Recognizing Fort Martin Scott

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fort Martin Scott, one of the early United States Army forts established in the State of Texas.

I have the privilege of representing the historic town of Fredericksburg in the scenic Texas Hill Country. When the German immigrants arrived in Fredericksburg in the 1840s, they faced hardships including rocky soil, wild animals, disease, and skirmishes with Indians. John O. Meusebach, a leader of the settlers, secured a treaty with the Comanche Indians in 1847. A tenuous peace ensued, with occasional clashes between Indians and settlers. After Texas officially joined the United States of America as the twenty-eighth state in the union, she became eligible for military aid from the United States Army.

In March 1848, the Second Texas Legislature adopted a resolution in favor of establishing a line of Army posts between the Red River and the Rio Grande, in addition to measures that would preserve friendly relations between the Indian tribes and the people of Texas. Captain Seth Eastman, commander of Companies D and H, First Regiment of U.S. Infantry, arrived two miles below Fredericksburg on the bank of Barons Creek later that year. Captain Eastman named the location ``Camp Houston near Fredericksburgh.'' On December 28, 1849, Camp Houston was officially designated as ``Fort Martin Scott.''

The U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment was headquartered at Fort Martin Scott until December 1853. The Fort remained on official Army maps throughout the American Civil War. The Texas Rangers also utilized this site throughout our great State's history. Today, Fort Martin Scott adjoins the Texas Rangers Heritage Center on U.S. Highway 290.

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