Fort Mason was established in 1851, and was Robert E. Lee's last command post in the U.S. Army. Albert Sidney Johnson, John Bell Hood, and Edmund Kirby Smith also served here prior to their service in the Civil War. During the war, the Confederacy controlled the fort, but it remained virtually unmanned. Families often sought shelter and protection within its walls during frequent Indian raids. Today, visitors can explore the reproduction officers' quarters at the Fort Mason Museum.
