Camp Cureton, C.S.A., was strategically established during the Civil War on the defense line from the Red River to the Rio Grande where the Gainesville-Fort Belknap Road crossed the west fork of the Trinity River, about 10 miles south and 4 miles east of Archer City. The Texas Frontier Regiment frequently patrolled the area to check Comanche raids. Poorly fed and lacking horses and ammunition, these rugged Confederates more effectively curbed Indians than the U.S. had, protected supply trains, and guarded against Union action. The camp was named for Capt. Jack Cureton, its commander and a veteran of the Mexican and Indian Wars.