Located in west Texas, Ft. Davis is one of the most well-preserved cavalry forts in the country. You can tour the buildings, many of which are still standing with only minor modern enhancements to render them safe to enter. As a part of the National Park system, you can even earn a Jr. Park Ranger Badge here.
Ft. Davis was an important outpost along the San Antonio-El Paso Road. Many Americans were moving westward and needed protection from raids by hostile Native American tribes. A large number of the troops stationed here were African Americans, also known as Buffalo Soldiers.
As we toured the hospital we learned that most early American soldiers died not in combat but of disease. While army doctors were among the most well-trained physicians available, they still knew very little of how to cure disease. What's more, at the time virtually nothing was known of germs and blood borne pathogens so doctors and nurses did not sterilize instruments between patients (gack). Dysentery and tuberculosis were common ailments that killed many. Diptheria, a disease we regularly vaccinate against today, wiped out entire families at the fort. So many children succumbed to the disease before age five that it was known as the "killer of little angels."
This barracks is furnished much as it would have been when Ft. Davis was active. Many of the beds and quilts are the same that soldiers would have been issued. An enlisted man had no privacy save for his own little space where he slept and kept his trunk of personal items.
If you ever get to west Texas, we recommend making the trip to visit Ft. Davis. You can also learn more and participate in the Web Ranger program by visiting www.nps.gov/webrangers