Stencil

Operating between 1851 and 1891, Fort Union was at one time the largest military outpost in the American Southwest. The fort's primary role was as the main supply depot for the U.S. Army in the area. Throughout its history, over 40 forts depended on the essential supplies that came from Fort Union to patrol the Santa Fe Trail and monitor and respond to Native American tribes of the region. This tin stencil is dated 1872, the period during which the 8th US Cavalry and 15th US Infantry at Fort Union. The boxes that were labeled with this Fort Union stencil were sent to other forts and troops that focused military actions against the Comanche, Ute, and numerous Apache tribes.