Brazos Santiago, Texas

“The Texas Expedition: Mouth of the Rio Grande and Vicinity, Brownsville and Point Isabel,” The New York Herald, November 17, 1863, page 1

In summer 1865, the U.S. Army occupied Texas in order to contain Confederate forces and support the Mexican government’s ouster of Emperor Maximillian I.  American troops transported to Texas included the Twenty-Fifth Army Corps which consisted of African American soldiers.

African American soldiers were chosen for this duty because “most of them still had one year left in their tour of duty and they lacked the political leverage to demand a discharge….Many Army officers believed that African Americans were better suited to Southern climates than whites, while others wanted to remove any African American recruits from their command.” (1)

Some of the brigades landed at Brazos de Santiago where soldiers “discovered a small, flat, and wretched island devoid of vegetation with a tiny village consisting of a few houses, several warehouses and a wharf. The island was totally unprepared for the large number of troops that descended upon it….Several days after landing, the troops began the march up the Rio Grande to Brownsville….The roads were in poor condition, many men became sick, and the unremitting sun made marching difficult leading to straggling.” (2)

“While in Texas, these soldiers garrisoned many cities and towns, helped restore order and institute loyal governments, rebuilt railroads, and protected the freedmen when possible.” (3)

1  David Work. “United States Colored Troops in Texas During Reconstruction,1865-1867,” Southern Historical Quarterly, January 2006, page 340
2  Ibid, p. 342
3  Ibid, p. 338

Note: “What is a ‘regiment’?” posted on November 19, 2018 shows how Union troops were organized (company –> regiment –> brigade –> division etc.).

Note:  The newspaper article and map are available online at “Chronicling America” (Library of Congress).