The Diary of Lieutenant Francis Henry French at Fort Clark, Texas 1883 (continued)

In this 41st installment, Lieut French is back in command of the Seminole Scouts and visits their camp daily, otherwise spending his time playing solitaire, learning shorthand, out at the rifle range, at games of billiards, ending his first love affair, and enjoying oysters.

Monday. Oct. 8, 1883

Went out to target practice this morning but did not make a good score. Must continue this practice so as to qualify as a marksman.1 After guard mounting played a game of billiards with Cunningham. Then wrote letter to Shunk enclosing check for $1, to Capt. Milticore returning unused permit for reduced fare, to Harry Rhoads for bill and to Capt. Powers to thank him for a cheap ticket from Fort Wayne to San Antonio. Afterwards studied one hour on Phonography2 and then read "Vanity Fair" until dinner. Went out to the Seminole Camp after dining. Called on Mrs. Blaine, Mrs. Vernon, Mrs. Buffington, Mrs. Kauffman & Hewitt this evening. Afterwards went to Cunningham's; as he was not at home played a game of solitaire. Hope to get some letters from home as I was disappointed in not getting any mail this morning. Must devote more time to study.

Felt kind of sick at my stomach last night and had a hard stomach ache. Went to target practice and improved on yesterday's shooting. After breakfast went down to Guard's, to the store where I paid my bill, to the Quartermaster's but could not get anything as he was busy at the time. Then played billiards with Guard. In the afternoon drew the quarterly allowance of stationery for the Seminoles. Wrote a letter about Bill Williams, one of the Seminoles, made out a requisition for Q.M. Stores, studied Phonography & read Vanity Fair until time to go out to the Seminole Camp. In the evening called at several places. Have made almost all my calls now, all except Maj. Smith, Kendall, Col. Towle and Dr. Harmer. Got an order today giving me mounted pay from Oct. 1. Received a letter from home today enclosing the photograph of the group taken just two weeks ago.

Went out to target practice as usual. Received a postal from Shunk. After breakfast went to the Quartermaster's to draw some stores and to the Commissary's to witness the issue to the Seminoles. Then played some games of billiards with Cunningham and Vernon. In the afternoon wrote a letter home & took a bath, studied Phonography and read Vanity Fair. Dinner prevented me from going out to stables as usual this evening. After dinner went over to Dr. Heger's a moment and then to Brackettville with Eckerson. Mailed a letter there & got some stewed oysters,3  which were quite good, but cost a great deal. After returning played cribbage with Eckerson until tattoo & then read Vanity Fair. A norther came up this evening, bringing some needed rain & cooler weather.

The norther brought quite a hard rain during the night. Went out to target practice today but before I could shoot it commenced to rain and I had to forego the shooting. Rained again in the evening and everything is damp, but unfortunately for us the weather has turned to warm again and is rapidly becoming dismal as before. After breakfast played billiards until near noon. Cunningham then came up to my room for a while & I accompanied him to Brackettville to order a pair of riding pants for Mayer's Springs. After helping Capt. Vance to make some purchases returned to the Post & studied Phonography until dinner. Afterwards went out to the Seminole Camp & gave orders about moving my crates down for storing in Eckerson's. In the evening played solitaire & then dressed in "cits." & called on Col. Bliss & Col. Towle. Enjoyed listening to Col. Bliss tell his experience during the early part of the war. It is a great pity Col. Towle has no family so as to take some of the intense bitterness away from him. He is an intelligent gentleman but very strong in his likes and dislikes. Played solitaire after returning to my quarters. Must stop this as it wastes too much valuable time.

Rained hard during the night. Got up at Reveille & shaved. Capt. Vance had no target practice this morning. Was very much disappointed in not getting any mail. Capt. Vance got a notification that the parcel I sent him by freight was in San Antonio. Wrote down to Shunk to pay charges & forward it. Had crates moved to little house in rear of Eckerson's quarters. Then went to Guard's and to the office. Then came home, practiced aiming with my rifle & studied Phonography. Feel that I am making a decided advance. Practiced a little on the violin & enjoyed it too. Cuff Wilson4 came to see me claiming that Thompson5 intended to kill him as Baltimore Wilson killed John Thompson. Was very much bothered with course of action to take. After dinner went out to stables and brought Thompson back with me. Talked to him and got him to promise not to do anything more in this matter. He said he had not intended to do anything. Hope he will keep his word, but am afraid he may be induced to change. In the evening called on Mrs. Hall & was very glad to find her in much better health. Had a very pleasant talk with her on the porch. Then went to Mrs. Heger's, where I saw Miss Florence Ffoulkes of Del Rio whom I met last year. Eckerson is in love with her and was at the house this evening. He & Miss Florence, Mrs. Heber & I went over to the hop room to see the men dancing. Afterwards went home. After tattoo went down to Guard's & talked with him. Then returned to play solitaire. Read part of Vanity Fair today. Must play solitaire less. Capt Lancaster's light battery6 came in today. Lieuts. Sellmer7 & Bartlett, Lester, 8th Cav'y. are along. Met Lester this evening.

