Bake House

Bread was a staple of army life. General Winfield Scott emphasized its importance, when he explained that bread was one of the "great items of a soldier's diet" and to make it well an "essential part of his instruction." Scott instructed that "officers ... will give strict attention to this vital branch of economy." The bake house was part of the quartermaster complex and was closely tied to both the quartermaster and subsistence departments; the quartermaster maintained the

• 17A. Bake House (HS-14)-Exterior<br />79 words<br />The restored two-room bake house is built of stone with a tiled gable roof and one brick chimney on the building's right end. To the right of the building's one entrance is a horizontal double window with 4 vertical panes per window. There is a 7-foot-wide stone porch in front of the building's entrance. <br />Please note that the step to the entrance door threshold is 7 inches high and the bake house floor lies 2 inches below the threshold. <br />17B. Wall panel<br />187 words<br />A panel hung on the wall to your left as you enter the building features a black-and-white drawing of the baking room, where one man kneads bread on a long table in the room's center while another man uses a long-handled paddle to pull a loaf of baked bread out of the oven. Text on the panel reads:<br />"Bread, 18 Ounces a Day. All soldiers took their turn at baking bread. One baker was expected to turn out 200 loaves per baking, enough to supply a two-company post for two days. The baker's duties included heating the ovens, making yeast, mixing, kneading and shaping the dough; proofing and baking the loaves; and cleaning the premises. <br />"The army did not issue recipes for making bread until late in the nineteenth century. It is, therefore, not surprising that medical officers found both good and bad bread on the mess table. <br />"A 196-pound barrel of flour could yield 233 rations, or 262 pounds of stale bread. The men were not allowed to eat fresh baked bread unless it had been toasted; stale bread was thought to be better for digestion."<br />17C. Baking room<br />291 words <br />To your right inside the 16-by-14-foot baking room is a floor-to-ceiling brick wall with an oven in its center. The brick wall measures 10 ½ feet wide; the oven opening itself is 3 ½ feet wide by 2 feet high and at least 8 feet deep. A thick metal door hinged on the right covers the oven. An arched opening below the oven at hearth level used for wood storage measures 1 ½ feet high in its center. To the right of the oven are two smaller compartments with hinged metal doors. The upper compartment is the fire box to heat the oven; ashes fall into the lower compartment.<br />Also featured in the room are two large work surfaces-a wood table with a 4-inch back and side splash, and a wood flour bin with a wide plank top. The table measures 7 feet long by 2 feet deep and slightly more than 3 feet high; the similarly sized flour bin is 8 feet long. The table stands in the center of the room; the wood flour bin is placed against the room's back wall under a second barred double window. Both are positioned with their long sides facing you.<br />A long-handled wood paddle, or peel, hangs on the wall above this rear wall window; another peel is propped against the wall atop the flour bin. At nearly 10 feet long, these peels are noticeably longer than the flour bin. <br />Note that the narrow stone hearth spanning the length of the oven continues onto the floor of a narrow galley located to the right of the oven. Standing against the building's front interior wall inside this area is a 6-foot high by 4-foot-wide "proof rack" with 8 shelves for cooling bread. <br />17D. Storeroom<br />62 words<br />To the right of the wall panel, beyond a waist-high glass partition, is the smaller 16-by- 8-foot bakery storeroom. Shelves on the left-hand wall hold a dozen bread pans, shallow black metal boxes with handles. Shelves placed against the room's right-hand wall contain various wood tools, several pottery and wood bowls, and various tin and black iron pitchers and other small receptacles. <br />

Carriage Houses

This building and the identical one further down the road, are both identified as a carriage house and stables. They likely housed the wagons and horses belonging to affluent civilians who lived at Fort Scott after the army abandoned the site in 1853. Archaeological evidence supports occupancy as early as the 1850s, but also suggests that the buildings were used as homes by officers during the Civil War. Today, this building houses a Civil War army ambulance, a U.S. Army f

• 14. Carriage Houses behind Officers' Quarters 2 and 4 (HS-31, HS-32)<br />194 words<br />The site includes two stone carriage houses standing to the left of the paved walkway behind the officers' quarters. One building is located behind Officers' Quarters No. 2, and the other behind Officers' Quarters No. 4. Neither building is open to the public, but they can be viewed from the outside. <br />The carriage house behind the first officers' quarters features double wood doors that are painted white and measure about 8 feet across. There are also 4 barred windows measuring 29 inches wide by 17 high with 6 iron bars each.<br />Visible through the front and side windows are three vehicles. The large carriage on the left-yellow with a canopy-is a civil war ambulance used for transporting the wounded to hospitals from nearby battlefields. The middle vehicle is an army freight wagon, or supply wagon. The cart on the right is called a "runabout," which functioned as a taxi. The initials "U.S." are stenciled in white on the side of the runabout.<br />White wood doors and shutters cover the entryways and windows of the second carriage house, which is similar in architecture to the first carriage house but with a tented roof. <br /> <br />

Company Office

Many offices and businesses post daily work schedules as a means of guidance and organization. At Fort Scott, company officers (captain and two lieutenants) assisted by a first sergeant kept records in this office. They posted daily duty rosters, kept records of roll calls, musters, work details and other paperwork necessary to run the company efficiently and to track the daily activities of the soldiers in their command.

• The tour of the dragoon barracks begins with the left-most door on the building’s ground-level stone porch. This first exhibit room is blocked from visitor access by a waist-high wood gate. Text on a small sign standing to the right of center just inside the room reads: “Company Office. At full strength, each company consisted of 50 privates divided into four squads, with two buglers and one farrier/blacksmith. A captain commanded the company and was assisted by two to four lieutenants, four sergeants and four corporals. “In this office, all of the company reports, records, duty roster, rolls and work details were prepared, posted and maintained. A first sergeant and clerk assisted the officers in the daily administration of the company.” The walls of the approximately 14-by-15-foot company office are painted white and the wood floor is bare. Hanging on the right-hand wall is an approximately 3-by-5-foot black slate duty roster, with soldiers’ weekly assignments for guard duty, fatigue duty, and extra duty noted in white chalk. Placed to the left of the roster is a small secretary desk with numerous storage slots in the upper section above its opened door, which serves as a writing surface. In the room’s center, there is a wood table holding two candlesticks and flanked on each side by benches. A rack holding 4 carbines, or short-barreled firearms, is mounted on the back wall behind the table. A red and white company flag, its pole secured in a small stand, is propped against the wall in the room’s back left corner, adjacent to a fireplace on the left-hand wall. Other objects and furniture in the room include a small table holding a wood document box and a bench holding 2 leather buckets.

Dragoon Barracks

Each room of the dragoon barracks in front of you provided the soldier with necessities that enabled him to do his duty. The squad room gave him a place to sleep, the mess hall a place to eat, and the laundress quarters a place to get his clothes clean. Duty rosters generated at the company office kept him busy during the day. In the evening, soldiers could spend free time in the barracks playing cards or checkers, engaging in the sport of boxing, reading books, or writing le

• 6A. Enlisted dragoon barracks (HS-5)-Exterior160 wordsThe exterior of the reconstructed 2-story Enlisted Dragoon Barracks features white clapboard siding, a gable roof with one brick chimney on each end, and a wide central staircase leading to a second-story veranda with six round columns. A wide stone porch spans the width of the building's facade at ground level where there are also six large square stone columns supporting the veranda above. Note that two of the barracks' first-floor exhibits can be viewed from the porch through doors-marked with small "exhibit" signs-found at either end of the porch. A double-sided wheelchair ramp located in the center of the stone porch allows access to a third exhibit. An additional exhibit door is located in the back of the barracks and can be reached by following the concrete path on the right side of the building. A fifth door marked with a small "exhibit" sign is located at the top of the stairs and off the second-story veranda. 6B. Company Office288 wordsThe tour of the dragoon barracks begins with the left-most door on the building's ground-level stone porch. This first exhibit room is blocked from visitor access by a waist-high wood gate. Text on a small sign standing to the right of center just inside the room reads:"Company Office. At full strength, each company consisted of 50 privates divided into four squads, with two buglers and one farrier/blacksmith. A captain commanded the company and was assisted by two to four lieutenants, four sergeants and four corporals. "In this office, all of the company reports, records, duty roster, rolls and work details were prepared, posted and maintained. A first sergeant and clerk assisted the officers in the daily administration of the company."The walls of the approximately 14-by-15-foot company office are painted white and the wood floor is bare. Hanging on the right-hand wall is an approximately 3-by-5-foot black slate duty roster, with soldiers' weekly assignments for guard duty, fatigue duty, and extra duty noted in white chalk. Placed to the left of the roster is a small secretary desk with numerous storage slots in the upper section above its opened door, which serves as a writing surface. In the room's center, there is a wood table holding two candlesticks and flanked on each side by benches. A rack holding 4 carbines, or short-barreled firearms, is mounted on the back wall behind the table. A red and white company flag, its pole secured in a small stand, is propped against the wall in the room's back left corner, adjacent to a fireplace on the left-hand wall. Other objects and furniture in the room include a small table holding a wood document box and a bench holding 2 leather buckets.6C. Mess Hall 256 wordsThe mess hall can be accessed by the wheelchair ramp in the center of the building. Text on a small sign standing on the left approximately 6 feet inside the hall reads: "Mess Hall and Kitchen. Each barracks at Fort Scott had rooms designated as the company mess hall and kitchen. If a separate room was not available for non-commissioned officers mess, a table was reserved for the NCO's in the company mess. During the 1840s, open hearth cooking was still practiced by army cooks. Provisions were issued to each company by the commissary officer or assistant quartermaster. Mealtime, designated by the Post Commander, was signaled by a bugle call or drumroll."The walls of the approximately 30-by-22-foot mess hall are painted white and the wood floor is bare. Filling the right side of the room are 4 wood tables, each measuring 10 feet long by 2 ½ feet wide and accompanied by a pair of 5-foot-long benches on each side. More benches are placed against the room's left-hand wall and under one of two windows on the back wall. Running 15 feet down the length of the left-hand wall, mounted on the wall one above the other, are two wood peg racks. The upper, and much wider, rack is topped at approximately 5 feet off the floor with a foot-deep shelf. The mess hall's walls are bare of additional decoration with the exception of a half-dozen metal candle sconces placed around the dining area and a small corner cabinet in the room's back left corner. 6D. Kitchen intro and first wall panel221 wordsThe kitchen doorway, which is blocked to visitor access by another waist-high wood gate, is located on the left-hand wall about 3 feet beyond the wood peg racks. Two wall panels flank this door. The panel to the left of the door features a black-and-white drawing of three soldiers preparing a meal inside the kitchen. One man sits on a barrel in front of the fireplace as he ladles food out of an iron pot while another man bending forward beside him holds out an empty plate. The third man, who stands at a long table to the right of the fireplace, uses his hands to prepare food in a bowl. Text on the panel reads: "Vinegar and Wild Onions. The army claimed that the "two great scourges of camp life, scurvy and diarrhea," were the resu

