Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21

|SOLDESTPOST
hp Was Established
y Zachary Taylor;
lpply Base Was Lo-
hted at Point Isabel

lily M pNoL O.
Brown is a romantic page in the
Fy annals of the emitted States,
I'D garrison having gone through
OF the most exciting and color
Plsodes in Americas war history.
March, 1916, General Zachary
or took possession of a village on
north bank of the Rio Grande, %
IS @grom its mouth, and opposite
city of Matamoros, Mexico. This
Iage he transformed into a strong
I'd work and garrisoned it with two
eries of artillery and the Seventh
Wy, under command of Major
Brown.
work was named Fort Taylor.
fal Taylor with his army then took
he march to Point Isabel where his
Of supplies was located, and
y after his departure, Fort
was attacked by the Mexicans
General Aristam and bombarded
datamoros from May 3 to 6, 1916.
raj Taylor, hearing the heavy
started back with 1000 men to
Ae garrison, but was intercepted
Mexicans under General Ampu-
Palo Alto on May :. and again
SAGA de la Palma ON May 9.
American genera: gained victories
known in our history, and forced
Mexicans to raise the seize of
Taylor OF May 8. The command
Major Brown, was seriously
Pded, however, and died the day the
was raised.
Named Fort Brown
n memory of the gallant command
Who fell nobly in its Defense" the
e Of the fort was changed to
Brown, and the village nearby
ed Brownsville.
Ort Brown and Brownsville were
by a strong American force dur
the Mexican war, and at its close,
rters were built and a permanent
t established about a quarter Of a
he north of Fbrt Brown, and called
townsville barracks. -:.ese barracks
Ere occupied, except for a short time
1859, up until the outbreak of the
ivil War.
Bandit Attacks
On September %, 1859, the Mexican
audit. Juan C~ortina, captured the
ty of Brownsville, and made his
:adquarters in the deserted garrison
Brownsville barracks. -;ajor Helm
however, succeeded in dis
dying the Mexican bandit on Deem
r 5, and drove him up the river, de-
ating the outlaw forces q Rio Gran
&
Brow. n~sville barracks were abandoned
March 90, 1861. after the surrender
General Twiggs, and was immediate
taken possession O. y Confederate
oops o the state of Texas, which
i'd seeded the, previous month. On ,
ovember 8, 1868, Union troops APP
to make an attack on the
and the Confede rates de-
the field works, and burned
le buildings in the historic Browns
|lle barracks.
Occupied by UniOnists
was occupied by United
|ates troops again in 1868, although
|e post had been held by the Con-
throughout the war, and in
lie Sdllt IedI IL SdI-y III lcOJ u
lexis and quarters for six companies
ere erected on the original site Of
barracks. These were lat
enlarged into a pc.- for infantry.
|valry and artillery. with suitable
sildings for each branch, constituting
lree posts in one. The new post was
lined Fort Brown. after the old fort
6ch had been named in memory of
gallant work of Maj1r Brown in
ending the post.
considerable difficulty was experien-
by the cit in obtaining a
r title to the land comprising the
Brown reservation. Condemna-
proceedings were initiated on
ember 7, 1858, but it was not I'M
une "a, 1895, under the provisions
n Act of Congress OF March 3
that full and valid title to the
ric old post was secured. The
|ej States paid S16O. 900 for the re:
Rtion. consisting Of a tract Of
acres.
Negro Troop accident
18th tha exception of me outbreak
he negro troops Of the 25th in.
y and the so-cal.ec shooting
of the city Of Brownsville on Aug
l3, 1906, Fort Brown was occupied
nuously and u%neventfully from
until October IA, 1911, when it
abandoned by the military forces,
turned over to the apartment of
or. /.
t Brown was again occupied by
d States troops on tie 10th of
ary, 1913, when Captain Kirby
er, commanding Troop NJ. Four
United States cav1.ry, was sent
A few months later a squadron
Third United States Cavalry un-
Major Sedgwick Rice, occupied
Brown. and the carson remain
that size until in 1916 when CON
hs growing out OF tie revolution
fexico brought to this part Of the
Drder $4,000 soldiers. including fed
al and state troops.
The movement TO the .,order start
the first of July, 80, and troops
,mained here until the following Feb
,ary. 1917. Fort. Brown. which had
that time been returned by the in
rior department to the war depart
ent as a military cost, was head
for the Brownsville district.
I'd General James Parker was in COM
and of the district. The Sixteenth