The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 26, July 1922 - April, 1923 Page: 34
324 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
done by contract, was incident to furnishing military escort and
protection through the Indian infested country traversed, which
was necessary.
Again, roads had to be found and made by the men of the
army, for this army transport traffic, between posts, and for all
other needed purposes. High army officials recommended that
all of the cavalry be stationed in Texas and New Mexico, and
repeatedly called attention to urgent need for more cavalry for
the frontiers of Texas. Finally just before the war between the
states another cavalry regiment was added by Congress and sta-
tioned in Texas, with Robert E. Lee as colonel; W. J. Hardee,
lieutenant colonel, and Earl Van Dorn and George H. Thomas
as majors.
But this moving back of the imaginary frontier line by the
establishment of the outer line of forts mentioned did not take
place until Captain R. B. Marcy had in 1849 made his path-
finding expedition from Fort Smith, Arkansas, westward through
what is now Oklahoma, and the Panhandle of Texas to Santa F6,
New Mexico, and, returning, had logged the Marcy trail from
El Paso, Texas, to Preston, on Red River near the present city
of Denison, along the general route later followed by the con-
struction of the Texas & Pacific Railroad. Such a route and
such a trail up to that time were thought to be impossible; and
only through the aid of the noted Delaware Indian guide, Black
Beaver, who knew the wild, uninhabited (except by roving bands
of Indians) country traversed, were they made possible.
In his outward journey, in crossing the plains, Captain Marcy
kept to the south of the Canadian River, and from his account
evidently passed through Hemphill, Roberts, Hutchinson, Carson,
Potter, and Oldham Counties. His description of his first view
and impression of the plains becomes of interest in view of the
subsequent development of that region. Under date of June 14,
1849, in his log book, Captain Marcy says: "Leaving camp early
this morning, we travelled two miles on our course when .we en-
countered a spur of the plain running too far east for us to pass
around; and finding a very easy ascent to the summit, I took the
road over the plain. When we were upon the high tableland, a
view presented itself as boundless as the ocean. Not a tree, shrub
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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/m1/40/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.