-,-------- "·" < \ SPECIAL REPORT COVERING THE PROPOSED FORT UNION NATIONAL MONUMENT Submitted by Region III Headquarters National Park Service Department of the Interior " Santa~Fe, New Mexico June, 1939 \~ • ' . SPECIAL REPORT COVERING THE PROPOSED "-·,: FORT·UNION NATIONAL MONUMENT Submitted . By .. Region III Headque.rters National Park S!lrvice Department· or the Interior . ', '' . :, ·' ' · Santa Fe, New Mexico june, 1939 • • . TJUlL:E OF CONTEN'.l'S I. CRITICAL ANALYSIS O.F Tm; SI'l'E A. · Sy-noP.ais-_ • .--~_-:_~- •.• _.·_. •.•-:•-~::~:,~--. •· ~ _•_ • ~- .-.;·_ ... ,.- ._ •• •· ·-·· l , B •. Accurate Description or the Site •••• , ; • , 2 o• Identification o:f' the Site ...... • ....... 12 D, Historfcal.. Ne.rrati.Va.·: •· •• _.::~.--.:~•"·········•·1·2 :it. Evaluation o~- .the- S~-te •• • ~-· ~ ••. • ..•.•.• • 13 II. PARK DA.TA -A~ Owrier&hip •••••• ~- .• ,~- ••••••• •: . ••.•.••••••• • 14 - B. Apprai~e4 .Value •• • :~... -•• •·• •• ~ ............. • 14 o. Condi'l;ion, including .Previous . _Development •• •. -~--•.·••-•. ~-- •• -.-._. ~ ••••.•• •:• .. _._14 D. Care, including Past, !'resent, and · Probable Fu.ture. •-•••• .. ••••···· , ••••• •.•.•• .,:-15 .E. AOoessib1l1 ty-:.,,. •. ·• .-. _..• :~ .. ;-. -~-~- .•. ·· .. ~--• ~-15 f, l?ossibili~ o:f' Presel"ration •• , •••• , , .•, •• 15 G. · . Bttggest8d t>evel(,pntlnt -~ •·~·. ~ .•· •' • ••.••••.•.. , l·6 H. Relationship or. Site to Areas Already · · Administered.by National Park.Service,,16 APPENDIX MAPS. PHOTOGRAPHS OTf.!ER.EXHIBITS • • . I • . ORITIOAL ANALYSIS OF TEE SITE A. 8ynopsis Fort Union is generally recognized as the outstandiIJ8 historic United States miiitary poet in New Mexico. For four decades, from 1851 to 1891, it pleyed an ilnportant part in the establishment .of. pe~ manent United States rule in the Southwest. Established in 1851 to counteract the·depredations of frontier Indians and to protect the Santa Fe Tra11.1 Fort Union experienced a varie.d existence, Typical of most United States. military posts in the West at that time, it was at first undermanned,· During the Civil War its greatest distinction lay in its importance as abase of supply. and . '. ·. ~ .. operations, inwhichitserved to keep much of the S()uthwest from be- . ing controlled by the Ooi:i:federate ·forces, keeping at the same time the . lines. of collll1111nioation open between Missouri and. the Southwest. After the Civil War, it became the center of arrrr;r activities upon the New Mencan frontier. Abandoned i.n ·1891, because of the absence of Inclian disorders and the abandonment of the Santa Fe Trail, it reverted· to pri• vateownership, The nation!il significance pf Fort uni.on :ls withPut question. As· . the base of the United States Arrrr;r in. that part of the Southwest, it protected the. New Mexico frontier against the Indian and the invader; as the guardian of the Santa Fe Trail dur11J8 the American period, it l • • , , , , insured the development of trade and, tlle mo;ement westward of the imm1-. - grant1 as an arol,litectural monument, the remains of which are evident today, it tells an eloquent story of the material culture,l:l.fe0 and activity of the frontier days of the Old Wes_t. - B. Accurate Description of the Site Fort Union is located, as all old army report states, in latitude_ . , . , . , .'. .· .·'· -.. ·..... !/ 35° 54' 21" north; longitude, 27° 54' 15" west1 altitude 6,700 feet. · Upon a dirt road some nine miles northwest of Watrous, New MeXico, about twenty-eight miles northeast of Las Vegas, it marks a spot upon the old Santa Fe '!'rail, eviden.ces of which are still ample in that -lo- cality, U, s. Highway 85 is Within four· or five miles of the fort in one place. Within the heart of a great cattle ra11oh, Fort Union still retains the evidences of itaone-time illlportanoe as a military center and as a stopping plaoe upon the Santa Fe Trail, Row after row of adobe, brick, and stone walls mark the size and location of the post itself~ A for­ est o:f chimneys still _standing, and piles of fallen bricks, mounds, and roe>fing tin lltrewn on all sidell, emphasize tlie deterioration _which has taken place since the army•$. abandonment, One of the earliest descriptions of Fort Union was that given by Major E•. S, Sibley, later a fa111ous Coll.federate general, He, who was responsible for much of the construction, described the completed ..1:/ See H, Woods, Eor'fi. [IJ!oJ!, Ms., 48. This longitude is measured from Washington, E.c, 2 • • JI post as1 Nine sets of offieersi quarters; each set -- With one exception,·which is composed.of three :rooms and a