In 1854 the U.S. Army established Fort Davis to protect travelers along the San Antonio to El Paso Road en route to the West and gold fields of California. Of the 200 men who staffed this garrison, 80% were born in Europe. Serving only one enlistment was common. Private George Kohlhaas was one of many soldiers of the 8th U.S. Infantry that served at Fort Davis, and he would later become a figure in El Paso County history during and after the Civil War.