Fort Selden letters
Collection
Identifier: Ms-0127
Scope and Contents
The Fort Selden letters are microfilms of original letters held by the National Archives and Records Administration. They are primarily letters sent to and from Fort Selden from the Office of the Quartermaster General. The four rolls of microfilm were received through John P. Wilson who used them as a research tool for a paper called, “Ft. Selden Development Project, Phase II, Archeaological Investigations.” Two reels come from NARA record group 92, Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General, and two reels come from NARA record group 94, Records of the Adjutant General's Office.
Dates
- 1866-1899
Biographical / Historical
Established at what is now Radium Springs, New Mexico and built on the Rio Grande, Fort Selden was a territorial fort constructed in 1865. Originally built for one company of infantry and one company of cavalry with sixty horses.
The fort was built adobe style, flat one story buildings except for the Administration building. Water was taken from the Rio Grande and the nearest town was Leasburg, with Dona Ana twelve miles to the south.
The site for the fort was taken from an older Indian campground and a Spanish crossroads before the Jornada del Muerto, or Journey of the Dead Man, in Spanish.
Extent
4 Reels (4 microfilm reels - 4th floor)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains letters to and from former army outpost Fort Selden, New Mexico between 1866-1899.
Processing Information
Updated by Cassie McClure
- Title
- Guide to the Fort Selden letters
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Updated by Cassie McClure
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the New Mexico State University Library Archives and Special Collections Repository