Dear Kinfolk,

During the Civil War period,  the Anderson boys took different paths, either as Texas Rangers or Confederate Soldiers.  Their adventures during the 1861-5 period are yet to be discovered.   What we do know —-around 1864, the family began gathering at Fort Davis, Texas.

Fort Davis

Fort Davis was approximately 75 miles west of Fort Worth, Texas.

Fort Davis was a family fort constructed in Stephens County, Texas  (not to be confused with the U.S. military Fort Davis which is located several hundred miles to the southwest of Stephens County).  Family forts were built to provide defense for frontier settlers during the latter part of the Civil War .  The Andersons and other ranching families needed to band together because Comanche raids were increasing and the region lacked protection from an army or militia.  They realized that they would have to “fort-up” together, or they would have to retreat to larger settlements in east Texas.

The end of the Civil War in the spring of 1865  and the collapse of the Confederacy brought final and complete chaos to the frontier.  Before there had been at least of pretense of organization.  What had happened was that the state and territorial militias, the core of the frontier defense for four years, had simply melted away.  In the Confederacy they were forcibly disbanded.  Punishment from Washington D.C., somethings never change.

Fort Davis began in October, 1864, on a flat terrace that was then occupied by MITCHELL ANDERSON!  Mitchell Anderson had built a stone house on the property, and it is generally believed that this house is the same as the one that is still standing at the site.  Mitchell was one of Henry and Sarah’s sons and our cousin Barbara Close great-grandfather.  By January 1865 the fort had over twenty good houses finished.

Our great - - Uncle Mitchell Anderson built the first and only stone house at Fort Davis in 1864. Originally the house may have had two rooms, one the kitchen and the other the living/sleeping area. A 20th century addition was the screened in porch and electricity. The picture was taken by cousin Barbara during a visit to Fort Davis. The house is the only structure left on the fort site.

The best information about the fort residents came from the personal diaries of Samuel and Susan Newcomb, who lived at the fort as a  young couple and were school teachers.(1)  The diary mentions our great great-grandparents Henry and Sarah Anderson and their children, Mitchell Harrison, Albert James, William Walter, Phillip Jefferson, John Henry, and daughters Delaney and Prudence Anderson.  Also mentioned were Henry and Sarah’s grandchild James Washington Anderson (son of James Anderson).  The following are a few excerpts from their diary.  I have five pages of these notes if anyone is interested just e-mail me and I will send  copies.

January 1, 1865.  The Indians have been so troublesome that many settlers have left the frontier and gone to more settled areas.  Fort Davis is on the NE bank of the Clear Fork Brazos.  There is about 120 persons in the fort and others are preparing to move in.

January 20.  The people of the frontier are in the service of the State of Texas, so are not put in Confederate army, they are exempted to care for women and children who shouldn’t be left alone…..they have to scout (Ranger?) on forth of the time.  Tells of 450 white mens going after an Indian camp, the Indians raised white flags but the men went after them anyway.  The Indians won!

February 12  Expect to raise the schoolhouse tomorrow.

February 13  They went buffalo hunting.

February  13  This morning the scout was disbanded and Mr. (Henry M) Anderson, T.B. Bromfield and others started back home.

March 1   Raised a large house for old man Anderson from Fort Belknap. ( This would be Henry M. Anderson our great, great grandfather).

March 7  Last night M.H. (Mitchell) Anderson brought in three stray horses that he had found, supposed to have been dropped by the Indians.  One had a bridle and lariat.

April 25   A bad storm with wind blew down Mr. (Henry M.) Anderson’s house, which made a great noise with its dirt covering roof and large timbers..

April 25  The soldiers in the  C.S.A. returned after being disbanded as all the southern army has.  The wife (Prudence Anderson) and daughter of Philip George and old Henry George came up with them.

July 22   John Henry Anderson, Robert Graham and Stephen Frans left here yesterday morning on a small Indian trail not expecting to be gone out a few hours.

May 30   They hear the war is over.

September 18  Albert  Anderson got in from Weatherford this evening and had not been in two long until it was reported around town that he was going to get married in a week or two.

September 20  Albert Anderson is working on a house today, which looks a little suspicious.  (Albert Anderson is our great ,or gg, grandfather.)

September 27, 1866  This frontier of Texas “where the wild Indians are continually depradating on the people killing, stealing and driving off our cattle.  They have killed and scalped many a one of our poor countryman.  And they have captured many little children”.

January 7,  1867  The men all went buffalo hunting and came in tired and hungry.  They had killed fourteen buffalo and three deer.

April 1,  1867  Many men including John (H) and Mitchell (H) Anderson went on an Indian hunt.  They fought them near the double mountains on the Brazos  and got three Indian scalps,  John Anderson was wounded, shot through the  right arm with an arrow.

June 22, 1867  “This surely is the last place on earth for a woman to live, or anyone else. I don’t believe it ever was intended for civilized people, it was made for the wild Indians and buffalo.”

Susan Newcomb (1) leaves Fort Davis sometime after 1871.  The diary ends although there appears to be a sequel which can be found at the University of Texas at Lubbock in the Southwestern Collection.  Other information for this period in the Anderson lives was taken from Fort Davis: A Family Frontier Fort  by Clifton Caldwell.

Next chapter will feature great-grandfather Albert J. Anderson after September 18, 1865, ‘ “rumors that he was going to get married in a week or two”.  

Have a good weekend,

Jim Lee