History of First Fort Davis: 1854-1862 On October 23, 1854, the Commander of the Department of Texas, General Persifor F. Smith, issued the official order that established Fort Davis. Smith named the site in honor of then Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. more
History of Second Fort Davis: 1867-1891 After the Civil War, travel continued on the San Antonio-El Paso Road and so did raiding by Comanches and Apaches, which resulted in the Army re-establishing Fort Davis. more
African Americans in the Frontier Army The Act of 1866 increased the size of the Regular Army, thus changing the course of military history by affording African Americans a permanent place in the Armed Forces of the United States. more
Second Lieutenant Henry O. Flipper FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GRADUATE OF WEST POINT Born into slavery at Thomasville, Georgia on March 21, 1856, Flipper became the first African American graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. more
