Fort Garland Trivia

What year was Fort Garland built?

• 1858

• 1865

• 1776

• 1945

Answer explanation

Fort Garland replaced the older Fort Massachusetts since it was in a poor strategic location. Starting in 1858, Fort Garland helped protect white settlers in the San Luis Valley.

What year did troops officially abandon Fort Garland?

• 2010

• 1900

• 1883

• 1896

Answer explanation

After 25 years of protecting white settlers, Fort Garland was abandoned in 1883 based on recommendations made by General William Tecumseh Sherman.

What Civil War battle did Fort Garland troops participate in?

• Gettysburg

• Glorieta Pass

• Vicksburg

• Bull Run

Answer explanation

In 1862, Confederate forces hoped to acquire Western resources, railroads, and supplies along the Rocky Mountains with an invasion along the Sante Fe Trail. However, Confederate troops were pushed back by Union forces at the Battle of Glorieta Pass in New Mexico, ending any Confederate plans in the Western United States.

Mt. Blanca is one of the four sacred mountains of which Indigenous nation/peoples?

• Comanche

• Kiowa

• Ute

• Navajo (Diné)

Answer explanation

In the Navajo (Diné) language, Mt. Blanca is called Sisnaajiní, or the White Shell Mountain. It is the Sacred Mountain of the East for the Navajo (Diné) peoples.

Which famous American once commanded Fort Garland?

• Kit Carson

• George Custer

• Teddy Roosevelt

• Ulysses S. Grant

Answer explanation

Kit Carson commanded Fort Garland from 1866-67 and is partially responsible for several instances of violence against Indigenous peoples and American expansion into the San Luis Valley.

What group of African American troops was once stationed at Fort Garland?

• Rough Riders

• 369th Infantry Regiment

• Tuskeegee Airmen

• Buffalo Soldiers

Answer explanation

Indigenous peoples saw similarities between the troops' hair and a buffalo's coat, leading the all-African-American unit to be called the Buffalo Soldiers. The group was stationed at Fort Garland from 1876-79.