Military
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Fort McRae, located on the east side of Elephant Butte Lake, was named for Captain Alexander McRae, who died in the Civil War battle of Valverde, New Mexico, in February 1862. Garrisoned over time by units of the New Mexico Volunteers, California Volunteers, the 8th and 9th U.S. Cavalry, and the 15th, 38th and 125th U.S. Infantry, the fort was intended to control a major east-west route across the Rio Grande by blocking McRae Canyon. It also served as the initial resting place for Corporal Frank Brattling of the 8th U.S. Cavalry, a Medal of Honor recipient, in 1873. The fort was ordered dismantled in 1879, and the cemetery was removed to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1886.
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New Mexico · United States
