The construcion of the first Ft Union was hasty and built with local building materials of mostly sod. It did not take into account the heavy seasonal rains and it was not long before the troops were spending as much time repairing the eroding walls of the fort as they were in patrolling the area. And the need for such protective patrols had continued from the time of the White Massacre in 1849 and the Wagon Mound Massacre in 1850. Construction of a second fort and finally a third fort at its present location became necessary.
During this period however one Lt Harry Mumford, born in 1842 in New York, had been stationed at Fort Wingate at Ojo del Gallo, just east of the Zuni Mountains as an interpreter. During the Long Walk of the Navajo Indians he transfered to Ft Union, where he joined the Quartermaster's Depot. Little is known about him and it has been mentioned that he had attended West Point.
Another settler to come into the Ft Union area during this time was Fritz Eggert. He had tried his hand at gold mining in Colorada and like many other immigrant seeking their fortune had ended up laboring in the mines of other richer, more fortunate men. As a boy, he had fled Prussia with his 2 older brothers and a family friend. His family had been farmers in the old country and the lure of land brought him into the area surrounding Ft Union.
It was in this area that he met and married Juanna Basilia Lablanc, the daughter of the Indian Trader, William LaBlanc and his wife, Alvina Vigil. William Lablanc had prospered and by 1870, the census listed his worth at $18,000. His wealth would have enabled his daughter, Juanna, to have a dowry as attractive as she herself was. By 1869, They had four children, Margaret, Rosa Felicita, Fred, and Carlos. Carlos Americanised his name and was known as Charles. He was born in January of 1869.
Harry Mumford in the meantime had met Josephina Marquez, a women 19 years his junior. This was not uncommon at this time, as the men usually waited to marry until they could provide for a family, while the women married very young in order to bear their children during their strongest, healthiest years. Harry Jr was the oldest, Anna was the second born and by the time Catherine Marie was born in 1875, they were all living in quarters at Ft Union.
Life at Ft Union during this time period was interesting and exciting. After the defeat of the Texas invaders bent on taking New Mexico for the Confederacy in the Battle of Glorieta Pass, the troops continued to be kept busy with Comanche, Apache, and Kiowa raids in all areas around the fort.
Chrismas day, 1868 found troops from Ft Union participating in an attack on a Comanche village at Soldier Spring in western Oklahoma. This battle ended a five year campaign for control of the plains with the tribes on area reservations.
The peace was only temporary and early 1870 found the Comanches and Kiowas again on the warpath, staging raids and attacks. Three columns of the 8th Calvary under the command of Major William R Price left Ft Union in Aug of 1874 to subdue various bands of raiding Indians and did not return until the spring of 1875. With their return, the fort sat in readiness for any future Indian outbreaks. Occasional attacks by raiding parties continued until Victorio's War in 1880 in which Victorio was killed.
During all this time the post continued to be the major supply depot for all of the surrounding posts and points west and north. It was the largest supply depot and required a huge staff to take care of the requisitioning, invoicing and dispatch of the merchandise, goods and supplies shipped from there.
At any given time there would be as many as 200 wagonmasters and teamsters at the fort. All freighting was done by civilians, mainly the Mexican populace of the area. Local blacksmiths, carpenters, wheelwrights, and farriers kept the buildings, and wagons in repair. Draft animals were cared for by civilians and most of the men employed at the depot were civilians.
The subsistance needs of the supply depot were contracted out to the local farmers and ranchers. All
government trains, troops and personnel that came through the area were supplied through the Quartermaster's depot. One of the better known surveys of the time, the Wheeler Expedition was supplied by Ft Union's Depot. The economic and social impact of the fort on the entire region was tremendous. For this reason the area prospered and grew.
Growing up in this enviroment was exciting for young Catherine. Though shelterd as an officer's daughter and taught the etiquette of the day, such as "a lady never goes out without her hat and gloves" she lived in a time of excitement and stimulating events.
Even after the Indian threat was contained, there was the ongoing conflict of the Colfax County War north of the fort. Many famous and historic persons passed through the fort in that time, Kit Carson, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and even a company of soldiers bound for the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The 9th Calvary, a regiment of negro soldiers was stationed at Ft Union for a while.
The post continued busy for many years after what most historians consider it's heyday and into it's maintenance period, as it continued to be the main supply depot for all of the area posts and towns not on the railway.
It was here that Catherine would meet and eventually marry Charles Eggert "under the Swords", as she would relate to her grandchildren in her later years.
Charles was foreman of the Ol' 77 Ranch near Watrous, New Mexico. Pictures show him to have been tall and lanky, with a walrus mustache and cowboy hat, sitting easily on his horse, looking as if he could ride herd night and day for weeks. Catherine was tiny, less than five feet tall, delicately made and yet she projected the strength and determination of the frontier wife. Together they had nine children.
Growing up on a turn of the century ranch in the new state of New Mexico was an adventure for Babe and her older brothers and sisters. Once when Babe was small a turkey attacked her and her mother beat the bird off of her with a broom. This probably made the bird a good candidate for Sunday dinner!! They made pickles and sauerkraut in barrels of brine. The salt would collect on the outside of the barrels and the kids, though they were forbidden, would come by and grab a pickle from time to time. It was a great treat to them. When Babe was small she had a pet duck and a small dog that she loved dearly and she often spent her time playing with them, as she got older she and her sisters would spend alot of time riding horses. There was one horse that Babe could ride but the horse did not like Bert. Their parents had gone to town and they were told not to ride that day. Bert decided that she wanted to try to ride this particular horse and talked Babe into helping her to saddle it. When Bert got on the horse it threw her and she was slightly injured. So the cat was out of the bag and when their parents got home they were both in trouble and not allowed to ride for awhile.
School was something Babe excelled in and she was a favorite with the nuns. Bascketball was a sport she played in school and was quite good. As good as she was in sports, she was even better in her studies, always bringing home great report cards, from grade school all the way through High School. She achieved the distinction of being her Class Salutatorian and her Salutatory Address was so insightful as to speak of events that would actually come to pass.
After Graduation Babe went to work for a doctor, taking dictation and as a receptionist in his office. The Eggert sisters remained close, though by 1939 all of them had married and had children, except Babe. Her main concerne in life was her work and that her Mother would be cared for. Her health had become a problem when in 1937, she had been diagnosed with Rheumatiod Arthritis, a condition for which, at that time, very little could be done. Her life would soon take a new and uplifting turn.
From the time of the American Revolution onward many changes had taken place in the East and the Hay family was also growing. The Hay story continues in BACK EAST, to read on please click on the Ft. Union Quartemaster's Offices below.
