[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 20 (Monday, February 5, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING FORT MARTIN SCOTT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. CHIP ROY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 5, 2024

  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fort Martin Scott, 
one of the early United States Army forts established in the State of 
Texas.
  I have the privilege of representing the historic town of 
Fredericksburg in the scenic Texas Hill Country. When the German 
immigrants arrived in Fredericksburg in the 1840s, they faced hardships 
including rocky soil, wild animals, disease, and skirmishes with 
Indians. John O. Meusebach, a leader of the settlers, secured a treaty 
with the Comanche Indians in 1847. A tenuous peace ensued, with 
occasional clashes between Indians and settlers. After Texas officially 
joined the United States of America as the twenty-eighth state in the 
union, she became eligible for military aid from the United States 
Army.
  In March 1848, the Second Texas Legislature adopted a resolution in 
favor of establishing a line of Army posts between the Red River and 
the Rio Grande, in addition to measures that would preserve friendly 
relations between the Indian tribes and the people of Texas. Captain 
Seth Eastman, commander of Companies D and H, First Regiment of U.S. 
Infantry, arrived two miles below Fredericksburg on the bank of Barons 
Creek later that year. Captain Eastman named the location ``Camp 
Houston near Fredericksburgh.'' On December 28, 1849, Camp Houston was 
officially designated as ``Fort Martin Scott.''
  The U.S. 8th Infantry Regiment was headquartered at Fort Martin Scott 
until December 1853. The Fort remained on official Army maps throughout 
the American Civil War. The Texas Rangers also utilized this site 
throughout our great State's history. Today, Fort Martin Scott adjoins 
the Texas Rangers Heritage Center on U.S. Highway 290.

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