved from Fort Lyon (see below), but in 1868 was moved back to its original location.

Fort Wingate (2) (U.S. Military Reservation)
(1860 - 1862, 1868 - 1918/present), Fort Wingate
Originally named Fort Fauntleroy until 1861, then renamed Fort Lyon because the person it was originally named for had become a Confederate officer. In 1862 the garrison was moved 50 miles east and the new post was renamed Fort Wingate (see above). In 1868 the post was moved back to its original location at Ojo del Oso (Bear Spring), while still retaining the same name. After 1882 the post was headquarters for many archaeological and ethnological expeditions in the region. In 1914 about 4000 Mexican troops and civilians that fled Mexico during the Pancho Villa War were temporarily housed here. In 1925 a portion of the post was used as a school for Navajo Indians. The Wingate Ordnance Depot was established here in 1918. Renamed Fort Wingate Ordnance Depot in 1960, and Fort Wingate Army Depot in 1962.

Camp in Chusco Valley
(1858), near Mexican Springs
A temporary Army field camp. Also spelled Chuska.

Camp Tuni-Cha
(1858), near Newcomb
A temporary Army outpost in the Tuni-Cha Valley.

NEED MORE INFO: An Army fort (1860 ?) at Bosque Farms; Blanco Trading Post (date ?) near Nageezi.

Undetermined locations: Camp Alamo Vejo (1855), Camp near Cariso (1858), Post at Lazuma (1851), Camp Los Poros (1860), Cantonment Mason (1855), Camp Mule Spring (1856), Camp Niggerhead Spring (1855), Camp Pleasant Springs (1855), Camp San Simon (1856), Camp Schroeder (1867), Camp Shoeneman (date ?).

Southern New Mexico - page 2