Dragoon Barracks Exhibit Room

Dragoons were soldiers trained to fight on horseback and on foot. They had weapons that were adapted for both types of fighting. Because of their mobility, the army often assigned them to go on missions away from the fort. They patrolled overland trails and they fought in the Mexican-American War. These exhibits show their uniforms and weapons, have maps that trace their activity away from Fort Scott, and share other details about their daily lives.

• Soldier mannequins<br />274 words<br />Located directly in front of you as you enter the 28-by-31-foot exhibit space are four free-standing lighted cases, each holding a life-sized mannequin wearing a woolen military uniform and dark boots. From left to right, the accompanying signs identify them as: Private, 1st U.S. Dragoon Regiment Dress Uniform, 1842 to 1853; Sergeant, 1st U.S. Dragoon Regiment Campaign Dress, 1842 to 1853; Bugler, 1st U.S. Dragoon Regiment Dress Uniform, 1842 to 1853; and Private, U.S. Infantry Campaign Dress, 1843 to 1853.<br />With the exception of the bugler's uniform, which has a red waist-length jacket-double-breasted with gold buttons and gold collar and cuffs-the other jackets are blue, some also trimmed with gold collars, cuffs, cording, and chevron bars. All trousers are blue as well, with a gold stripe running down the outer leg seams of all but the infantry private's campaign dress uniform. <br />Some of the uniforms include shoulder straps-either one single strap or two straps crisscrossing over the jacket. The men's white belts are adorned with oval brass buckles embossed with the initials "U.S." The infantry private's campaign dress uniform also includes a round metal chest plate. A small leather pouch-a cartridge box--is attached to this private's waist strap on his right hip. <br />Other features include the tasseled gold bugle cords worn by both the bugler and the dragoon private--these are looped over buttons on the front of the jacket--and the tall dark blue hats, or shakos, worn by these same two men. The hats are adorned above the brim with a wide gold cord and large helmet plate-a silver eagle mounted on a multi-pointed gold star.<br />6N. Intro to exhibits and first 3-paneled exhibit<br />881 words<br />Moving now to the wall to the left of the mannequins, you will encounter the first of four freestanding exhibits, each exhibit consisting of either 2 or 3 adjoining panels, with each panel measuring 7 ½ feet tall by 4 feet wide. <br />This first exhibit has 3 panels, with the 2 end panels angling outward approximately 45 degrees from the sides of the central panel. The first panel, on the left, is entitled Dragoons...Who Were They? Mounted below the title is a sign in the shape of a guidon, or swallowtail-shaped pennant, or flag, that is red on its top half and white on its bottom half. Written on the guidon: "U.S. ‘A' Company, 1st Dragoons." Text filling additional signs affixed to this panel tells us: <br />"Mounted soldiers who fought either on horseback (like the cavalry) or on foot (like the infantry)--these were the American dragoons. The dragoons first fought in America's War for Independence from 1776 to 1782. <br />"The dragoon concept was revived in 1833 when Indians began to resist white settlement. On the western frontier, great distances and the effective horseback tactics of Indians required mobile and versatile troopers. Their colorful uniforms also helped build an image of U.S. power and dignity. <br />"In 1861, all of the U.S. dragoons were absorbed into the cavalry because the Civil War presented different military needs. Neither the name nor the function has relevance today.<br />"Dragoon recruit requirements were to be a male citizen of good character, and not under 20 nor over 35 years of age. <br />"However, former dragoon sergeant Percival Lowe has written: "Unlike the recruits of today...moral character was of little interest. Endurance was the test; all else was waived."<br />Also on this panel is a black-and-white drawing of a helmeted dragoon soldier riding a horse, its front hooves raised off the ground. A caption reads:<br />"The first dragoons were organized in the 1600s in France. Frederick the Great's armies had dragoons in the 1700s. Their crude muskets were said to spit fire like a dragon."<br />The central panel, located inside a lighted glass-front case, is entitled Weapons & Training. Text below the title reads:<br />"Dragoon recruits were trained at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, or Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, before going "Out West." Most recruits were adventurous sons of farmers, already good riders, and familiar with horses and their care." <br />Items in the case include a carbine, a pistol, and a saber and its scabbard, or sheath. The carbine, which is propped up against the case's left-hand wall, is a Hall Carbine. Its barrel is about 3 feet long, shorter than the guns used by foot soldiers at the time, and easier for a horse-mounted soldier to carry. The 1-foot-long dragoon pistol is a .69 caliber, muzzle-loading gun from 1849.<br />The long curved saber and its scabbard are propped up against the case's right-hand wall. The accompanying text tells us:<br />"The Carbine was designed for use by a horseback rider. The Hall Carbine, exhibited here, was used from 1833 to 1865. It was a breech-loading, .54 caliber, smooth-bore (not a ‘rifle'), and used a 220 grain round ball. Its effective range was 150 yards, and was the first percussion firearm used by the U.S. Army. In 1853, an improved Sharp's Carbine came into use with a range of 300 yards.<br />"The Saber, ready for quick and continuous use, was the dragoon's primary weapon, and was very effective in close combat. It became a cavalry companion into the 20th century." <br />Two drawings, both illustrations from the 1841 cavalry training manual, show one dragoon soldier aiming a Hall Carbine at shoulder level and another dragoon holding a saber aloft. <br />The title of the third panel is History of U.S. Dragoons. Text below the title provides this timeline:<br />"1833First U.S. Army group established as ‘U.S. Regiment of Dragoons,' totaling 715 men in 10 companies. <br />"1836A second regiment of dragoons was formed, totaling 1,200 dragoons now in U.S. Army.<br />"1842Fort Scott was built by 120 dragoons (Companies A and C of the 1st Regiment) as a satellite to Fort Leavenworth. <br />"1843Dragoon Company C was replaced at Fort Scott by Company D, 4th Infantry.<br />"1846All dragoons went to War with Mexico. Fort Scott was garrisoned by Company B, 1st Infantry during the war.<br />"1848Company F, 1st Dragoons and Company H, 6th Infantry, came to Fort Scott, replacing the 1st Infantry.<br />"1851Dragoon troops moved to Fort Leavenworth. Fort Scott was now all infantry.<br />"1852Companies A and K, Mounted Rifles arrived at Fort Scott. <br />"1853Fort Scott closed and abandoned. <br />"1861All U.S. Dragoons were permanently merged into cavalry units."<br />More text tells us that, in 1851, the U.S. Army's monthly pay was $8.00 for Mounted Privates; $10.00 for Corporals; $13.00 for Sergeants, and $16.00 for First Sergeants. These soldiers also received free food, lodging, and medical services.<br />Another notation reveals that "the entire U.S. Army in 1846 contained less than 10,000 men." Only 1,300 of these soldiers were dragoons.<br />Other features on this panel include an enlarged representation of the same 1833-pattern dragoon helmet plate appearing on two of the mannequins' hats and a small sign that reads: "The building in which you are now standing was built by dragoon troopers, and was home to them in the 1840s." <br />6O. First 2-paneled exhibit<br />434 words<br />Moving clockwise around the room, you will encounter the next exhibit, which has 2 panels, each jutting outward at 45 degrees from a narrow connecting panel. The title of the left-hand panel is "Dragoons in the Field." Text on this panel tells us:<br />"The dragoons saw no combat at Fort Scott. However, they made many long marches from here, joining some expeditions from Fort Leavenworth. These marches had the same discipline and organization as governed dragoon duties on post. One memorable trip was to South Pass, in present-day Wyoming, over 2,200 miles in 3 months.<br />"The first day's march was less than 15 miles, to "shake down." Later they made 20 miles or more per day, depending on the weather, floods, and availability of grass, wood, and water. <br />"Most such marches were made in fatigue uniforms (if any), but several long expeditions required full uniform wear much of the time, to impress the Indians." <br />Also included on this panel is a map showing three dragoon marches in 1843, 1844, and 1845 from Fort Scott and Fort Leavenworth. Each march is represented by a dotted white line winding either north or west from Fort Scott. There is also a painting of a line of uniformed soldiers riding on horseback through an open landscape.<br />The second panel is entitled "The Long March." Text on this panel reads:<br />"The dragoons made camp early enough to set up tents, post guards, set up horse and mule picket lines, and gather firewood before dark. After dinner, guards were assembled and sentinels posted. The tired troopers usually slept in their clothes." <br />More text tells us:<br />"Both men and animals returned to home post in good shape, unless disease or enemies attacked them. At the end of a long patrol, Sergeant Lowe wrote: ‘At stable call, the Major inspected the horses and found them almost as fleshy as when we started out. We had travelled over 1,300 miles. For my twenty animals, six sacks (384 quarts) of corn were taken. One quart for each night and morning (40 quarts per day) fed until all was gone, and from that time to the end of the trip, grass only." <br />Also included on this panel are two paintings of dragoon camps, one painting featuring a lone uniformed soldier standing beside his unsaddled horse, the other showing four uniformed soldiers sitting on the ground; one man appears to be reading while the other three men play cards nearby.