Our last day in Ft. Davis was a cold, blustery day. We visited the grounds of Fort Davis, which was an active fort from 1854 to 1891. This was a large, 523-acre fort built into a box canyon with nearby Limpia Creek providing water. During the Civil War, it was occupied by Confederate troops for about 15 months. It was expanded in 1867 with new buildings and about 400 troops until it was finally closed in 1891. The fort’s main objective was to protect the passage from San Antonio to El Paso from the Kiowas, Comanches and Apaches who conducted raids on travelers and supply lines. Buffalo Soldiers served here so many of the displays showed black soldiers. There are several preserved and furnished buildings and displays and additional hiking trails around the fort. Definitely worth a visit!

We happened to arrive about 10 minutes before an artillery demonstration, which was quite loud and exciting to see. A seven-member artillery unit set off a rifled field gun first, then let us all come out on the field to see it up-close while they explained their roles in the firing. The second demonstration was of a small cannon that could be broken down into three pieces, loaded up on mules to be taken anywhere, and reassembled quickly for use. This mobile cannon only required a team of four to arm and shoot it.