The Diary of Lieutenant Francis Henry French at Fort Clark, Texas 1883 (#3)

January 16, 2026

by Fort Clark Heritage Council, Bill Haenn, FCHC Senior Historian

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.

In this 3rd installment, Lieutenant French is at Meyers Spring, Terrell County, a sub-post of Fort Clark, in command of the Seminole-Negro Indian Scout Detachment. He is settling into a routine of practicing on his violin, reading novels, writing letters, Army paperwork, exercising by riding his horse Harvey three miles to the nearby railroad station, and being always hopeful there will be mail. As it begins to turn colder he witnesses the ritual burial of a Chinese railroad worker and entertains civilian visitors to the camp.

First Installment can be found HERE
Second Installment can be found HERE

Monday, January 15, 1883

Commenced to practice on my violin today and to exercise my voice. And now, I am resolved to keep up both whenever possible. On a scout, of course, the violin has to be abandoned, but I can carry a pitch pipe with me all the time. Rode over to the railroad in a wagon this morning with the Doctor, and spent the remainder of the day in camp after seeing him leave on the cars. In the evening with Luce and an extra horse rode Harvey over to see if the Doctor had returned and found that he had. Harvey*(1) has very easy gaits; I am very well satisfied with him. This morning, I bought several pieces of Chinese money from some Chinamen at Thurston*(2). One of the gang had given out and was dying of consumption. The others showed their utter heartlessness by putting him out of the house in little tent, with a bed on the ground and no stove or other arrangement for heating the tent. There far away from home and friends, with no comforts, in that desolate place that poor wretch was dying. It was a horrible sight, rendered still more so by the way his comrades treated him. In the evening felt more tired than I have been since coming to this camp; must exercise each day. I was very much interested in watching these Chinamen eat with chop sticks today. Wrote a letter to Marie this evening and shall start the couriers tomorrow for Del Rio.

Tuesday, January 16, 1883

Today the couriers left with the mail. Sent a letter to Marie, one to Gen'l Smith, to Vedder and the ration return and requisition for next month. Hope the other couriers will return tomorrow. Doctor and I took a walk after lunch today for exercise. He is a very genial pleasant gentleman. Poor man he has had a rough experience. Being only a contract doctor he is kept out here all the time. I don’t think it is fair, but of course this is none of my business and I must not interfere. Kept up my good resolution about practicing today both vocally and instrumentally. Read a trashy novel part of the day. Do not enjoy such books much after "The Scarlet Letter".

Wednesday, January 17, 1883

Dr. Harmer and I were in hopes that the couriers might come in today with the mail, but our hopes were destined to disappointment. This evening, he went over to Thurston in the wagon to meet the train from Lozier and returned with two gentlemen, Mr. Nason and Capt. Simonds*(3) who are to stay with us for two or three days.They are railroad men stationed at Dallas, but come originally from Boston. On account of trouble among the stock holders, the road is now in the hands of a receiver and they are out of their places for a while. So they have come out here to look at some land and find what the prospect is to put sheep or cattle on the land. Nason, the younger is a graduate of Harvard and was practicing law in Boston when he was induced to come to this state to go into railroading. He invested some money and is now afraid of losing it. He is a thorough gentleman; in fact both are and we like them very much and hope they will make a long visit. Capt Simonds is an older man, one who has seen more of the world. He used to be captain of police in Boston. He is now looking after the land in company with Nason in the interest of a Mr. Shortwell, one of the principal owners of the railroad. Practiced today as usual.

Thursday, January 18, 1883

Went to Mayer's Spring with our guests this morning. Nason seemed very much interested in the paintings made by the Indians on the rocks that overhang the Spring*(4) . After returning got some horses and sent one of the Seminoles with them to show them the land. While they were away the mail came and, much to my pleasure, brought me a bountiful supply, only one letter from Marie however. I can plainly see from home letters that Mother & Lula are a little jealous of the dear girl, but they must not interfere. I am going to marry the lady I love if she will have me, and will not allow anybody to interfere with my selection in this matter. Father sent me some notes to sign in connection with my insurance money. How kind and thoughtful he is in looking after my business. I would be worse than a brute to do anything to hurt his feelings or to cross him in any way. Poor man, he has had a life of toil and trouble, and the least I can do is to help him in every way possible. Got a bill from Hatfield amounting to nearly $50, which I must pay as soon as possible. Practiced as usual, before our guests returned. Spent a very pleasant evening in conversation. Nason is a very agreeable gentleman to me as we could converse about books. By the way, Marie thinks I ought to write, and perhaps I am doing wrong to myself in not writing, at least, some newspaper articles. But I am too much afraid that I have not talent in that direction. I must try however.

