Camp Cooper, C.S.A.
Throckmorton, Throckmorton County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Located 17 miles south. Surrendered by U.S. at outbreak Civil War. Used as Confederate frontier outpost on the defense line from Red River to the Rio Grande. Manned by Texas Cavalry, mounted riflemen, Rangers. Constant patrol and scouting maintained guard against Indian raids, Union invasion, marauding deserters, "Jayhawkers". Always short on food, supplies, ammunition, and horses these troops fought the Comanches in numerous engagements while effectively protecting supply train and pioneer families along edge of settlement. A Memorial to Texans Who Served the Confederacy Erected by the State of Texas 1963
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Surrendered by federal forces at the outbreak of the Civil War, Camp Cooper became a Confederate outpost anchoring Texas's long frontier defense line from the Red River to the Rio Grande. Manned by Texas cavalry, mounted riflemen, and Rangers, its perpetually undersupplied troops patrolled against Comanche raids, Union incursion, and marauding deserters. Their constant scouting shielded supply trains and pioneer families clinging to the edge of settlement.
Why it matters
Camp Cooper reveals the Confederacy's overlooked western front, where the war for the Union overlapped with an older, ongoing struggle over the Texas frontier.
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Related events
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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