Fort Griffin, now a Texas State Historic Site, was a US Cavalry fort established 29 July 1867 by four companies of the Sixth Cavalry, U.S.Army under the command of Lt. Col. S.D. Sturgis,[2]:64 in the northern part of western Texas, specifically northwestern Shackelford County, to give settlers protection from early Comanche and Kiowa raids. Originally called Camp Wilson, it was later named for Charles Griffin, a former Civil War Union general who had commanded, as de facto military governor, the Department of Texas during the early years of Reconstruction.[2]:65