Fort Jesup: A U.S. Army Post on the Former Neutral Strip

Site at a Glance

Country

United States

Primary era

Modern

Eras represented

Modern

Civilizations

Unclassified

Site type

Military

Remains

Fort

History

Fort Jesup is a former U.S. Army post established in 1822 in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, to secure the border with New Spain and restore order in the former Neutral Strip.

The Neutral Strip and Fort’s Founding

After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the United States and Spain disputed their boundary. To avoid war, they agreed that the territory between the Sabine River and Arroyo Hondo, including what is now Sabine Parish, would remain free of both countries’ armed forces. The area had no government or law enforcement until the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty, an agreement between the United States and Spain that placed the boundary at the Sabine River.

Initially called Cantonment Jesup, a cantonment being a military camp or station, the post was established by Colonel Zachary Taylor. He chose the location after Fort Seldon, a temporary headquarters for General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, proved too far from the border conflict zone. Taylor quickly subdued the former Neutral Strip, gaining military experience and public standing.

The Army of Observation

The Army of Observation remained at Fort Jesup and monitored Texas as it passed from Spanish to Mexican control and then became an independent republic. The post’s surgeon also recorded meteorological observations. In 1845, General Taylor led the Army of Observation into Texas, an action that ignited the Mexican–American War, the conflict between the United States and Mexico. Taylor’s later military victories further advanced his political career.

Closure and Preservation

The U.S. victory in the Mexican–American War and acquisition of Texas made the post unnecessary. Fort Jesup was officially evacuated in 1846 and then deteriorated. The federal government retained the property until it passed into private hands in 1869.

In the 1930s, residents of nearby Many raised funds to restore the site and establish a park. Louisiana’s Office of State Parks acquired it in 1956. Fort Jesup became a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1966.

Remains

The historic site covers 21 acres (8.5 hectares) in Sabine Parish. Its described buildings include the restored kitchen of Enlisted Barracks 4 and a reconstructed officer’s quarters building.

Buildings

Kitchen of Enlisted Barracks 4

The kitchen has been restored and furnished with historically accurate furniture, preserving an example of the fort’s enlisted barracks buildings.

Officer’s Quarters

An officer’s quarters building has been reconstructed and serves as a museum.