The Diary of Lieutenant Francis Henry French at Fort Clark, Texas 1883 (continued #25)

In this 25th installment, Lieut. French takes Marie for a carriage ride in an Army Ambulance to Spofford and they miss a dance held in her honor. As the week ends he is relieved of command of the Seminole Scouts which he has held for the past six months..

Had a lot of things condemned and dropped from the papers this morning. Now, it will take a very short time to turn over the property to my successor. Took dinner today with Kendall at Dr. Taylor's, just a family dinner and enjoyed it too. In the evening sat around the house entertaining callers until tattoo, when I got some sandwiches from Sophy and Marie got some cookies and I had Charlie bring up a pitcher of lemonade from the store and then we sat in the band stand and had a fine picnic. Capt. Vance and Mrs. Hall came over also and sat with us quite a while. Mrs. Lyster evidently felt hurt as she thought we had invited Capt. Vance & Mrs. Hall, but this was not so. Offered to sell Harvey to Sgt. July today for $60, throwing off $15 from what I would ask anybody else for him as the Sergt. has taken care of him and furnished me one of his own horses to ride while Harvey's back was sore.

Read "Shadow Bells" this morning and had a pleasant time as usual. Was surprised to see Marie cry this morning. Dan, a little Skye terrier that she is very fond of is suffering with a sore ear and is almost sick in consequence, and Marie cried to see him suffer. Helped her to wash his ear and to put vaseline1 on it. In the afternoon drew some supplies for the Seminoles and beat Geary three games of billiards. Then we went over to town and I bought some drawers and some peaches. Was very much vexed at Vedder today. He promised yesterday to send an ambulance2 to take us over to Spofford and when I spoke to him about it today, he had not ordered it and seemed to imply that he did not care to order it. Well, someday I'll be able to return all his kindness. At six o'clock P.M. the ambulance was at my quarters and I rode around to Col. Lyster's, got Marie and we went out to Spofford. I had some peaches and we talked and ate peaches. We were quite confidential and Marie told me many things. Enjoyed the ride very much indeed. Got back just after taps and heard the music at the hop room. Wanted her to go to the room with me but she declined on account of a headache. Mrs. Lyster was quite excited when we drove up to the house, as she said the hop was in honor of Mrs. Guard and Marie, as they are soon to go away. Gen. Smith said something at the hop room that offended Mrs. Lyster very much and she left before the dance was over. When she spoke to us about it, she cried quite hard. As the dance was in Mrs. Guard's honor, I went over for a few moments and was met by Capt. Hall rather fiercely for taking Marie away this evening. But as neither of us knew that the hop was intended as a compliment to anybody and had not been informed, we were not to blame, and I soon told Hall if he had notified us like he did others we would have been there too. Apologized to Mrs. Guard, danced a polka with Kate Bernard and then returned to Col. Lyster's to invite Mrs. L and Marie to go to Hewitt's for ice cream, but of course they declined and I did not go. Sat there talking until nearly eleven o'clock.

Marched on Officer of the Day this morning. Inspected the sentinels with prisoners and found it mighty warm work. Wrote a letter home this afternoon. In the evening called on Mrs. Kauffman and Mrs. Taylor and after tattoo on Mrs. Guard, who expects to leave tomorrow night. Inspected the sentinels about 11 P.M. Heard that Dr. Maddox was to come in this evening and felt rather glum about it. This is all nonsense, for if I did not think so much about Marie I would soon recover from my foolishness. I don’t think I love her as a man ought to love his intended wife, but still I am jealous of any man who seems to think at all of her. Well, in a short time we will separate and then maybe I won’t act so much like a fool.

One week from tonight and we will start for the North. Dr. Maddox did not come last evening and my jealous fears were settled. Marched off guard this morning. Finished "Shadow Bells" this morning. Black's descriptions of scenery and masterpieces and his writings are very pleasant. But in this book he has made one or two mistakes in regard to dates and time that rather detract from the enjoyment of reading it. A novelist ought to be very particular in such matters, for if one has to study about the dates or other topics in a manner foreign to the tale, he rather loses his interest in the book. Played billiards with Geary in the afternoon. In the evening called on Mrs. Hall & found Marie there. After tattoo went with her to say good bye to Mrs. Guard who left tonight for the North with Sully, Guard going to San Antonio with her. After calling we sat out in the band stand for a while and then over on Col. Lyster's porch and returned home earlier than usual.

Col. Towle returned last night. Was rather surprised to see him sitting on Payne's porch when I came out from breakfast. My new blouse came this morning and like the others from Hatfield fits very well. What a swell I will cut with it this summer at home. I think I shall go to Indianapolis in August at the annual encampment of the militia. Worked on my papers today and in the evening called on Mrs. Bernard until tattoo. After tattoo read for a while & went to bed early. Four Seminoles were discharged today, including Blanco.

My straw hat came this morning. Now I am ready to travel. Geary was ordered to relieve me today. Played billiards with him in the morning and then we went to see Vedder to fix up about the property. Found him very disobliging & hard to get along with. In the afternoon rode out to camp for a short time. At breakfast received an invitation to dine at Gen'l Smith's this evening. Returning from the Seminole camp, took a bath and put on best clothes and went over to the General's, finding Marie and Hewitt the other guests. The dinner was a very nice one and everything passed off pleasantly. The General drank bon voyage for all of us, in champagne. Hewitt is going away in July. After dinner walked home with Marie and called on Mrs. Heger for a few moments. In the evening called on Mrs. Feche't and Mrs. Weeks and then took a short walk with Marie and sat with her in the band stand until tattoo, when I escorted her to Capt. Hall's and left her there, as I had to make out my papers. Worked on these until midnight. Marie is looking pale and sick.

Wrote home as usual today. Cunningham came last night and woke me about 2 o'clock to say "How". He is staying at Capt. Vance's. Called on him this afternoon and we had a long talk together. The young man is engaged to a young lady at Laredo, but he would give her up in a wink if Marie would have him. Think he retains the old love for Marie. He dined at Col. Lyster's and took her out for a long walk in the evening. He is rather quieter than he was at Leavenworth, but is still the same Cunnie in other respects. Called at Col. Lyster's until tattoo.



1 Vaseline was invented in 1859 by Robert Chesebrough. He discovered a waxy substance called "rod wax" while visiting oil fields in Pennsylvania. He refined the substance and patented it in 1865. The name "Vaseline" is derived from the German word "Wasser" (water) and the Greek word "elaion" (olive oil). Vaseline was first marketed as a healing ointment for cuts and burns.
2 On the frontier the ever-present Army ambulance rarely saw use for its designed purpose but was rather more often, because of its comfort and light weight, the preferred transport of the officer class. The Dougherty Wagon, commonly called an ambulance, was frequently purchased by officers for their personal use.



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.