<br />Lastly, a small sign provides a typical schedule for "breaking camp," starting at 4:45 A.M. for "first call" and ending with "forward march" at 6:15 A.M. <br />6P. Winfield Scott engraving<br />52 words<br />Above the fireplace on the room's back wall is a black-and-white image of a uniformed man with white trousers and tall black boots standing beside a white horse. The sign below the gold-framed portrait reads: General Winfield Scott, Commander in Chief of the U.S. Army, 6 July 1841 to 1 November 1861. <br />6Q. Always the Infantry panel<br />351 words<br />Facing the portrait, and directly behind you, is a single wall panel entitled "Always the Infantry." Below the panel is a lighted glass-topped display case measuring 5 ½ feet wide, 2 ½ feet deep, and 2 ½ feet high. Text on the panel reads:<br />"Dragoons were the ‘glamor' troopers of their time, but infantry soldiers also served their country here. Since the days of Darius the Great, the core of an army has been the infantry. <br />"Even today's awesome weapons cannot replace infantrymen, who must still gain and occupy ground held by an enemy. The infantry is still considered ‘the Queen of the Battle.'" <br />Below this text is a large black-and-white drawing of a Civil War battle. Pictured in the drawing's center is a soldier falling off his rearing horse while other soldiers either continue fighting around him or lie dead or wounded on the ground. A caption tells us:<br />"Infantrymen of both Confederate and Union forces gave up their lives in the Civil War. The Battle of Wilson's Creek, shown above, occurred only a hundred miles southwest of here."<br />Also on this panel is a smaller drawing that depicts a brass infantry bugle, its flared bell and tube forming the shape of a wide letter "C." Below this drawing is more text outlining the various infantry companies present at Fort Scott from October 1842 through October 1852. The fort was abandoned in April of 1853.<br />A small black-and-white photo in the panel's bottom right corner shows several infantrymen gathered at camp. A caption reads:<br />"Thousands of infantrymen marched in and out of the ‘revived' Fort Scott during the Civil War, 1861 to 1865."<br />Lastly, the lighted case below the panel holds a long flintlock musket, as well as a pick and brush. A small sign below the gun tells us:<br />"U.S. Musket, Model 1822. This flintlock musket was produced by M.T. Wickham of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of a government contract in 1828. It is the type of weapon carried by an infantry private from 1825 to 1850." <br />It is also noted that the pick and brush are model 1816. <br /><br />6R. Second 2-panel exhibit<br />763 words<br />The next exhibit also has two angled panels. The left-hand panel is entitled "Post Commanders...and Builders," with the first part of the title-"Post Commanders"- appearing at the top of the panel and the second half-"and Builders"-located toward the bottom of the panel. Text referring to the commanders reads: <br />"Oddly enough, the Commanding Officers of Fort Scott during the Dragoon Period from 1842 to1853 were Infantry Officers, except for Captain Moore who established the frontier outpost. <br />"Captain Benjamin Moore, U.S. 1st Dragoons, was C.O. the first year, when fort construction began. He was later killed in battle during the War with Mexico. <br />"Captain William Graham relieved Moore as C.O. in October 1842. He graduated from West Point in 1817 and became a Lieutenant Colonel in 1847, but was killed that same year near Mexico City in the War with Mexico. <br />"Captain Sidney Burbank replaced Graham in July 1845. A West Point graduate in 1829, his career was all infantry. He was Fort Scott's C.O. throughout the Mexican War. Later he made brevet Brigadier General at Gettysburg, and he retired as Colonel in 1870. <br />"Captain Albemarle Cady of the 6th Infantry became Fort Scott's C.O. in the fall of 1848. A West Point graduate in 1829, he fought in both the Mexican War and the Civil War. He retired as Colonel in 1864. <br />"Major Winslow Sanderson became C.O. at Fort Scott late in 1852. The fort was abandoned a few months later.<br />"Fort Scott was officially abandoned April 22, 1853. Ordnance Sergeant Michael McCann was left in charge to guard the buildings until they were sold." <br />Under the title "and Builders" is a black-and-white photo of solemn-faced Captain Thomas Swords, who wears a dark uniform jacket with wide fringed epaulets on its shoulders. A caption reads: <br />"Captain Swords, the Post Quartermaster from 1842 to 1846, was responsible for all fort supplies and in charge of construction of permanent buildings until he was called to duty with General Kearny in the War with Mexico. He was a West Point graduate in 1829, and retired as Colonel in 1869." <br /> Additional text about other builders of Fort Scott tells us:<br />"Lieutenant George W. Wallace was the Post Quartermaster during the Mexican War and continued construction work using men from the small infantry garrison on stand-by duty at Fort Scott. By 1850, the fort was declared finished, only to be abandoned three years later. <br />"Sergeant John Hamilton of 1st Dragoons arrived with the first troops, and as Quartermaster Sergeant directed construction of the first temporary hut-ments on the post in 1842. He returned to the town of Fort Scott after retirement and became a respected citizen." <br />Also on this panel is another black-and-white photo of a one-story white clapboard building. The caption reads: "Post Headquarters, 1848 to 1853, reconstructed in 1980."<br />The second panel, entitled "War with Mexico," features a large yellow map showing the various marches from Fort Scott and Fort Leavenworth in the map's upper right section toward California to the west and Mexico to the south. Text below the map tells us:<br />"The War with Mexico in 1846 was an expected result of the 1845 annexation of Texas by the United States. Fort Scott troopers became involved at once. Some marched with Kearny to take California; others invaded Mexico proper. Some earned field promotions; others gave their lives on battlefields far from Fort Scott." <br />More text tells us:<br />"Colonel Stephen W. Kearny's new ‘Army of the West,' augmented by Fort Scott dragoons, marched west from Fort Leavenworth in June 1846. In August they took Santa Fe without a shot being fired. The force of 100 dragoons then marched across the hostile desert into southern California. <br />"In June 1846, Company A, Fort Scott dragoons, marched south via Fort Gibson in Indian Territory toward Mexico and the war. They joined General Zachary Taylor in the Sierra Madre for the battle of Buena Vista on February 23, 1847. Four former Fort Scott officers were in this battle: Captain James Carleton, Captain William Eustis, Lieutenant Richard Ewell, and Lieutenant Joseph Whittlesey. <br />"Other Fort Scott troopers, the 4th Infantry, were in the War with Mexico. They fought with General Taylor at Buena Vista and were with Winfield Scott's expedition from Vera Cruz."<br />A small black-and-white drawing shows several soldiers on horseback engaging in battle. A caption reads: <br />"At San Pascual, near San Diego, the dragoons were mauled by defending Mexicans whose lances were superior to the dragoons' sabers. Fort Scott's first commanding officer, Captain Benjamin D. Moore, was killed there. By January 1847, California was a U.S. territory."<br />6S. Second 3-panel exhibit<br />464 words<br />The next, and last, exhibit has three panels. The first panel, on the left, is entitled "Post Routine." Featured on this panel are two colored drawings of men performing work duties at the fort. One drawing shows several men raising a building's wooden frame while another solitary soldier wields a mallet toward a T-section of wood framing placed flat on the ground. The other drawing depicts two soldiers working a garden; one soldier is kneeling and perhaps dropping in seed, while the other soldier uses a hoe to till the soil. A third soldier stands nearby looking on. Text on this panel reads:<br />"Fatigue Duties. Recurring work assignments (generally disliked by the troopers) included stable clean-up, kitchen police, garbage and nightsoil disposal, latrine clean-up, and vegetable garden work. It also involved heavy labor of lumber construction and rock quarrying. <br />"Life on a frontier military post was tightly regimented. Each day's activities followed a rigidly organized schedule. From "reveille" to "lights out," every hour or so had its bugle call. Sundays were reserved for the weekly inspection by officers."<br />The second panel, located inside a lighted glass-front case, is entitled "Daily Calls by Bugle." Text on this panel tells us:<br />"The bugle, like today's PA system, was the universal signal and order giver. Each duty had its own "melody" and troopers soon learned to recognize and respond to each call."<br />Placed in the bottom of the case is a brass bugle with a long bell tube and elongated coiled tubing similar to that of a trumpet. A small sign identifies the instrument as "Military bugle, 1840 through 1870." <br />Also featured on this panel are two lines of musical notation labeled "Attention" and "Prepare to Mount" respectively, as well as the rundown of a typical daily schedule. The schedule begins with "Reveille and roll call" at 6 AM and ends with "Extinguish lights" at 9:30 PM. 26 other calls, including Mess Call; Sick Call; Assembly, guard detail; Drill; Recall from Drill; Stable Call; and Garrison assembly, full uniform, were made throughout the day at intervals of anywhere from 5 minutes to approximately 3 hours. <br />The title of the final panel is "Garrison Duties." Featured on this panel are two colored drawings, one of a soldier cleaning a stable stall with a tool resembling a long-handled mop, the other depicting a small formation of fully-uniformed soldiers standing at attention. The text accompanying these drawings reads:<br />"Stable Call. A logical and not unpleasant duty for horse-soldiers; grooming, feeding, and caring for assigned horses in the nearby dragoon stables. <br />"Guard Mounting. High point of day's routine: ceremonious full-uniform inspection and formal march of new guard force to replace the old for another 24-hour period. Sentinels, relieved every 2 hours, were posted. Main ceremony of the day in most cases." <br />

