Camp Cureton, C.S.A.
Archer City, Archer County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Star and Wreath Strategically established during Civil War on defense line Red River to Rio Grande where Gainesville-Fort Belknap Road crossed west fork Trinity River about 10 miles south, 4 miles east of Archer City. Texas Frontier Regiment patrolled area frequently to check Comanche raids. Poorly fed, lacking horses and ammunition, these rugged Confederates more effectively curbed Indians than U.S. had, protected supply trains, guarded against Union action. Named for Capt. Jack Cureton, Camp Commander, veteran Mexican, Indian Wars. A Memorial to Texans who served the Confederacy; Erected by the State of Texas 1963.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
During the Civil War the Confederacy strung a thin line of frontier posts from the Red River to the Rio Grande, and Camp Cureton anchored a stretch of it near where the Gainesville–Fort Belknap road crossed the West Fork of the Trinity. Manned by the Texas Frontier Regiment and named for veteran Indian-fighter Capt. Jack Cureton, its poorly supplied troopers patrolled against Comanche raids while guarding supply trains and watching for Union movement. Contemporaries judged them more effective at curbing raids than the U.S. Army had been.
Why it matters
The camp reveals a lesser-known Confederate war fought not against the Union but to hold the western settlement line, where the Civil War and the long struggle over the Comanche frontier overlapped.
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Related people
- · Capt. Jack Cureton
Themes & tags
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