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Fort
Stanton
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The
history of a marine hospital in the middle of New Mexico
Fort Stanton was named for Captain Henry W. Stanton who helped lead an
expedition against the Apaches in January of 1855 near the Rio Penasco,
or modern day Mayhill, where he was led into an ambush and killed by the
Mescalero Apaches along with twelve of his men. The name Fort Stanton
was only meant to be a temporary designation, which obviously was never
changed.
With Confederate advancement and overtake of Fort Fillmore, Captain B.S.
Roberts, who was at the time in charge of Fort Stanton, ordered that Fort
Stanton be abandoned and burned down to ensure that the Confederate forces
would not overtake them as well, thus gaining the materials that Fort
Stanton had to offer them. Unfortunately for Roberts, a New Mexico gully
washer came in behind the retreating forces and put the fire out, allowing
local Hispanoes, and Apaches to salvage all that the semi- destroyed fort
had to offer. Roberts' plan was not a complete failure however, since
their materials ultimately did not fall into the hands of the Confederate
forces. When the Confederate troops arrived at Fort Stanton, they were
met in the ruins by Indian forces. Fighting broke out immediately. Although
the Confederates were able to gain to control of the fort, the single
company stationed there was unable to control the Mescalero Apaches who
ultimately forced the troops to abandon the fort. With the Confederate
failure to take New Mexico, Indian raids abated, and the U.S. Army was
able to re-occupy Stanton under the command of Colonel Kit Carson. At
this time, Fort Stanton
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was
considered a very good post, with excellent living conditions. By the
time of the Lincoln County wars, "gold fever" in the area
was at its height, and many of the soldiers spent their spare time
prospecting
and hunting in the nearby mountains. Fort
Stanton also served as a training ground for generals in the Spanish
- American War and World War I. General Pershing started his first tour
of duty there after he graduated from West Point. In 1899 the fort was
transformed into the Marine Hospital Tuberculosis Sanatorium, under executive
orders.
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