Dragoon Stables

This building stabled the horses of the dragoons, who were soldiers trained to fight on horse and on foot. Designed to shelter 80 horses, the stables included a hayloft and granaries that stored the horses' daily ration of 14 lbs of hay, 6 qts. of oats, and 4 qts. of corn. A window above each stall provided the horses with ventilation, giving the horse relief and comfort during the often blistering summers. Tack rooms stored the equipment that enabled the horse and soldier to

• 5B. Exterior124 wordsThe reconstructed dragoon stables is a long one-and-a-half-story white clapboard building with a gable roof. Visible on the side facing the parade ground are 36 small rectangular window openings, each representing a single stall. Most of these windows are closed with a single wood shutter. Spaced at equal distances above these stall windows and spanning the length of the stables are 5 larger shuttered windows; these are openings in the building's hay loft. Near the stables' entrance-at the far right end of the building- there is a larger plate-glass window at the same level with the stalls; this is the tack room window. Another such window indicating what was once a second tack room is located at the opposite end of the building. 5C. Interior intro and tack room211 wordsThirty of the building's 72 original horse stalls have been restored as stables. As you enter the building's wide doorway, you will encounter a section of wood plank flooring about 12 feet wide flanked by the tack room on your left and a horse feeder exhibit on your right. Beyond these two rooms, also flanking the wood walkway on each side, are 5 stalls which are accessible for viewing. Each of these 10 stalls measures 5 ½ feet wide by 10 feet deep. Under each stall window is a feeding trough measuring 3 feet high by 2 ½ feet deep. The stall floors are covered with hay. All interior walls are wood. The approximately 10-by-10-foot tack room is blocked from visitor access by a waist-high wood gate. The room contains a long rectangular table holding various items including a whisp made of woven straw, a short-handled curry comb and some small saddle parts. Mounted on each of the room's two side walls facing the table and spanning the depth of the room are two wood saddle racks placed one above the other-these racks consist of foot-wide boards with pegs jutting out from them. A half dozen saddles, as well as numerous bridles, harnesses and girths, are hung on the racks. 5D. Horse feeder exhibit, tools122 wordsTurning to the horse feeder exhibit, you may unlatch and open the narrow door labeled "granary" to view a 14-inch-high wood grain box at ground level and the face of a 2-foot-wide wood grain chute spanning the height of the door above the grain box. The box holds oats-resembling pale long-grain rice-- which is protected under a sheet of transparent plastic. Mounted on the wall to the left of the granary door are 2 wood rakes and 3 long-handled wood pitchforks, all approximately 5 ½ feet tall. Located above the pitchforks, approximately 7 feet from floor level, is a hinged approximately 1 1/2-foot-square wood door that also can be unlatched and opened. This opening would have allowed access to stored grain.5E. First wall panel284 wordsOn the left-hand wall in the first stall on your left are two horizontal wall panels measuring 5 feet long by 2 feet high. The top panel is entitled "Training Horse and Rider" and features a black-and-white drawing of several dragoon soldiers on horseback. The men-some holding sabers or lances, others holding pistols or carbines-lead the horses around a rectangular training arena.Text below the drawing reads: "School of the Horse. New horses, like dragoon recruits, underwent basic military training. All movements and formations were practiced at a walk before advancing to the trot and gallop. The result was a dependable animal that responded well to commands under all conditions, including the chaos of battle."School of the Trooper Dismounted. A dragoon recruit spent his first six to eight weeks learning basics: how to march and care for his horse and equipment; performing the manual of arms for carbine, pistol, lance and sabre; behaving with military discipline; and how to perform guard duty. Non-commissioned officers (corporals and sergeants) provided the basic instruction. Upon completing this training, the soldier was considered a trooper, able to participate in the quarter guard. His instruction on horseback would now begin."School of the Trooper Mounted. After the recruit learned the fundamentals and completed his first tour of guard duty, he advanced to the School of the Trooper, he now repeated on horseback everything he had learned while dismounted. "School of the Unit. After the dragoon had completed his basic training both on foot and mounted, he progressed through the Schools of the Platoon, the Company, the Squadron and the Regiment. "Running at the Heads" was a platoon exercise that required dexterity with both sabre and pistol." 5F. Second wall panel102 words The bottom panel is entitled "Choosing Horses" and features drawings of four horses, labeled from left to right-Black, Chestnut (or Sorrel), Gray, and Bay. The "Bay" horse has a brown body with black legs, mane and tail. Text below the drawing reads:"Horses were chosen by the company captain with an eye not only for the horse's intelligence, but also for uniform color and size--15 to 16 hands or about 60 inches t

Flag Pole

Look closely at our flag. Do you notice anything? This flag is not the familiar fifty-star flag in use since 1960; our flag has only thirty-stars. The thirty-star flag was in use from 1848, when Wisconsin achieved statehood, until 1851 after California became a state. California was actually admitted in September of 1850, but new flags are always introduced on the Fourth of July, so the 31-star flag was not used until July 5, 1851. Another thirty-star flag is displayed on the

• When weather permits, the Fort Scott flagpole located in the center of the Parade Ground flies a 30-star American flag. The dimensions of the flag are 8 feet 11 3/8 inches high by 17 feet wide; this size flag is called a "Post" flag. The white wood pole itself is 50 feet high, or the approximate height of a 5-story building, with a wood plank base measuring 8 feet square and 9 inches high. Four heavy 6-foot-long timbers arranged at a 45-degree angle act as pole supports atop the wood base. <br />A horizontal wood crosspiece resembling a ship's yardarm is located approximately halfway up the flagpole. This crosspiece is there for strength to support the upper and lower timbers. In fact, many military forts in the 19th century used the design of a ship's mast for their flagpole because single trees were not tall enough and normally not available on the frontier. <br /> <br />

Fort Entrance Area

The entrance area is designed to be inviting with a brick plaza, a stone wall with a Fort Scott National Historic Site sign and two flagpoles that fly the U.S. flag and the U.S. Department of the Interior flag. The brick plaza was designed as an aesthetic feature and is an extension of some of the brick streets in town. There were no brick walkways in the 1840s when Fort Scott was established. Instead, the bricks are left over from a time when brick manufacturing plants were active in town at the beginning of the 20th century. The flags flown are all weather flags and are flown every day, but are lowered to half mast for appropriate occassions.

• 2A. Fort Entrance Area-plaza and walkways <br />167 words<br />As you approach Fort Scott National Historic Site from the front parking lot, you will first encounter a brick walkway stretching left and right in front of, and to both sides of, the fort's entrance. Separating this walkway from the large grassy areas on either side of the 150-foot-wide entrance opening are waist-high pillars connected by metal chains-one row each on each side. Beyond this walkway, there is a wide brick plaza spanning the fort's entrance. This plaza has two grassy squares in its center, creating 3 separate brick walkways leading into the site.<br />The middle walkway, 18 feet wide and located just right of center, leads directly to the Visitor Center. To the left of the Center is a stone wall spanning the 44-foot width of a second brick walkway. The third walkway leads to a concrete path between the Visitor Center and the Fort's Guardhouse to its right. A number of individual bricks in the walkways are stamped with the words "Ft. Scott Block."<br /><br />2E. Fort Entrance Area-wall and flagpole<br />235 words<br />The stone wall to the left of the Visitor Center measures 44 feet long by 2 feet deep and 3 ½ feet high from the ground to the top of its concrete cap. There are three signs on its face. The largest has a gray stone surface with "Fort Scott National Historic Site" appearing in large black letters. To its left is a smaller arrowhead-shaped sign-the National Park Service emblem-with the words "National Park Service" appearing in white letters against a rust-colored background. To the left of the letters stands a single green sequoia tree; below the letters are a snow-covered mountaintop and a lone bison, also appearing in white on a green background.<br />A third sign to the right of the long Fort Scott sign is a metal plaque designating Fort Scott as a registered National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1964.<br />Flanking this plaque in front of the wall are two flagpoles. When weather permits, the pole on the left flies, the current-day United States flag with 50 stars and 13 stripes. The second pole flies a primarily blue and white flag with a circular seal featuring a brown buffalo standing with mountains and a rising sun in the background. The words "U.S. Department of the Interior, March 3, 1849" appear in orange on a white band enclosed within two concentric yellow circles surrounding the buffalo.<br /> <br />

