This research guide intends to provide introductory information on the historical significance of Fort Ringgold in Rio Grande City, Texas. The guide links to useful primary and secondary sources from the UTRGV University Library Special Collections and information about external resources.
Fort Ringgold is located in Rio Grande City (Starr County) and is about an hour Southwest of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Its namesake is derived from Bvt. Maj. Samuel Ringgold of the United States Army who died of wounds he suffered from in the Battle of Palo Alto in 1846. Camp Ringgold was established in 1848 during the Mexican War by U.S. Army Bvt. Maj. Joseph H. LaMotte, as one of five forts along the lower Rio Grande River. Its primary function was to provide protection to communities from Indian and Mexican raiding parties. In 1849 Camp Ringgold became known as Ringgold Barracks, and Fort Ringgold in 1878.
In the latter part of the 20th century Fort Ringgold served as an educational resource for the people of Rio Grande City. Some of its prominent buildings are as follows.
Entrance.
Constructed of brick in 1869.
A total of six buildings, four built in 1869 and two in 1920.
Brick building built in 1869.
Built in 1941 to house the medical detachment.
Constructed in 1893 of brick masonry walls on concrete foundation.
Originally built to provide storage space for food.
Constructed of brick in 1869
Used as a field quarters by Robert E. Lee in 1860.
The collection contains research material for Thomas E. Simmon's book: Who's shooting firecrackers? : the "riot" at Fort Ringgold, Texas. The book discusses an incident that occurred when Troop D, Ninth U. S. Cavalry Regiment (Colored) stationed at Fort Ringgold and townspeople in Rio Grande City exchanged shots on the night of November 20, 1899. Materials include photostatic copies from the National Archives, Texas State Archives, microfilm,and photographs.
Map 2 is included in Dr. Simmon's book, Who's Shooting Firecrackers? The "riot" at Fort Ringgold, Texas.
Blueprint map of Rio Grande City drawn by J.R. Beard includes Porciones 78, 79, and 80.
Hand-colored lithograph. "Death of Major Ringgold at the Battle of Palo Alto," Johnson Fry & Co. Published New York 11.5" x 10.75".
Postcard of the US. Army 14th Cavalry on horseback. Text on the front reads "Col. Brown, commanding officer. 14th Cavalry on way to Ft. Ringgold from Ft. Sam Houston, Tex. Left Ft. Sam Houston APR 16/20. Arrived Ft. Ringgold APR 30/20 Distance 274 miles."
The collection consists of artifacts discovered by Manuel Hinojosa in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico about the Mexican-American War, including artifacts recovered from Fort Ringgold like the belt buckle above.
Originally sponsored by Texas State Library, Train to Share, UTB/TSC, and Manuel Hinojosa.
"And Then The Soldiers Were Gone” is a documentary film about the military base at Fort Ringgold that was established before the Civil War to protect the people of South Texas. It served as a military base for many years, until the 1940s, when the fort closed and the soldiers left Rio Grande City. The question that circulated within the city was what to do with the vacant base.
Manny Rodriguez is a Library Associate with UTRGV Special Collections & Archives. He joined the University Library in 2015 as a student worker and later as a full-time member of the team. Manny earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology & History from UTRGV (2016) and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University (2023).
The research guides compiled by UTRGV staff and students are intended to assist patrons who are embarking upon new research endeavors. Our goal is to expand their knowledge of the types of resources available on a given topic, including books, archival materials, and websites. In so doing, our compilers have taken care to include collections, digital items, and resources that may be accessed not only through UTRGV but also via other institutions, repositories, and websites.
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Fort Ringgold: A Brief Tour
by
The author, a native of Rio Grande City where Fort Ringgold is situated, and former professor of Education and The University of Texas-Pan American, presents a highly readable and informative photographic tour of this army barracks. The guide includes a portrait of Major Samuel Ringgold (1880-1846), who gave his name to the fort which, throughout the years, has been known as the Camp at Davis' Landing, then Camp Ringgold, then Ringgold Barracks, and finally, in December 1878, officially renamed Fort Ringgold. A map, drawn by the author, provides a reference to the original locations of all the buildings mentioned, most of which are accompanied by photos either taken by the author or obtained through the courtesy of the Hidalgo County Historical Museum.
Buffalo Soldiers in the West
by
In the decades following the Civil War, scores of African Americans served in the U.S. Army in the West. The Plains Indians dubbed them buffalo soldiers, and their record in the infantry and cavalry, a record full of dignity and pride, provides one of the most fascinating chapters in the history of the era. the lives they developed for themselves, their relationships to their officers (most of whom were white), their specialized roles (such as that of the Black Seminoles), and the discrimination they faced from the very whites they were trying to protect. In short, this volume offers important insights into the social, cultural, and communal lives of the buffalo soldiers. history of black soldiers in the West. Previously published in scattered journals, the articles are gathered here for the first time in a single volume, providing a rich and accessible resource for students, scholars, and interested general readers. Additionally, the readings in this volume serve in some ways as commentaries on each other, offering in this collected format a cumulative mosaic that was only fragmentary before. each of its four parts, surveying recent scholarship and offering an interpretive framework. The bibliography that closes the book will also commend itself as a valuable tool for further research.
Reference files contain articles, clippings, flyers, brochures, maps, and other ephemera collected by the Library Special Collections on topics concerning the Lower Rio Grande Valley Collection about the geographic region of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. Many of these materials are protected by U.S. Copyright Law.
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