The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 32
324 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
ing hitherto unknown regions, and trails and roads had to be
made so that they could be traveled.
The years 1849 and 1850 were busy years for the engineers of
the army in exploring unknown West and Northwest Texas for
roads, from San Antonio and from Red River to El Paso, there
to connect with roads to California. At least two men who rose
to distinction during the war between the states-General Joseph
E. Johnston and General R. B. Marcy, father-in-law and chief
of staff to General Geo. B. McClellan-were engaged in this work,
General Johnston from San Antonio and General Marcy from
Red River.
In the nature of things these regions being occupied or infested
by hostile Indians, the exploration of the country and its re-
sources greatly depended on the efforts put forth by the agencies
of the general government; and the discovery of many of the
mineral resources of Texas has been the result of those efforts
and explorations. But with the rush of gold-seekers to Cali-
fornia the need became urgent for roads that could be traveled
the year round, free from the dangers and difficulties incident
to the trails further north across mountains and plains. This
gave to West and Northwest Texas the chance to be discovered.
In the territory of the United States as it existed prior to the
annexation of Texas and the Mexican war, there were sixty-three
military posts in the whole country. In the year 1851 after the
gain of territory greater than was contained in the organized
states and territories in the whole country before the two events
mentioned, there were one hundred and nine military posts, forty-
six of which were in the newly acquired territory, the great bulk
of which was unsettled and infested with Indians more or less
hostile. Nineteen of these posts were in Texas-mostly in West
and Northwest Texas. The army had been increased from some-
thing over 8,000 men to less than 13,000, an increase not nearly
in proportion to the increased needs and demands on it, incident
to the vast increase in territory to be covered and protected.
Repeatedly did the generals of the army call attention of Congress
to the insufficiency in the numbers of the men of the army to
afford efficient frontier protection, but usually with little notable
effect.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923, periodical, 1923; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101084/m1/38/?rotate=90: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.