Established in 1858 in southern Colorado, Fort Garland, with its garrison of over 100 men, served to protect the earliest settlers in the San Luis Valley, then part of the Territory of New Mexico.

Over 25 years, the fort was home to a number of different companies of infantrymen, mounted riflemen and volunteers. Kit Carson and his volunteer unit were commanded to the fort in 1866 to keep the peace and negotiate with the Utes. Regular troops returned in 1867 and Carson and his volunteers were mustered out. Most of them returned to Taos, New Mexico but Carson moved to Boggsville, Colorado (now Las Animas, Colorado) and settled down as Colorado's Superintendent of Indian affairs. He died there in 1868.

Fort Garland was abandoned as a military post in 1883, following the confinement of the Utes to reservations.