03/13/2026
Not McCulloch County but some interesting history about our neighbors in Mason County and Fort Mason.
On March 15, 1856, a court-martial convened at Fort Mason to try Capt. Charles Edward Travis in what became one of the most sensational military courtroom dramas of its day. Travis was the son of Alamo hero William Barret Travis. Born in Alabama in 1829, he was raised in New Orleans by his mother and stepfather after his father’s death. In 1848 he moved to Brenham, where he practiced law and later served in the Texas legislature. In 1855 he received a commission as a captain in the Second United States Cavalry.
Trouble followed him almost immediately. While stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, another officer accused Travis of slander. Additional charges soon followed, including cheating at cards and leaving camp without authorization while traveling to Texas. His superior officer, Col. Albert Sidney Johnston, relieved him of command and placed him under confinement.
When the court-martial opened at Fort Mason, Travis handled much of his own defense and pleaded not guilty to the charge of “conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.” The proceedings drew considerable attention, especially since Johnston himself, along with other officers, testified against him. Johnston’s wife, Eliza, wrote in her diary that Travis was “a mean fellow.” The court ultimately found him guilty, and he was dismissed from the service.
Travis spent the remaining years of his life trying to clear his name, but his efforts failed. He died of tuberculosis in 1860.
Shown here: the only known photo of Charles Travis, William Travis' son.