kitchen•- 18 feet long and J.5 feet Wide, These quarters have ear.then roofs; and five of them have, in addition, board roofs, The other sets of quar­ ters Will also .. be covered w.1 th board roofs, as soon as lumber for the purpose can be saved, and it.can conveniently be done, Two barracks •.48 feet long and 18 feet wide, With two wings 50 feet long and 16 feet wide.I . board roofs •. '· : ._ ' ' ' . Hog.ital - 4S feet long and 18 feet wide, with a willg 46 feet long and 16 feet wide; board roofs, Storehouse• 100 fel!lt long and 22 feet Wide 1 with a wing 415 feet long and 16 feet wide; board roofs. Commanding Officers• Office and a Court Martial .E22!! - 4S feet wide; earthen root, Offices for AssistantQuarterJl\aster and Commissal'l of Subsistence - 38 feet long and 18 feet wide; earthen root, Smoke House - 100, feet long and22feet wide; board ·roof, Guard House and Prison - 42 feet long and 18 feet Wide; earthen roof, Blacksml.th's and Wheelright's Shop - 50 feet loIJ8 and 1,8 :t',eet wide; board roof, Bakehouse - 31 feet .long and 17 feet Wide; earthen· root', Ice &use - 20 feet long and 30 feet Wid.e; earthen roof, .covered by board roof, Qu.arters :for Laundresses - 114 feet long and 18 feet Wide1 a.ix rooms1 earthen root~ ~/ 8. s. Sibley, S• 122..2.• 32nd, Cong., ~Seas,. II. 75, 3 • • In addition1. yards to five sets> Of officers. quarte~s have been enclosed,· and two oorrals have been made 1 each.lOOfeet square, Tb,e lumber used in the oonst..;. ruction of these buildings,. with the e:x:aeption .01' · · 14,,872 ;l:'eet, has been.sawed at the post, Forts;De• tiance1 Fillmore, a:ad C9nrad s:re Similarly co:astructed, lacking an icehouse, An inspection in 1854 by Colonel Jof!eph K. F. Mansfield, res1ll- . ...• . .]/. ted in the following descriptiont Fort Union is situated at the foot of the ?.Iese. Oppo• site Gallinas Mountain .on the west side. of. a valley · stretching p.early north and· south, say 35 miles. · . About 7 miles to the southward is :Ba:t>clay• s 11'ort on the Mora River, whenee the old road to Santa Fe cros­ ses theva.l;l.ey~ About 15 iniles to the northward t)le road .from the valley Of ·the Mora crosses the. valley· and 5 miles further is Ocat.e Creek, and 3 miles fur· ther still in a canyon of. the mountains is a fam at­ tached ti> this post.. This. valley is well adapted to grazing and large quantities of hay are ·et=ally eut on the Ocate fo:(' the public animals, . This post is . now directly on the shortest road. to Santa Fe, a .ohanoe having been effected through the exertions and recon­ naissance 01' Major J'~ N; Carleton, U. s. Dragoons, to open the road to .the northward off Wagon Mound and .Gallinas Mountain0 thereby saving in distance ab()ut 15 miles and. by the exertions of Major .Sible;t, U. s. Q.uartermaster, to open the road from the Post to Las . Vegas direct, thereby sa"fing .several miles in distance westward, Thus sj,tu:ated, it is well located :t'or a de­ pot for the supply of the northern posts, direct to. Burgwin andFort Massacl:lil.11etts through the valley o:t' Taos, and to Santa Fe and Albuquerque either via Burg­ win or Las Vegas, It is well adapted .for keeping beef cattle and superm.unmerary dragoon horses and llU:iles, etc,· The. supplies of flour, oorn,and hay and fuel are obtained from the neighboringvalleys as conven• iently as· .at. other. J;>Osts in New Mexico and on reason- . able tams. The buildings of all kinds are as. good· as at any post and there seellls to be enoug!lof them to sa'!liSi:'Y .the demand of the service, It is important, however, that a good.wagon road be opened to cross the .]/. ;r, K. F. Mansfield, Report, • • ·Mora lfountain directly.. to lllirgwin fi\bout l.tf l!l1les south of Don FerMnde111 d.e 'l'eos, 11ru!. 11 diste:nce of'· l!bl>Ut 50 miles, li'or thi II Object I would l'e!)Om!ilend an appromation oi' two thou111e.nd dolla1'11.. For • 1111.'.etoh of' thia.~l.ey ®nd a plan of the post seoC and D het>llWith.append$d. The post 1.e estabU.slu!ld en a resel'Tatfon or eight mil11111 a11uar111 and lilte the tam ta clai.i1md by Ci ti- 11en1s. It tm11 col!ll!lonoed. in l.S6l by llrevet Lt. 001• 1£. l'l. Alexander of the 8th Intentrey' 11.nd conUnued succeeni't'ely by Bvt. M'ajor ;;. H.. Gerleton, let. Drego~m:i ~sid r<:a.Jor u. !torrf11 of the 'S:rd !n.,'i"ar.t:ey · · ud llt't. Lt.; Col. v. Brooks, i.lnd Jirtille:ey. ·It 1.s too close under the M"'M for e. tenable poei 1!1.on ~inst au ei».terpris1ng enemy, unl.ee11 the immediate beight be oceupied by a Block !louse, which could readily be .d¢ne. l t 11ee111e to blli.ve been aelecttld on f!OCOUnt Of fl.