Friday, January 19, 1883

A real cold norther struck camp during the night and made the air decidedly cool by morning. Went out to look at a mound built by Aztecs or ancient Indian tribes near Mayers Springs*(5). Nason was very much interested and tried to dig a little. But the cold soon chilled our ardor. Saw "sure-enough" ice today in the pools near Meyers Springs. Wrote a letter to Father, but forgot to send it to the railroad when our guests left at 3 o'clock, and it was too cold to send Luce with it. Am very sorry because it contained the notes for my insurance and these are now overdue. Hope it won’t make any trouble. Nason & Simonds left on train up this evening. Sorry to see them go and hope they will return soon. Simonds is a mason, hence all the more welcome to the Doctor & myself. Practiced today and in the evening wrote more of my account of the quarantine Camp. Will try to finish it in the rough and then rewrite it to make corrections.

Saturday, January 20, 1883*(i)

Quite cold all day but seemed to grow warmer towards evening. Spent the day in camp writing letters and practicing. I have practiced faithfully all week. If I keep this up, I hope to be able to sing sometime. I wish I could have a good teacher. Wrote a letter home this evening and one to Crowder*(6) about those confounded accounts of the Post Fund. Also wrote to Friedlander*(7) for a $5 check on San Antonio and shall send this to Crowder to make good the amount the Post Fund lost.

Sunday, January 21, 1883

Moderated very much, although ice formed during the night. This morning rode Harvey over to the station taking Luce with me. Smith the section boss, said that that poor Chinaman was dead and was to be buried that day; so I stayed to see the ceremony. He was laid out on the floor in the tent where he died with each hand full of cooked rice. The coffin was made of rough pieces of board, a regular box and poorly made at that. The grave was dug some distance from the section house. The site was selected by Smith, and the direction of the grave by one of the Chinamen throwing a pick behind him. When the grave was prepared, the body was lifted into the coffin, the four men raising it having cloths over their hands so as to prevent touching the body. After adjusting the lid, the coffin was raised on two blocks, & at the character foot on a block were placed bowls of cooked rice & of tea and a piece of cooked pork; and in some cans filled with earth were stuck some "josh-sticks"*(8) burning. Some paper was also set on fire. Then several of the men picked up burning "josh-sticks" and bowed several times toward the coffin. Then putting the sticks back into the cans, bowed again two or three times; two of them kneeling and touching the ground with their foreheads. Two cans were then filled with the eatables and chop sticks put into each, and then everything was ready for the burial. The coffin was tied to two cross sticks, and four men raising these sticks on their shoulders carried it to the grave, one man coming behind and scattering pieces of paper, to keep away the Devil I suppose. At the grave nothing occurred except putting the cans with the provisions into the grave. A piece of paper with some of their curious characters was pasted above the door of their sleeping room to drive away the dead man's spirit as one of them told me. Luce noticed one thing which was well worthy of notice but which escaped me. In all the ceremony with the coffin at the house, the men bowed toward the ground as if to drive away some evil spirits which would naturally come from below. There was no looking upward to ask for consolation and protection from on high. The men went through all these ceremonies in a most nonchalant manner, some of them smoking most of the time. In bowing at the coffin, they let down their queues and did not smoke. I had an opportunity to see one of them smoke opium, a debasing habit in which these men are won’t to indulge. What superstition was shown by this burial. Took a good bath after reaching camp and then ate a hearty meal, my ride giving me an appetite. Must exercise outdoors daily. A man came in from the Post this evening where he had been on pass. He brought some mail, but no letter from Marie. Wrote to the dear girl tonight and will send the couriers in tomorrow. Received word to look for Paymaster Bash*(9) at any time from the 22nd; so will send to Thurston tomorrow to see if he comes.

1 Lieut. French’s horse purchased from Lieut Guest for $75.

2 Chinese railroad workers built significant portions of the Southern Pacific Railroad through Texas's Lower Pecos region in the early 1880s, connecting the East and West, facing harsh conditions, and leaving behind archaeological evidence like rice bowls, opium pipes, and coins, though their stories are often overlooked, with most details emerging from artifacts and limited historical records rather than their own written accounts.

3 Lieutenant French’s habit of identifying people only by their last name makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to find the person in the historic record. This is the case with the vast majority of civilians he encounters. Heitman’s easily identifies the military men.

4 On the cliff face which overhangs Meyers Spring is one of the finest rock art panels in North America.

5 Immediately in front of Meyers Spring there are two large burnt rock middens, left by the archaic people of the Lower Pecos region,.

6 Crowder, Enoch Herbert (1859-1932) – USMA Class of 1881. Then a lieutenant in the 8th Cavalry and post adjutant at Fort Brown. He would go on to become the Judge Advocate General of the U.S. Army and retire as a Major General in 1923.

7 Friedlander, W. E. – Post Trader at Fort Clark. His Sutler’s store was located where the Empty Saddle statue stands today.

8 Joss sticks are slender incense sticks, common in Chinese culture. They are burned as offerings, to create a peaceful atmosphere, aid meditation, and facilitate communication with the spiritual realm.

9 Bash, Daniel Norricks (1830-1909) – Major, Army Paymaster, retired July 2, 1892.

Submitted by 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 for the benefit of the visiting public and future generations, providing for the advancement and strengthening of heritage tourism initiatives by growing recognition of and visitation to the Fort Clark Historic District and being committed to endorsing and promulgating the rich history of Fort Clark by expanding upon related educational and research efforts.