Fort Scott National Cemetery

On these grounds are buried hundreds of soldiers who served their country with honor. Many died in combat. Included in the burials here are Civil War soldiers who died in the hospital located on the grounds of the historic site. Also interred here are African American soldiers, American Indian soldiers and soldiers who died at the fort in the 1840s who were later reinterred here. <br /><br />During the Civil War, the original post cemetery near the fort was determined inadequate and a new cemetery was established outside the town to inter soldiers who died in the line of duty. The new cemetery became Fort Scott National Cemetery in 1862, one of 14 original national cemeteries designated by President Abraham Lincoln. The cemetery is administered by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (National Cemetery Administration) and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.<br /><br />

• 32. Fort Scott National Cemetery No. 1<br />177 words<br />The Fort Scott National Cemetery is located 2 miles southeast of historic Fort Scott. The approximately 21-acre cemetery was originally purchased by the federal government in 1862 as a five-acre burial plot; with the onset of the Civil War, it had become clear that the fort's original cemetery plots were inadequate. <br />In 1867, soldiers' remains from the former post cemetery were reinterred here, most as unknowns. 17 American Indian soldiers who served in three Indian Home Guard Regiments during the Civil War are also buried here, as well as 12 Buffalo soldiers and 13 Confederate soldiers, all prisoners of war who died at Fort Scott. <br />Also of note is a granite monument erected in 1984 in memory of soldiers of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which was mustered in at Fort Scott in 1863. This regiment-the first African-American unit to engage in combat during the Civil War-suffered the most casualties of any Kansas regiment during the war.<br />The Fort Scott National Cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.<br />

Fort Scott Parade Ground

All around you lays the parade ground, originally enclosed by twelve buildings. The enclosed area provided some protection to the fort's water supply and black powder stores. The parade ground served as the U.S. Army's showcase. Officers constantly sought to instill a sense of pride in the enlisted soldiers, and on these grounds, that pride had to be demonstrated. Military inspections, assembly, flag ceremonies and guard mounting that took place here were all times when sold

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area

Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area shares the stories of 19th century Americans living in Kansas and Missouri who struggled to define the meaning of freedom during the Bleeding Kansas and Civil War years and how these historic struggles have shaped our nation’s concept of American democracy today as freedom for all continues to evolve.

Guardhouse

The guardhouse in front of you served two purposes. It functioned as a jail for soldiers who had violated military laws and regulations and as a shelter for the guards who played a vital role in the fort's protection and security. The duties of the guards included patrolling the fort, enforcing the rules and watching prisoners.Discipline at any post of the 1800s was strict; punishments were harsh and often cruel. Punishments ranged from reduction in rank, stoppage of pay, and

• The reconstructed one-story stone guardhouse has a sloping gable roof with its wide porch overhang supported by 4 wide stone pillars. There are two doors facing the parade ground and 4 shuttered windows-2 each on the sides of the building. These windows, as well as the transoms above each door, are barred both vertically and horizontally on the interior. 4 smaller windows are visible near the top of the building. There is a one-sided wheelchair ramp in front of the leftmost door leading to the guard room.Also of interest are a covered barrel and a wood horse, or sawbuck, standing in the yard to the left of the guardhouse. The barrel is 3 feet high and the sawbuck is 6 feet high and 7 feet long at its widest point. Please take care when approaching the building as you will need to step up from the concrete walkway onto the building's stone porch, which measures 10 feet deep.27B. First wall panel191 wordsA wall panel to your right just inside the 17-by-15-foot guard room features a black-and-white drawing of the guardhouse yard, where a uniformed sentry stands watch over three prisoners enduring punishment. One prisoner stands at attention atop a barrel, the second stands at attention while holding a log on his right shoulder, and the third sits atop a tall sawbuck with his hands behind his back, ostensibly tied. Text on this panel reads:"Strict Rules, Harsh Punishments. It was a rare soldier who was not, at some time, punished for some infraction of the rules. Punishment for minor offenses included reduction in rank, stoppage of pay, or confinement in the guard house. Punishment for more severe crimes ranged from mounting a wood horse ("sawbuck"), carrying a log, standing on a barrel, carrying a ball and chain, flogging, to solitary confinement. "So that soldiers would not seek time in the guard house as a respite from the daily routine, the cells were made barely habitable. Neither bedding nor sanitary facilities-other than a bucket-were provided. Post Surgeons often commented in their regular reports on the cold and damp of the cells." 27C. Second wall panel 188 wordsA second panel to the right of the door leading to the cells features three guards sitting at a table under the room's only window while three other men sleep on a wood bed resembling a sloping pallet spanning the length of the opposite wall. A sentry, with his rifle shouldered, stands outside the door to the prisoner cells. Text on this panel reads:"Guard Duty. Soldiers never welcomed the twenty-four hour stretch of guard duty that came about every fifth day. Half of the duty section was required to be under arms and on sentry post, regardless of the weather. The other half had to remain fully dressed with all of their accouterments and ready to respond to any emergency. "'Guard mounting,' an impressive ceremony, took place each morning with the inspection of the new guard. Soldiers turned out with clothing, arms and equipment in the best order, for the soldier who presented the best appearance was selected as the commanding officer's orderly. Rivalry was keen for this duty because the winner was excused from guard duty and had the opportunity to sleep in his own bunk."27D. Guard Room161 wordsAs measured in the doorway, the guardhouse walls are 19 inches thick. The exterior door is 2 inches thick, and the cell doors are 4 inches thick. All doors have iron bolted locks. All interior walls are white-washed stone. The floors throughout the building are also stone. Spanning the length of the guard room's right wall is a wood bed measuring 15 feet long by nearly 6 ½ feet deep. This shared sleeping surface, which lacks both mattresses and pillows, measures approximately 3 feet high at the head, sloping down to 2 ½ feet high at the foot. The only other furniture in the room is a table and bench placed under the window on the room's left wall. Hanging on a peg rack mounted on the wall to the left of the window are two leather fire buckets with handles. A woodstove fills the room's rear left corner. An empty rifle rack stands to the right of the front door. 27E. Prison room and cells237 wordsAs you pass through the thick interior door leading to the cells, you will be standing in an inner room, or vestibule, measuring 16 ½ feet long by 3 ½ feet wide. The wood doors to three small cells are directly in front of you; a larger prison room is located at the end of this narrow space on your right and is enclosed behind a barred door with a locked bolt measuring a full foot long and one inch in diameter.The prison room measures approximately 12-by-16-foot and is empty but for one bucket, a small bench, a three-legged stool, one set each of leg irons and wrist irons, plus two balls and chains. There are two barred windows in the room, one measuring approximately 3 feet wide by 6 feet high; the other, located near the ceiling, measuring about 6 inches high by 6 inches wide.Of the three cell doors, only the one on the far right is open. This cell i

Hospital Garden

As the military opened frontier forts further west, supplying the army became increasingly difficult. The War Department understood the need for vegetables in the soldiers' diets, but unable to fill this need, they eventually tasked the soldiers with growing their own gardens to supplement their rations. Here at Fort Scott, Sergeant John Hamilton, who came to the fort's future site before the first garrison to set up temporary accommodations, planted the initial gardens. Each company had a small plot for their own use, as did the hospital and the individual officers. Plants known to be grown at Fort Scott include: cabbages, carrots, eggplants, muskmelons, onions, peaches, peas, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, and turnips. Other plants, such as cucumbers and mustard, may have been cultivated, but there is no direct evidence. <br /><br />Today Fort Scott NHS cultivates two gardens with historically accurate vegetation. These gardens are in place to help visitors visualize the soldiers' daily lives at the fort and are maintained, in large part, by our Volunteers-in-Park. One is this hospital garden in front of the fort. The other can be found behind Officers' Quarters Number 2.<br /><br />-Information from Shelby Spears essay

• 28. Hospital Garden (behind guardhouse)<br /><br />60 words<br /><br />The hospital garden is located to the right of the visitor center, as you face away from the parking lot, just to the rear of the fort's guardhouse. Although there may be no plants growing in the garden at the time of your visit, the dirt plot-measuring 17 feet wide by 37 feet long--is visible during most seasons. <br />

Infantry Barracks

This infantry barracks is one of three reconstructed barracks at Fort Scott. The army laid it out similar to the dragoon barracks across the parade ground with a mess hall and kitchen downstairs and sleeping quarters upstairs. Its designer planned it to be a second dragoon barracks with stables in the vacant area south of the barracks. However, within a year after the fort's establishment, one of the dragoon companies transferred, leaving one company of dragoons and two of

