Site of Fort Martin Scott
Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established by the United States Army, December 5, 1848, as a protection to travelers and settlers against Indian attack. Named in honor of Major Martin Scott, brevet lieutenant colonel, 5th United States Infantry, killed at Molino Del Ray, September 8, 1847. Its garrison participated in many Indian skirmishes. Occupied intermittently after 1852. Held by the confederates, 1861-65. Permanently abandoned in December, 1866.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
The U.S. Army established Fort Martin Scott in December 1848 to shield travelers and settlers on the Texas frontier from Indian attack, naming it for Major Martin Scott, killed the year before at the Battle of Molino del Rey in the Mexican-American War. Its garrison saw many skirmishes before the post was occupied only intermittently after 1852. Confederate forces held the site during the Civil War, and it was permanently abandoned in 1866.
Why it matters
Frontier forts like this one were the leading edge of American expansion into West Texas, and Fort Martin Scott's span of service ties together the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, and the Civil War.
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Related people
- · Major Martin Scott
Related events
- · Battle of Molino del Rey (1847)
Themes & tags
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