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

In this 44th installment, Lieut. French has an uneventful week of target practice, games of billiards and whist, monthly muster, reports, and a trip to Spofford to meet Colonel Bliss’s wife and family.

Monday, Oct. 29, 1883

Cool Norther this morning, but clear. No target practice. Went to the Quartermaster's and Adjutant's and then to Dr. Heger's to play duets & sing with Miss Florence. Returned about noon to make out and send my pay accounts for October to Maj. Bash. Commenced work on the Muster Rolls for the Seminoles. Confound Guard, he has the blanks & books of the Seminoles still and I am put to a great deal of trouble in consequence. Paid bill at Commissary's this afternoon and went to the Quartermaster's. After stables played on the piano and went to a small hop in honor of Mamie Smith whose birthday is today. Had refreshments. Left before the hop was over to go out to Spofford Junction with ambulances & escort wagon to meet Gen. Smith & Mrs. Bliss. The ride was quite cool & my cloak was very comfortable.

Had to wait over an hour at the station. Col. Bliss came in first from Arizona, Williams from Eagle Pass, while the San Antonio train brought Gen. Smith, Mrs. Bliss, little daughter,1 nurse, Miss Simmons & Mr. Fisk. Was introduced to the last two who are friends of Col. Bliss & are here to make a visit. After having baggage loaded on escort wagon, returned to Clark riding in the ambulance with Miss S. & Mr. F. a white haired old gentleman. Miss S. seems quite pleasant. We chatted all the way back. Ride very chilly. Got to bed about 3:30 this morning. No target practice as I got up too late. Marched on Officer of the Day & had breakfast after guard mounting. After visiting the sentinels and paying Q.M. bill worked on the Muster Rolls. Visited the sentries in afternoon. Did not go to stables. Hall dined with us. Spent the evening at home, Hewitt being here most of the time. Visited guard about 10:30 o'clock.

Last day of the month and muster day. Got up at reveille to receive the calls and inspect the guard. After marching off guard rode out to camp and inspected and mustered the Seminoles, & had the clothing book signed. Came back in time to witness the review of inspection of the garrison by Gen. Smith, viewing part at Mrs. Hall's and the rest at Col. Bliss',2 sitting on the porch in each case and chatting with the ladies. Then wrote letters home, to Harry enclosing check to pay bills, to San Antonio National Bank depositing money, postal to Shunk about the freight, package and letter home [sic]. Received letters from Marie, home & pay from Maj. Bash for October. Marie has at last concluded to forgive me for not visiting Cincinnati last Summer & has requested to renew our correspondence. Of course I shall write to her as before but I don’t care to particularly. Letter from home brings report of Sue's engagement to Potter, which pleases me very well indeed. As far as I can see he is a gentleman in every sense of the word, and will make her a good husband. He knows his trade and is able to fill any position on the railroad. Worked on the Muster Rolls after writing letters. Went out to stables after dinner. In the evening called on Miss Simmons & escorted her to the promenade concert. She does not dance at all but is a bright lady & talks well. Had a good time at the concert. Felt quite sleepy after getting home.

Did better shooting at 300 yd. range this morning than ever before. Feel confident of ability to qualify at that range soon. After breakfast went over to the office and came back with Guard who told me about errors in the Clothing Book. Had hair cut and was beaten by Dr. Maddox at billiards at the store. In the afternoon worked on the muster rolls. Had dinner too late to go out to stables this evening. After dark made a call at Capt. Hall's & then got Capt. Vance to play whist there. Came home near midnight Capt Hall & I beating Capt. Vance & Mrs. H. two rubbers out of three. Had a piece of cake & a glass of wine after playing. Enjoyed the evening thoroughly.

Made an improvement on previous scores this morning at 300 yd. range but did not get a leg. After breakfast went over to the office and down to the Sutler's, playing several games of billiards with Kendall at the latter place. Found Guard at the Quartermaster's and went to his house to get blanks. Then returned to my quarters, made out a monthly return of the Detachment and took it over to the office with a check for Capt. Hall to pay him for a cap he sold me yesterday. Worked on the Muster Rolls until dinner, visiting the camp after dinner. In the evening called on Miss Florence, but she was not at home and Capt. Vance & I went to Capt. Hall's where he & Mrs. Hall were beaten two rubbers of whist. Had a real pleasant evening.

Received a postal from Shunk about that infernal package and a letter of notification of deposit in bank at San Antonio. Went to the Quartermaster's, to Eckerson's and to the office to make arrangements for Eckerson and myself to go to Silver Lake a few days next week to hunt & gather pecans. Then completed muster rolls, compared them and had them signed after stables. Had dinner after dark as the Captain was out hunting today. Hewitt & Maddox were his companions & dined with us. Hewitt stopped to talk & Vedder & Towle came in to prevent my going out to call. Went down to corral at tattoo to enquire about a box brought up from Spofford Junction today but could not find it. Then called on Dr. Maddox for a short time.

Received a letter from home & one from Lizzie T. Hoagland this morning. Lizzie's brings notice of some trouble Aunt Mary is having with her property in Chicago. It is a pity that there is not some summary way of disposing of rascals who live by cheating widows. Col. Lyster & son returned this morning about 3 o'clock but bring news of no changes in this Department just at present. Went over to the office & down to the Quartermaster's to complete arrangements about going tomorrow. Vedder acts in such an exasperating manner that I felt like giving up the whole thing. Afterwards saw Eckerson and he accompanied me to Capt. Vance's to call on Col. Lyster. Wrote a letter home & went out to stables, eating dinner after returning. In the evening went to church & accompanied Mrs. Hall home. After this callers came in. Sat & talked with them until after 11 o'clock, when I ought to have been in bed for tomorrow.

1 Alice Bliss Massey (1879-1980). Then just four years old, she lived to be 100.
2 Colonel Bliss occupied Qtrs No. 28.

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.