Fort Massachusetts and Fort Garland

The United States established a military presence in the San Luis Valley in 1852, one
year after the first town was founded here. For 25 years, diverse soldiers, civilians, and tribes interacted under the US flag.

NPS/Patrick Myers

Diverse soldiers from two US forts in the valley patrolled the area around Great Sand Dunes from 1852-1883, protecting both settlers and tribes. Fort Massachusetts was built on the side of Blanca Peak in 1852, but the location was not logistically beneficial. The fort was moved to the valley floor and renamed Fort Garland in 1858. Now a state historic site, Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center features original buildings and artifacts, dioramas, exhibits, and living history events.

 

The burning of Confederate supply wagons was a turning point in the Battle of Glorieta Pass. Had the Confederates won this battle and then taken over Fort Garland, the San Luis Valley's culture and history would be very different.

Painting: NPS/Roy Andersen

In 1862, soldiers from Fort Garland fought in the pivotal Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass in northern New Mexico. About 500 Confederate soldiers were working their way north toward Colorado territory, attacking Union forts, in hopes of taking control of the region and its of gold and silver resources. Significantly outnumbered, the Fort Garland soldiers were losing the battle until a group of them slipped behind Confederate lines and burned down Confederate supply wagons. The Confederate soldiers saw the flames behind them and emboldened Union soldiers in front of them, and quickly fled back south to Texas.

 

The relationship of two couples - Kit Carson and Josefa Jaramillo Carson, and Ute leaders Ouray and Chipeta - was a key part of negotiations between the Ute people and the US government.

National Archives

Controversial Kit Carson commanded Fort Garland from 1866-1867. During that time, he forged positive relationships with regional Hispanic communities through his wife, Josefa Jaramillo Carson, and with the Ute people through their relationship with Chief Ouray and his wife Chipeta. During negotiations with tribes, tipis were set up near fort buildings.

 

Buffalo Soldiers patrol Mosca Pass Trail on horseback in the 1870s, with the dunes visible in the background.

Illustration: NPS/Patrick Myers

The Black Buffalo Soldiers that patrolled around the Great Sand Dunes region from 1876-1879 were a later part of that peacemaking mission. As settlers were claiming lands in the San Luis Valley, conflicts with regional tribes continued to erupt. Frontier soldiers had to not only protect the settlers, but also Indigenous peoples of the region.

When White settlers began to encroach on lands in southern Colorado promised to the Utes, Buffalo Soldiers were dispatched from Fort Garland to evict them. Today we can only imagine the three-way cultural tension of that moment, as Black soldiers confronted White settlers while Ute people watched in amazement.

As young Black men in the 19th century, Buffalo Soldiers knew firsthand the humiliation of prejudice and mistreatment. Though most lacked formal education, these soldiers had a depth of courage, perseverance, and compassion forged through their own suffering and spirituality. It was these characteristics that prompted western tribes to honor them with the name ‘Buffalo Soldiers’. To North American Indigenous peoples, bison are strong and majestic, enduring blizzards, heat and drought. Buffalo Soldiers recognized the positive intention of this unique name, which stayed with these units as long as segregation lasted in the military.

These soldiers served so bravely and proudly for the United States that they earned even the respect of many who had initially treated them with contempt. Lieutenant John Pershing observed: “They fought their way into the hearts of the American people.”