Fort Warren, Old Warren or simply Warren, Texas was the first county seat of Fannin County. Warren was a important supply depot, recruiting station and transportation point during the war because there were good wagon road connections from Warren to Colbert's Ferry on the Red River, Preston, Sherman, Pilot Grove, McKinney, Dallas and Bonham. Before Abel Warren built a stockade at that location in 1838, the site was known as Fort Kitchen for the Kitchen family who settled there in the early 1830s.

Melissa Kitchen married Alfred Johnson, captain of the independent Spy Company attached to the 15th Brigade, Collin - Grayson County Texas State Troops. The brother of Melissa was Joseph M. Kitchen who enlisted at Camp Stonewall in Collin County. He joined Capt. John Goode's Company (Co.B), 15th Brigade, Col. J.B. Wilmeth's Collin - Grayson County Texas State Troops.