• 21B. Exterior (Building and Cistern)118 wordsThe exterior of this reconstructed 2-story Enlisted Infantry Barracks features white clapboard siding, a gable roof with one brick chimney on each end, and a wide central staircase leading to a second-story veranda with six round columns. A wide stone porch spans the width of the building's facade at ground level where there are also six large square stone columns supporting the veranda above. A double-sided wheelchair ramp flanks the restroom entrance door in the building's center just behind the staircase. Located in the grass toward the left rear corner of the barracks is a circular stone cistern, or water tank, measuring 9 feet in diameter. The approximately 2-foot-high cistern is capped with a slab of dark stone. 21C. Restrooms79 wordsAs you step inside the door marked "Restrooms" in the center of the building, two restrooms and two drinking fountains are located on the wall on your the right. The door to the women's room is about 4 feet in from the doorway, followed by a wheelchair-accessible drinking fountain, a regular-height drinking fountain, and then the men's room about 2 ½ feet beyond the last fountain. Note that motion-activated lights illuminate both this 5-by-24-foot vestibule and the restroom interiors.21D. First wall panel437 wordsPlease note the two panels hung on the long wall across from the restrooms. The first panel features black-and-white drawings of American Indians by artist George Catlin. These drawings are of Clermont, the head-chief of the Osages; Clermont's wife and child; Black Dog, well-known to all Army officers and traders; the distinguished warrior Tal-lee; and three braves. Text on this panel reads:"The Osage: A Once Powerful People. Before the European settlement of North America, the Osage Indians occupied land in what is now Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. In 1845 the Osage were confined to a reservation southwest of Fort Scott and by 1872 they had been moved to a different reservation in the Oklahoma Territory. Living along the Osage River, the Osage named themselves "Children of the middle waters." They numbered about 6,000 in 1850 and were considered to be very religious, excellent hunters and fierce warriors." More text on the panel tells us: "Painter of the Osage. In 1834, artist George Catlin stopped at Fort Gibson (present day Oklahoma) on one of his trips throughout the west, to paint portraits and scenes of the Osage Indians. The following are excerpts from his journal:"I have been industriously at work with my brush and pen, recording the looks and deeds of the Osages, who inhabit the country on the north and west. Their chief place of trade is with the sutlers at this post (Fort Gibson); and they are constantly more or less encamped about the garrison. The Osages have been formerly, and until quite recently, a powerful and warlike, tribe; carry their arms fearlessly through all of these realms; and ready to cope with foes of any kind that they were liable to meet. At present, the case is quite different; they have been repeatedly moved and jostled along and reduced by every war and every move. The small-pox has taken its share of them so that their decline has been very rapid, bringing them to the mere handful that now exists." More text follows:"Memories of the Osage. Charles W. Goodlander described the following Osage activities which occurred in Fort Scott between 1858 and 1860: "When I came to Fort Scott (1858); the Osage Indian tribe was located at Osage Mission, now St. Paul (Kansas), some 38 miles southwest from Fort Scott. The summer of '58, members of that tribe used to come to Fort Scott to sell their ponies and robes and do their trading. Several times during the years 1858 and 1860, the Osages came and gave us their Indian dances on the fort parade (ground), which is now called the Plaza."21E. Second wall panel260 wordsThe second panel features a black-and-white drawing of 10 soldiers standing at attention in front of the infantry barracks. They hold their muskets high as a commanding officer inspects their ranks. Text on this panel reads:"Always the Infantry. Between 1842 and 1853, the U.S. Infantry functioned as Fort Scott's permanent military garrison. While the dragoons were frequently detailed away from the fort on patrols, escort duty or expeditions, a detachment of infantry was always here."Additional text includes Barracks, Drill and Discipline, followed by a list of observations by Colonel George Grogan, who conducted an inspection of Fort Scott on July 8, 1844. Excerpts from Colonel Grogan's report include:"State and condition of quarters: The Infantry are in temporary huts, but they will soon be moved to the quarters preparing for them. "Appearance under Arms: I have been particularly pleased with the whole manner and bearing of this command. "Discipline: The discipline of the Post is good, in truth I have visited no garrison which in this respect has impressed me more favorably. "Instru

Infantry Barracks-Museum

Before you is one of two reconstructed infantry barracks, home to the infantry soldiers at Fort Scott. Called the "backbone of the army," the infantry soldiers, marching into combat on foot, formed the core of the army's fighting forces. Many were dismayed to learn upon arrival at Fort Scott that they were to be used as a glorified labor force. Using tools such as the adze and broadax, the infantry hand hewed the beams used to build this and other fort structures. Several com

• The exterior architecture of the reconstructed 2-story Enlisted Infantry Barracks features white clapboard siding, a wide stone porch spanning the building's width at ground level, and one 13-foot-wide central staircase with railings leading to a second-story veranda with 6 round columns. At ground level, there are also six large square stone pillars supporting the veranda. Two brick chimneys-one on each end-jut out from the building's gable roof.<br />You may enter the building on the ground level by stepping through the door marked "exhibit" located to the right of the staircase. There is a two-sided wheelchair ramp-4 feet wide with railings on both sides.<br /><br />The building's first floor contains several exhibits as well as restrooms and 2 drinking fountains. Another exhibit and a large theater space where you can watch the short film about Fort Scott are located on the second floor. The upstairs rooms can be reached by either stairs or an elevator. <br />As you enter the building, the restrooms and drinking fountains are located in an approximately 8-foot-square vestibule located immediately to your right. Once inside the vestibule, the wheelchair-accessible drinking fountain is located approximately 3 feet in on the wall to your right; a regular-height drinking fountain is to its left. The door to the men's room is approximately 3 feet in on the vestibule's left wall, and the women's room door is straight ahead of you. Both restrooms are wheelchair accessible.<br />A small sign located on the freestanding exhibit wall directly in front of the entrance reads: "To conserve energy, this structure is equipped with motion detectors that will turn the overhead and exhibit lights on for a period of 6 minutes."<br /><br />There is one exhibit on the building's second floor, located to your left at the top of the stairs. If you take the elevator, the exhibit entrance will be at an angle across the wide upstairs hall. The title of this exhibit is "The Fight Over Freedom!" [Audio description for this exhibit provided by another contractor] <br />There are two entrances to the 20-by-30-foot theater room, both on the same wall as the elevator. As you face the elevator, enter the door to its right, where you can start the film by pressing a green button, 1 ½-inch-square, on the wall directly on your right. The button, which is located to the right of the movie screen, is located about 9 ½ feet into the room and about 3 ½ feet off the floor. There are 5 rows of chairs facing the screen, with ample space at the rear of the theater for wheelchairs. <br />The 23-minute film, entitled "Fort Scott and the Growth of a Nation," is audio-described. Hand-held devices that allow access to the audio description are available at the Visitor Center. A caption box measuring 3 ½-feet-long and 8 inches high is mounted to the wall under the screen; bright yellow captions appear on the box's solid black background<br />

Laundress Quarters

The laundresses were the only offically recognized women on the post. Laundresses received fifty cents per month from each soldier she washed clothes for. Since a laundress at Fort Scott typically washed clothes for 15 men, her salary averaged $7.50 per month. She also received free medical services and rations from the commisary. Laundresses could get extra pay for mending, caring for officers' children and other non-specified services.

• 6G. Laundry room 268 words The next exhibit, located on the right end of the building facade, is blocked from visitor access by another 3-foot-high wood gate. Text on a small sign standing to the right of center just inside the room reads: “Laundry Room. One room in each barracks at Fort Scott served as a company laundry. Laundresses lived here and washed the uniforms of the soldiers. Each company was allowed to employ four women as laundresses who were paid a fixed rate by the piece or month. Debts due a laundress were settled on pay day and were given preference over all amounts owed by the soldier except for military indebtedness. Laundresses were subject to Army orders and received quarters, fuel, one daily ration and the medical services of the post surgeon.” The walls of the approximately 14-by-15-foot laundry room are painted white and its wood floor is bare. Two rope clotheslines hung from metal brackets attached to all four walls crisscross at standing height in the center of the room. Other objects include a wood washboard and tub, an ironing board draped with clothing, various baskets and buckets, and a butter churn Placed against the room’s back wall--a small cot covered with a plain white blanket. Also of note are two long cotton dresses hanging on a wood peg rack on the left-hand wall. To the right of the dresses—a small table holding sewing supplies including a spool of thread and some scissors. A wood table holding bowls and a rolling pin stands under the room’s only window, to the right of the fireplace on the right-hand wall.

