Sons of Confederate Vetrans
Camp No. 2298, Oraan, TX
Private Joe H. Norris 1838-1861, CSA. Marshall, TX`
2nd Regiment, Texas Mounted Rifles. W.P. Lane Rangers. Located at Ft. Lancaster, Crockett County, Texas.
"The lonely grave of Confederate Private J. H. Norris, Fort Lancaster, Texas. He stands vigil to this day, a Silent Sentinel watching over The Republic of Texas' last frontier!
"Stand Fast Private Norris. You are not forgotten. I swear as a Southern Gentleman and Texan, I will make it to you to tend your final resting place."
Fort Lancaster on the Confederacy’s Western Frontier
OCTOBER 21, 2009
The Friends of Ft. Lancaster placed this Veterans Administration headstone Private J.H. Norris years ago. However, when the Texas Historical Commission took over the Fort they removed the Confederate marker on the left. Efforts to find the marker by the SCV have proven futile. Curators at Fort Lancaster have told the members of SCV, that they do not know the whereabouts of the marker.
* Update*
Mr. David McMahon the 1st Lieutenant Commander of the Texas Division, led the effort to restore the grave with J.H. Norris’ VA marker. The Texas Historical Commission agreed to meet with Mr. McMahon and members of the SCV on September 3, 2016 at Ft. Lancaster. Upon arrival the members found that the THC Site Manager was the only representative for the THC.
At the meeting it was discovered that the VA headstone was in a storehouse in Austin. However in a Diary by William Williston Heartsill, (a W.P. Lane Ranger) it was discovered that the carved stone at the gravesite was made in 1861 by Norris’ fellow soldiers.
After a memorial service held at the gravesite by the SCV members, a meeting was held. After a discussion, it was agreed that the carved stone at the gravesite was the most valuable artifact at the Fort, and should stay. Furthermore, this marker should be covered in a way to protect it from further weathering. Also, that the VA marker (which was illegally moved) be brought back to Fort Lancaster Museum, and be on display.
The VA headstone arrived back at the Fort in early May, 2017. It is now on display with a story board about; Private J.H. Norris, a mention of Heartsill’s diary, and the efforts of the SCV and its mission. However, the grave itself as of May 20, 2017 is not protected. Jefferson Spillman the Site Manager at Ft. Lancaster assures me that this will be done soon.
Pictures below are of September 3. 2016 Memorial service, and the VA marker on display as of May, 2017.
VA Marker returned and on display at Ft. Lancaster
Members of
SCV Camp #1441 Dunn-Holt-Midkiff. Midland, TX
SCV Camp# 1613 General Tom Green .San Angelo, Texas
Students of Iraan High School
Pay Tribute to J. H. Norris
Fort Lancaster Western Frontier Days 19-20 May, 2017 After Action Report Once again the flag of General Sibley, the blood red banner with the single white star, flew over the grounds at Fort Lancaster. It was a great event and was enjoyed by everyone that attended. This is the first year that confederate troop attended their annual event in several years. The Texas Historical Commission was good to their word and a new exhibit in the visitor center with the Veterans Administration headstone for Confederate Private Norris is on display. A picture of the exhibit is included in this report. A total of 334 school children toured the fort on Friday. That must have been every kid in west Texas. We started the day with a joint unit flag raising with all the children watching. At noon we had a changing of the guard and the United States colors were lowered by Indian War troops and the Confederates raised the Texas colors. After the events for the day ended, the Fort personnel gathered us all up for a tour of their new property. Recently the family that owed the ranch that surrounds the fort, gave 11.8 acres to THC which include the grave site for 3 Buffalo Soldiers. Their headstones are going to be moved now to stand above their graves. We then moved to the Fort Cemetery and a 1 st National and Texas grave flags were placed on Pvt Norris’s grave. We all sang “Dixie”, and Taps was played on a harmonica. It was a very humbling end to a busy day. Saturday was public day and we entertained 154 guests to the fort. There was musket and bayonet drills done as well as a display table at our camp site. A representative from THC dropped by the camp and thanked everyone for being there and wanted to make sure that we liked the new exhibit in the Visitor Center. The site manager, Jefferson Spilman, conducted an Armed Forces Day ceremony and a history of the 3 stages of the fort, Antebellum, War Between the States, and Buffalo Soldier. I was asked to speak about the newly discovered site of the Battle Near Fort Lancaster where 400 Union soldiers were met on the Pecos River by 140 Texas Rangers in 1864. The first battle of the war that was fought in Texas. This ended the events for the weekend. Next year the event will be on May 18 and 19. We are hoping for a huge turnout was we hope to rededicate the headstones for the Buffalo Soldiers. God Save the Southland,
David McMahon Lt. Commander Texas Division
