Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay between our Santa Fe trip and this post. Between the trip, midterms, and the election – I’ve had a crazy month with little time to spare. I promise posts will become more regular now that the chaos has died down (until it returns for finals next month).
I want to start by saying that Santa Fe is a lovely town. The arts, culture, diversity, and history make it a unique city in the United States. We are lucky (and excited) to live near such an incredible place. However near Santa Fe may be, it isn’t just down the road. We still had to drive nearly five hours to get there. The drive is mostly open highways, full of scenic mountain views and bugs that will paint your windshield. Luckily for me and Daisy, we planned to visit our first historical site of the trip on the way down.
Fort Union was a Union fort during the frontier days in the West and the U.S. Civil War. Yes, you read that right. The U.S. Civil War. Although it’s not common knowledge, the Civil War did have important battles west of the Mississippi River and as far west as New Mexico! Battles such as Valverde and Glorieta Pass were instrumental in failed Confederate efforts to seize gold mines in Colorado and California to fund their war effort. But that’s a story for another post.
Historic Fort Union had three implementations before it was closed in 1891 for good, with each version of the fort larger than the last. The first of these three forts opened in 1851 and helped establish a military presence in the Southwest and protect American interests and trade. The second iteration, established in 1861, was used to defend the Union during the Civil War, and the third, constructed in 1863, was the largest iteration of the forts and better supported military personnel during the Civil War, Indian Wars, and continued expansion westward.
Although the Fort Union had access to water, fertile soil, and lumber – life on the frontier was not easy for soldiers. The fort was isolated and experienced many droughts. High winds and loose soil made the conditions intolerable for some, and diseases such as smallpox were common.
Despite the harsh conditions for soldiers, the fort’s existence is symbolic of even harsher times for America’s indigenous peoples. Fort Union served as an outpost for American soldiers during the country’s systemic genocide of Native Americans. Soldiers stationed at Fort Union engaged in many battles against local Navajo and Apache tribes to protect American interests in the region. To the soldiers stationed there, they believed they were defending crucial supply lines and their citizens against increasing raids, but to the indigenous peoples, they were fighting for their survival. In 1864, Navajo prisoners would pass through Fort Union during the Long Walk to their internment camp at Bosque Redondo. More than 2,500 Navajo would die from this forceful removal from their land.
So why should we care about some crummy southwestern fort? It is impossible to speak about the history of the American Southwest without recognizing the role the U.S. military played in shaping the region, whether that be defending the Union from a traitorous army, securing vital trade routes, or executing the systemic genocide of Native American tribes. The fort serves as a reminder of U.S. ambition on the frontier, and the atrocities committed against indigenous peoples, and puts into perspective how recently this all occurred.
Being able to see this history first-hand, walking the trails once frequented by frontier soldiers and Native Americans, and touching the walls of a great fort now in ruin is truly an indescribable experience. Daisy and I spent a couple of hours at the small National Historical Park, and we both felt as if we were teleported back in time to when the fort served as a staple of American military might in the southwest. And if you close your eyes, and listen to the howl of the New Mexican wind, you might just hear the many stories the fort has to tell.
(All information provided by the National Park Service)