Lunette Blair-Blockhouse

Throughout the Civil War, Confederate armies coveted the stores of Union supplies at Fort Scott and attempted to capture them. To protect the town, in 1863, U.S. Army Engineers built four blockhouses or lunettes called Forts Lincoln, Henning, Insley, and Blair. These blockhouses and their large cannons, along with forty miles of entrenchments protected Fort Scott from would be Confederate raids. Fresh off the heels of a military defeat at Mine Creek in October 1864, General Sterling Price's army diverted its plans to capture the town after accessing its strong defenses. <br /><br />After the Civil War, the U.S. Army sold all of the blockhouses at public auction. All but Lunette Blair were eventually torn down or disassembled. Over the course of the century after the Civil War, Lunette Blair was moved several times. It functioned as a carpenter shop for forty years before being sold in 1906. In 1924, the Western Automobile Insurance Company began using the blockhouse on its logo after it was moved to Carroll Plaza (Fort Scott's parade ground that had become a city park). By 1959, after two more moves, the blockhouse had fallen into a state of disrepair; residents of Fort Scott essentially had it reconstructed.<br /><br />Today, Lunette Blair stands on Skubitz Plaza near Fort Scott National Historic Site, a visual reminder of the protection and security it provided Fort Scott during the Civil War. Legislation has been introduced to transfer ownership of the blockhouse to the National Park Service.<br />

• 31A. Lunette-Blair Blockhouse <br />80 words<br />Located on old Fort Boulevard, the two-story Lunette-Blair Blockhouse is a square weathered-board building with a shingle roof and a single door on its north-facing side. Four small octagonal windows, or lunettes, are scattered on the building's other 3 sides-one each on the sides facing west and south; two on the side facing east. A large replica cannon and a fixed pile of cannon balls stand beside the building to the west; the cannon is aimed toward the fort.<br />31B. Twin Trees Monument and historic marker<br />71 words <br />Standing in the grass a few feet behind you as you face the blockhouse entrance is an approximately 2 ½-foot-high by 2-foot-wide stone sculpture of two tree trunks encircled by a single vine. A small stone sign in front of this Twin Trees Monument reads:<br />"Historic Fort Scott, 1842 to 1865. The blood that flowed in Kansas before and during the Civil War nourished the twin trees of Liberty and Union."<br />

Married NCO Quarters

A married sergeant might occupy this room with his wife and children, if they were so endowed. While rather crowded, it at least afforded them some privacy. If more than one sergeant of the company were married, this room would likely be occupied by the one with the most seniority.

• The last first-floor exhibit room is protected behind a floor-to-ceiling glass barrier. Text on a small sign standing to the right of center just inside the room reads: “Non-Commissioned Officers Family Quarters. Very often a non-commissioned officer (sergeant) and his family would be allowed to occupy a single room in a company barracks as their home or reside outside of the garrison if quarters were unavailable. Marriage by enlisted men was normally discouraged by the Army and permission to marry was usually requested from the Company Commander.” The Non-Commissioned Officers Family Quarters is a single 14-by-15-foot room with walls painted white and its wood floor left bare. In the center of the room is a wood rope bed; its headboard and footboard have short posts adorned with smooth acorn finials. The bed, which is slightly smaller than a modern-day double bed, is covered with an off-white quilt with colorful print fabric blocks. A white cotton bonnet hangs on the right-side footboard post. On the floor to the right of the bed is a small wood baby’s cradle holding a cloth doll. To the left of the bed is an open fireplace. A single wood wheeled toy—a white sheep—sits on the hearth. Other furniture in the room includes a ladder back rocking chair, a dresser, and several small tables, one holding a wash basin and pitcher, another holding a plate, cup, bowl and eating utensils. A couple’s wedding picture hangs on the wall above the bed; gold-striped blue sergeant jackets hang on a wood peg rack on the right-hand wall. There is one window in the room, on the wall to the left of the fireplace. Simple blue-and-white plaid cotton curtains are tied back on one side to let in sunlight.

Mess Hall

A company of soldiers ate in the mess hall. The company was divided into four squads of 12 privates each. One source reveals that each squad sat at its own table; hence, there were four tables in the mess hall. By regulation, the tables and the mess hall had to be maintained to the utmost neatness. By design and upkeep, mess halls were not only efficient but also relatively sanitary places to serve the soldiers their meals.

• 6C. Mess Hall 256 words The mess hall can be accessed by the wheelchair ramp in the center of the building. Text on a small sign standing on the left approximately 6 feet inside the hall reads: “Mess Hall and Kitchen. Each barracks at Fort Scott had rooms designated as the company mess hall and kitchen. If a separate room was not available for non-commissioned officers mess, a table was reserved for the NCO’s in the company mess. During the 1840s, open hearth cooking was still practiced by army cooks. Provisions were issued to each company by the commissary officer or assistant quartermaster. Mealtime, designated by the Post Commander, was signaled by a bugle call or drumroll.” The walls of the approximately 30-by-22-foot mess hall are painted white and the wood floor is bare. Filling the right side of the room are 4 wood tables, each measuring 10 feet long by 2 ½ feet wide and accompanied by a pair of 5-foot-long benches on each side. More benches are placed against the room’s left-hand wall and under one of two windows on the back wall. Running 15 feet down the length of the left-hand wall, mounted on the wall one above the other, are two wood peg racks. The upper, and much wider, rack is topped at approximately 5 feet off the floor with a foot-deep shelf. The mess hall’s walls are bare of additional decoration with the exception of a half-dozen metal candle sconces placed around the dining area and a small corner cabinet in the room’s back left corner.

Mess Hall-Kitchen

The activity that went on in the kitchen and mess hall was critical to the soldier's health and survival. Lack of food would obviously lead to starvation, but also important was the quality of the cooking and the variety of the food.

• 6F. Kitchen 145 words The approximately 14-by-15-foot kitchen contains a large cooking fireplace on the back wall to the left of the room’s only window and a long wood table holding three shallow bowls in the room’s center. Placed in the wood bowls or directly on the table are several artificial vegetables including carrots, peppers, potatoes, beets and squash. Standing against the room’s two side walls are open shelves holding tin dishes, handle-less ceramic cups, wood ladles and other cooking tools, as well as several muslin or burlap bags labeled flour, corn meal, beans, coffee beans, sugar, salt, and tea. Other items in the room include several pottery crocks, leather and wood buckets, two large metal wash basins, and—placed on their sides on a small table to the right of the window-- three small barrels with spigots. A black iron tea kettle sits on the fireplace’s wood mantle.

Officers' Quarters No. 1

Officers, who had the responsibility of command, received the perks that came with the position. Four three-story duplexes were built along officers' row, with two sets of quarters in each building. Typically, an officer and his family occupied half of one of these buildings. If the officer was a bachelor, he might share his quarters with other bachelors. Each of these quarters had two bedrooms, a dining room, and parlor for entertainment, a morning or sitting room and a kitc

• Officers' Quarters No. 1 (HS-1)-Exterior111 wordsThe exterior architecture of the restored 3-story Officers' Quarters No. 1 building features white clapboard siding, a wide stone porch spanning the building's width at ground level, and two wide staircases on each end of the facade leading to a second-story veranda with seven round columns. Two brick chimneys-one on the parade ground side, or facade, and the other on the building's rear side-jut out from the center of the building's gable roof. The facade-side chimney is flanked by one dormer window on each side. At ground level, there are also six large square stone pillars supporting the veranda. The staircase on the left is roped off to visitors.10B. Interior intro and first wall panel258 wordsThere are 6 furnished rooms available for viewing inside the officer's quarters, 2 on each of the building's 3 floors. All rooms are blocked to visitor access by 4-foot-high glass partitions. You are invited to enter the building through the first-floor "exhibit" door on the facade's right side.A wall panel on the left as you enter the building features a black-and-white drawing of the building's sitting room, where a woman in a long checkered dress sits writing a letter at a small table. Her husband--an officer-leans against the fireplace mantle behind her; he studies a paper in his hand. Text on the panel reads:"Letters From the Frontier. During the 19th Century, military officers enjoyed writing letters to their families, friends and fellow officers. The following quotations are from the personal letters of Captain Thomas Swords and his wife, Charlotte, which describe life at Fort Scott in the 1840s."The first two quotations from the captain and his wife read: "Fort Scott. November 26, 1842. You of course have heard all about our delightful post here, and we are going to make it the crack post of the frontier, even ahead of [Fort] Leavenworth. Capt. Thomas Swords""Recreation. August 7, 1843. Our time is mostly passed in reading; within a few days there has been a considerable addition to the library. When the books become irksome, we ride, fish, and walk, collect all the pretty flowers we see and try to become botanist; the flowers here far surpass those of Leavenworth in fragrance. Charlotte Swords"10C. Sitting room154 wordsThe 12-by-18-foot officer's morning, or sitting, room is located to the right of the wall panel. Placed in the center of the white-painted room in front of the fireplace is a square wood table surrounded by 4 wood chairs with rush seats. The table holds playing cards, as well as two china cups and saucers. Other furniture in the room includes two upholstered chairs-a rocking chair and an occasional chair with wood foot stool-as well as several tables. One table, placed against the left-hand wall between the room's two windows, holds a coffee service. A wood bench placed against the right-hand wall holds books, a stack of newspapers and a hat box covered with floral-print paper. A wood-framed mirror is propped above the fireplace mantle. Other items decorating the walls include framed needlework, an Indian spear, and a round pouch made of animal skin. The windows are covered with diaphanous white curtains. 10D. Kitchen175 wordsThe most prominent feature in the 16-by-18-foot kitchen is the large brick fireplace located on the wall directly across from you. Hanging on the wall above the firebox are various iron pans; several iron pots have been placed on the stone hearth, which also holds a cylindrical wood-burning stove. To the right of the fireplace and placed against the wall under one of the room's two windows is a narrow wood rope bed with a trundle. Both beds are covered with hand-pieced quilts. A small table set with cups and plates stands at the foot of the beds under the other window; a highchair joins two additional chairs surrounding the table. Both windows have been left bare. Other furniture in the room includes a wood rocking chair and a low chest holding two large wood bowls. Standing against the room's left-hand wall, both a tall cabinet and six open shelves hold various pottery crocks and porcelain coffee pots, dishes and bowls. A doorway to a small pantry is tucked into the room's back left corner. 10E. Second floor intro and sign115 wordsA small sign on the second floor reads: "Welcome to Captain Swords' Quarters. Officers' Quarters at Fort Scott consisted of six rooms or one-half of a duplex house. This home represents the private residence of Captain and Charlotte Swords who were stationed here from 1842 until 1846. It has been refurnished to illustrate their lifestyle and the social position which officers were expected to maintain."The parlor to your left adjoins the dining room. These rooms were not used on a daily basis, but rather for formal entertaining and dinners. Two bedrooms are upstairs with the kitchen and sitting room downstairs. The sitting room was used for informal daily activities, meals, reading, sew

