In March 1877, Captain Samuel M. Whiteside
and two companies of the 6th United States Cavalry established a camp at the
mouth of Huachuca Canyon. This isolated camp had two missions: protect
settlers in the area and stop Apache raiding parties from escaping into
Mexico.
Its location was so well situated along the Chiricahua Apache escape routes
into Mexico that the War Department decided in 1882 to make it a permanent
fort.
Headquarters of the 4th Cavalry in 1886,
this is the unit that chased Geronimo until he eventually surrendered to
General Nelson A. Miles.
It served as the launch site of the 10th Cavalry's 1916 march into Mexico as a
spearhead for Brigadier General John Pershing's Expedition. The
all black 24th Infantry was the first entire regiment stationed at the Fort.
The all black 10th Cavalry "Buffalo Soldiers" arrived in 1913,
served in Pershing's punitive expedition against Pancho Villa in 1916, and
helped guard the U.S.-Mexican border until 1931. (Pershing had been a junior
officer with the 10th in the Philippines. His respect for these dedicated, if
segregated, soldiers earned him the name "Black Jack.") In
World War II, troops were trained on Fort Huachuca's.
Fort Huachuca at this time is an active
military post. Home of several specialty and communications training
schools Fort Huachuca presents a rare opportunity to view both the past and
future. Several of the original buildings, office quarters and others
still stand around the parade field. Most of these buildings are on the
National Historic Registry if you would like to find out more.
There are two museums at Fort Huachuca
housed in three separate buildings. All are within just a short walk from one
another. The Fort Huachuca Museum takes up two buildings, its main
museum (Bldg 41401) and a spillover gallery called the Museum Annex (Bldg
41305). it tells the story of the U.S. Army in the Southwestern United
States.
The second museum is the U.S. Army
Intelligence Museum which takes for its theme the evolution of the
intelligence art with the U.S. Army. It is in building 41411, just down
the street from the Fort Huachuca Museum and its Annex.
Hours: 9am to 4pm on weekdays; 1pm to 4pm on
weekends. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Times
subject to change. There is a suggested donation of $2 per person.
Click
here to go to the Fort Huachuca website. Due to Homeland Security
and the fact this is a working Army base you have to register at the main
gate and check-out when you leave. The museums are well worth the
paperwork that has to be done.
