Camp San Fernando

Military post on San Fernando Creek, near this site. Guarded the lifeline of the Confederacy, the cotton road, export-import route that ran from the Sabine River in East Texas to the Rio Grande. Manned 1862 by 32nd Texas Calvary flying Bonnie Blue flag; in 1863, a banner lettered: "We fight for our rights". Temporarily occupied, November 1863, by Gen. H. P. Bee. In February 1864 a strong complement arrived under Col. J. S. (RIP) Ford. Col. Matt Nolan reported to Ford a victory over Federals under Capt. C. Balerio 50 miles southwest on Banquete. Winning troops were under Capt. Thomas Cater, Wm. Tate, Taylor, and A. J. Ware, plus home guard under Capt. Santiago Richardson. (Capt. Richard King, of King Ranch, also served in the home guard.) Col. Ford's "Cavalry of the West" included Maj. Felix A. Von Blucher, chief of staff; capts. H. C. Merritt and J. Littleton, commissaries; Col. Albert Walthersdorff, technician; Capt. W. G. M. Samuels, ordnance. On March 30, 1864, the Arizona companies of Lt. Col. Daniel Showalter reached Camp San Fernando. In April Col. Ford and Col. Santos Benavides attacked the Federals in the Rio Grande Valley. Cols. Nolan and B. F. Fry continued to watch over the cotton road and "keep an eye" on Corpus Christi.