Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Concho

F Troop, Ninth Cavalry in the 1880s

Public Domain

Fort Concho was established in 1867 along the banks of the Concho River in Texas. Fort Concho was needed to replace Fort Chadbourne. Chadbourne was unsuitable for long term use because it did not have a water source. Captain David W. Porter from the Quartermaster Department was tasked with constructing Fort Concho beginning on December 10, 1867. Building the fort was slow as materials needed to be brought to the site from the Gulf Coast area by oxcart.

The first permanent military structures were, five of the officer's residences and one regimental barracks. They were completed in August 1869. By 1872 Fort Concho consisted of four barracks, eight officers' residences, a hospital, a magazine, bakery, several storehouses, workshops, and stables. The Fourth Cavalry were the first troopers to be stationed at the fort. They were involved in the building of the fort. Besides construction the garrison patrolled, scouted, and escorted cattle herds and wagon trains on the San Antonio–El Paso Road. Due to the military putting increased pressure on the Comanche people in the area Fort Concho was an important military base by 1875.

On April 10, 1875, the Buffalo Soldiers of the Tenth Cavalry replaced the Fourth Cavalry. The Tenth were led by Colonel Benjamin Grierson. Grierson established his headquarters at Fort Concho as well. Troopers of the Tenth Cavalry built roads and telegraph lines; escorted stagecoaches, cattle drives, and railroad survey parties; and served generally as a police force while stationed at the fort. Troopers from Fort Concho participated in numerous campaigns against indigenous people including the Victorio Campaign against members of the Mescalero Apache. Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper, the first black to graduate at West Point, served at Fort Concho in 1880 before his transfer to Fort Davis. The Tenth Cavalry used Fort Concho as their regimental headquarters until July of 1882. In July of 1882 the Tenth Cavalry transferred many of their men and regimental headquarters farther west to Fort Davis, Texas. All the Buffalo Soldier regiments, Ninth and Tenth Cavalry and Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth Infantry served at Fort Concho at some point during this era.

Starting in 1882 the importance of Fort Concho started to dwindle. Some of the reason for this was the establishment of San Angelo, a town across the river from the fort. From 1882 to 1889 the fort was mainly a holding point for soldiers awaiting reassignment. The army abandoned the fort on June 20, 1889. Most of its buildings escaped demolition by being converted into civilian housing and commercial storage space. Today Fort Concho is preserved as Historic Fort Concho and is national historical landmark.