The structures of this facility were mostly adobe. None of the actual structures of this second fort are known to remain.Īfter the Civil War, a new post was created in the same general area, but in a location known as Concordia Ranch. In the early days of the Civil War, the site was surrendered to Confederate forces and later burned after the Confederates again passed through the area while heading south, retreating after the Union victory at Glorietta Pass. The fort supported activities in the late 1850s during the relatively short Cortina Wars. Over one hundred years later, when the cemetery was condemned, Bliss’ remains were removed to the Texas fort that was named for him.
The following year, the Texas fort was named in his honor. He was initially interred in the Girod Street Cemetery in New Orleans. After serving in New Orleans during a massive outbreak of yellow fever, Bliss contracted and died of the disease at the age of thirty-seven while serving in Louisiana in the summer of 1853. After being inaugurated in early 1849, President Taylor passed away unexpectedly the following year.
The Bliss and Taylor families seemed destined to have a bright future ahead of them, but Taylor did not to serve long as President. Following his military success in the Mexican-American War, General Taylor was encouraged to run for President of the United States for the Whig party, and he won. The two courted and were married in 1848 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He met Mary Elizabeth Taylor, the youngest daughter of his senior officer General Zachary Taylor, while serving as the general’s aide. He was known to be able to speak thirteen languages. It was said of him that in addition to being well suited for the military, he was highly intelligent and gifted. After his service in the battles of Resaca de la Palma and Buena Vista he was again promoted, to Lieutenant Colonel. He was involved in the fighting in Palo Alto and for his service there, was promoted to major. Immediately prior to the annexation of Texas into the Union in 1845, Bliss served in Texas, putting him in place to take part in the Mexican-American war in the mid 1840s. After this assignment, he returned to the regular Army where at the rank of captain, he served as Chief of Staff to Brig. Strong in mathematics, he was an associate professor in that area while at West Point. He served in the United States Army during the Cherokee Wars and returned to West Point around 1840. Bliss came from a military family and was a graduate of West Point in 1833. The official name of the post became Fort Bliss, honoring Lieutenant Colonel William Wallace Smith Bliss, who had died in 1853, in the years following the Mexican-American War. However, without the troops being present, Indian attacks increased and in early 1854, the United States government established a second fort near a ranch known as the Magoffin Ranch, about a mile from the first location. After this short period of two to three years, its troops were mostly removed to Fort Fillmore, New Mexico Territory. The fort was comprised of the Third Infantry and was commanded by Jefferson Van Horne. At this time, it did not have an official name, and was referred to as the “Post Opposite El Paso del Norte.” There was already a sizeable civilian settlement on either side of the Rio Grande: American El Paso and Cuidad Juarez on the Mexican side. The military reservation that would become Fort Bliss was initially established on the Rio Grande in the late 1840s shortly after the end of the Mexican-American War and was active from 1848 to 1851. View texas-newmexico-history’s profile on Tumblr.View TexasHistoryNotebook’s profile on Twitter.View Texas History Notebook’s profile on Facebook.Impeachment of Mirabeau B. Lamar August 18, 2022.Putman Mitchell, Former Captive September 1, 2022 Matthew Ringal “Bones” Hooks September 8, 2022.Subscribe Follow TEXAS HISTORY NOTEBOOK on Recent Posts