No target practice this morning. Took breakfast alone as Capt. Vance went shooting with Kendall. Received a letter from home which has been a long time in coming. Met Bartlett & Sellmer of the Artillery before breakfast. Knew B. at West Point. After breakfast met Capt. Lancaster in the office. He seems a bright energetic man and is a good company commander, I guess. Went down to the store, played billiards & sat around until nearly two o'clock, wasting a good deal of valuable time. Returned to the house, stopping at Eckerson's en route to borrow some music, which I sang playing the accompaniment on Capt. Vance's piano. then studied Phonography for an hour or more. Went out to the Seminole Camp & ordered Cuff Wilson not to carry his carbine any more. He is a hard citizen always in trouble. Think I'll not reenlist him when his time is out. Capt. Vance & Kendall did not return until after seven o'clock, so I dined alone. The band played an open air concert. After it was over Hewitt & I went to the Artillery Camp to call but found nobody home. Then went to hospital to have the steward look at my ear which has bothered me a little. Called on Maj. Smith and saw a bedstead which pleased me a great deal. If I can sell the one I have now to Charlie, shall send for one like this. It is of iron and packs readily. Afterwards told Hewitt to tell Charlie to come to see me tomorrow. Played a game of solitaire & took a bath this evening.

A bundle of papers was all that my mail consisted of this morning, much to my disappointment. Expected a letter from Shunk about the package. Guess Marie has decided not to write to me anymore and so did not write to her today. And thus ends my first love affair. Well, I shall survive and unlike the heroes of novels shall not become sour and cynical against women. Mother is glad that I have not married Marie. Mother & Lula told me this summer that Mecca Hoagland loves me, but I think this is not so. During the ride we took Sept. 3 we were quite confidential, she telling me that she considered me a friend like we used to be. She is certainly a true woman and will make a model wife for the man whom she loves & marries. But I shall not marry until my sisters are married or otherwise provided for. Breakfasted after inspection. Afterwards went over to the library to glance over the papers until noon. Bartlett was there & came over to call. Knew him at West Point. He made a short call & went to lunch. Think he is commencing to regard himself as being a little bit better than anybody belonging to this Post on account of being an artilleryman. After his departure played & sang, read the papers from home & wrote a letter home. After dinner went out to the Seminole Camp. In the evening went to chapel & afterwards called on Eckerson. After tattoo went over to get some oysters with Hewitt, he treating.



1 The US Army introduced marksman buttons, in 1881. Before 1881 the army had no standard weapons qualification program. When the army created the term “marksman,” with its standard criteria and standard insignia, this was the army’s first step that leads directly to today’s marksmanship qualification badges. Exact qualification to become a marksman varied during 1881-1897, the period when the Regular Army issued marksman buttons, but generally soldiers shot at 200, 300, and 500 or 600 yards, with the closest targets fired standing, the intermediate range fired sitting and or kneeling, and the longest  range “lying down,” which was not the current prone position. Shooters fired lying on their backs. A soldier who qualified as a marksman could wear a button on each collar tip during the year he qualified. If the soldier failed to qualify in a given year, he had to remove the buttons. Starting in 1883 men who qualified for two consecutive years wore two pairs of buttons in their second year. Initially the Regular Army buttons were square with black trim and with a button shank on the reverse.

Francis Henry French was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on September 27, 1857. Deeply impressed from his youth by the stirring deeds and stories told by veterans of the Civil War, he realized his ambition for a military career by entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York where he graduated twelfth from the class of 1879. He was assigned as 2nd Lieutenant of “E” Company, 19th Infantry and came west. Following service at Fort Garland, Colorado Territory, and Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the regiment moved to Fort Brown at Brownsville, Texas where Lieutenant French was detailed as the Regimental Adjutant. In December 1882 the 19th Infantry was posted to Fort Clark. At Fort Clark, on January 1, 1883, Lieutenant French began diaries, which he faithfully maintained for the next thirty years. The Fort Clark period of these diaries from 1883-1888 and his letters home are an intriguing window to late 19th century Army life at Fort Clark and to the American experience of the Victorian era. Lieutenant French’s command of the famed Seminole- Negro Indian Scouts is particularly noteworthy as the young officer developed a lifelong respect for the scouts as soldiers and men. Lieutenant French is a caring and sensitive man with opinions on people and politics. He is a bachelor immersed in the “society” of the regiment and Fort Clark. However, always in the background is his profession of being a soldier and an officer, which he takes quite seriously. The fascination of any diary is of course the private thoughts and observations of another human being, revealed, and in this case the direct link to local history. What the diary truly brings to light is the complex society of a regiment at a frontier post amid the tedium of garrison routine and soldiering, all of which serve to season the young officer. The reader can’t help but become engrossed in the almost soap opera like situations and personalities observed and commented upon on a daily basis by the very perceptive Lieutenant. French falls in and out of love and debt, and is the consummate social butterfly as he takes full advantage of his bachelor status. 

Submitted by Fort Clark Heritage Council - Bill Haenn, FCHC Senior Historian. Fort Clark Heritage Council is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, established in 2023, to advocate for the preservation and protection of the architecture and other historic resources in the Fort Clark National Register Historic District… committed to endorsing and promulgating the rich history of Fort Clark by expanding upon related educational and research efforts.