Officers' Quarters No. 2

This building, an original officers' quarters, features many examples of the timber and frame construction that went into the creation of a permanent post. On its exterior, one can see examples of the Greek Revival architectural features that Captain Swords used to build a military post that was intended to impress visitors and instill a sense of pride in those who lived here. A brochure available inside identifies the various building elements

• 11A. Officers' Quarters No. 2 (HS-2)-Exterior<br />112 words <br />The exterior architecture of the restored 3-story Officers' Quarters No. 2 building, otherwise known as the Wilson/Goodlander Home, is similar to that of Officers' Quarters No. 1. Notable features include white clapboard siding, a wide stone porch spanning the building's width at ground level, and two wide staircases leading to a second-story veranda with seven round columns. <br />Two brick chimneys-one on the parade ground side, or facade, and the other on the building's rear side-jut out from the center of the building's gable roof. The facade-side chimney is flanked by two dormer windows on each side. At ground level, there are also six large square stone pillars supporting the veranda.<br />

Officers' Quarters No. 4

This building is an original structure that is one-half of an officers' quarters. The other half burned down in a fire in the 1940s. The existence of a firewall, an 1840s construction feature, between the two halves likely saved this half from suffering the same fate. Inside this building is an exhibit of a sutler store that is open only during special events and education programs, when staffing is available. In the vacant lot to the north are the remains of Officers' Q

• 16. Officers' Quarters No. 4 (and 3) (HS-4; HS-3)-Exteriors and archaeological resource<br />109 words<br />Standing to the right of the grassy area where a third Officers' Quarters once stood is the left half of the Officers' Quarters number 4 duplex. Built in the same style as Officers' Quarters no. 1, this restored building has but one dormer, one chimney, one wide outdoor staircase, and four stone pillars supporting the building's second-story veranda. The stairs are roped off to the public, and there are no additional exhibits in this building.<br />All that remains to the right of this building is the stone foundation of the earlier structure. The bases of 6 stone pillars-3 each on the facade and rear sides-are also present.<br />

Picnic Area

This is a great spot for a picnic! You'll find here four picnic tables under the shade of a tall tree amidst our historic buildings and restored tallgrass prairie. The site does not reserve picnic tables; they are first come-first serve. Near the picnic area are a trash can and recycling containers for aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

Post Commander's Headquarters

The commanding officer at Fort Scott coordinated the operation of the military post from the post headquarters in front of you. He was in charge of the health, safety, cleanliness, and security of the post. He routinely dealt with housing issues, property, supplies, and personnel management. He oversaw post discipline; he could arrest other officers and he convened courts-martial in this building. In these offices, he and his adjutant prepared reports and kept records that ke

• Post Headquarters (HS-11)-Exterior 60 wordsThe reconstructed Post Headquarters is a one-story white clapboard building with a wood door and transom window. This door is flanked on the left by two windows and on the right by one window and a 7-foot-wide doorway leading to the fort's artillery shed. Please take care when stepping up onto the tall stone landing outside the wood exhibit door. 8B. Interior intro and wall panel394 wordsThere are two furnished rooms inside this exhibit space-the Adjutant's Office directly in front of you and the Commandant's Office visible through a doorway to your left. Both rooms are blocked from visitor access by wood-framed glass barriers. First draw your attention to a wall panel hung to the right of the Commandant's Office door. This panel features a black-and-white drawing of two uniformed men, one, with pen in hand, sitting at a table covered with a dark cloth. The other man, who holds a piece of paper, stands beside him. A large map is mounted on the room's wall. Text on the panel reads: "Post Headquarters. The Commanding Officer, with the assistance of a small administrative staff, was responsible for governing the army post according to the Articles of War and Army Regulations."He was expected to maintain well-trained troops ready to respond to situations which emerged along the frontier. He was charged with maintaining orderliness and discipline on the post. He was authorized to conduct court-martial."The command staff comprised the Post Adjutant, First Sergeant, clerks, Post Quartermaster, Post Subsistence Officer, Post Surgeon, and the field officers. "Violations of regulations were tried by court-martial. The following excerpts from an actual trial summary illustrate typical infractions and penalties. "Charges against Private Thomas Fraser, Company D, 4th Infantry, preferred against him by order of the General Court Martial, Fort Scott, Missouri, 28 September 1843."Charge 1st-Absence without Leave. Specification: did absent himself from Fort Scott, Missouri, on the evening of the 3rd day of July, 1843 and did remain absent until the morning of the 5th day of July 1843."Charge 2nd-Desertion. Specification: did desert whist a prisoner and did remain absent until brought back by a command sent in his apprehension."To which charges and specifications, the accused pleaded "Guilty.""Finding: The Court, having maturely considered the evidence adduced, finds the accused, Private Thomas Fraser as follows, on the specifications and charges: "Guilty." "Sentence: And thereupon the Court sentences the said Private Thomas Fraser to receive fifty lashes on his bare back, well laid with a raw hide, forfeit all pay and allowances which may be due to him, except just debts due the sutler and laundresses, make good the thirty dollars paid for his apprehension, and serve six months in charge of the guard at hard labor without pay." 8C. Commandant's Office321 wordsA small sign mounted on a waist-high pillar placed beyond the glass barrier in the Commandant's Office reads: "Commandant's Office, Court-Martial Room. The office of the Post Commandant is furnished in the style of a military office (1842-1850), which was a combination of both military regulation and the personal preference of the commanding officer. The room to your right was the Court-Martial room. Military discipline and justice of the 19th century was the responsibility of the post commander and often severe. The room behind you is the Adjutant's office. Army regulations recommended that the adjutant be an experienced officer who was familiar with administrative procedures and military protocol."Furniture in the 15-by-18-foot Commandant's Office includes three rectangular wood tables-one positioned prominently in the center of the room-all covered with bright blue tablecloths. The central table holds various papers, a pair of wire-rimmed eyeglasses, a blue officer's cap, and 3 candlesticks. Two small green-painted chairs are placed at this table. Placed against the wall near the room's back right corner is an open wood secretary desk holding a rectangular wood pendulum clock, its glass decorated with gold paint. The closed door to the Court-Martial Room lies just to the right of the secretary.The other two tables are placed against the back wall and left-hand wall respectively and hold various items including a cylindrical leather saddle valise, a large document box, several rolled maps or other documents, and a hatchet. A large black-and-white map entitled "Pictorial Map of the United States" hangs on the room's back wall just to the left of one of the room's two windows; various territories on the map are indicated with brown ink. Other items include a black wood-burning stove, its flue pipe exiting through the room's ceiling, and a saber with a piece of red cloth attached to its hilt, propped against a back wall timber. The windows are covered with thin blue curtains.8D. Adjutant's office163 wordsThe larger 15-by-20-

Post Hospital

The hospital served as a place of treatment for sick and injured soldiers, however medical practices of the time often impeded recovery rather than aiding it.

• As viewed from the wide brick walkway leading from the visitor parking lot, the exterior of the restored 2-story Visitor Center and Hospital building features white clapboard siding, a gable roof, and two tall brick chimneys located approximately 10 feet in from the roof's outer edge on each end. There is a second-story wraparound porch, or veranda, with 8 white-painted columns on the facade, or front side of the building, alone. A wide stone porch spans the width of the building's facade at ground level, where there are eight large square stone pillars supporting the veranda above. There are 8 windows-2 each flanking the central door on the first floor and the central door off the veranda. A sign measuring 5 foot wide by 2 ½ feet high stands in front of the building entrance; text on the sign reads "Visitor Center. Fort Scott National Historic Site. National Park Service Department of the Interior." Also included is the arrowhead-shaped National Park Service emblem.Note that you may enter or exit the building through one of two central doors on the first floor, either the one facing the parking lot or another on the back of the building; both doors lead to a central hallway and are accessible by wheelchair ramps. Please note that there is a wide central exterior staircase on the back of the building, leading from the veranda to the parade ground. The building's veranda and wide exterior staircase reflects the French Colonial style of architecture typical of this and other buildings at Fort Scott.The first floor of this restored building contains an information desk, a bookstore and gift shop, restrooms, and a drinking fountain. One furnished hospital ward is located on the second floor. The restrooms and drinking fountain are located in an 8-foot-square vestibule approximately 8 feet to the left of the rear exit door. The drinking fountain is located 3 feet to your right just inside the vestibule's outer door. The door to the men's room is approximately 6 feet in on the vestibule's left wall and the women's room door is straight ahead of you. A small sign on a stand placed to the right of the rear exit door on the first floor reads: "Help protect your resources. No smoking in buildings or near tallgrass prairie. No food or drinks in buildings. Thank you."The 20-by-30-foot room holding the information area and shops can be entered through one of two doorways. The first is 6 feet on your right as you enter the building's front entrance; the second is also on your right another 17 feet, just before the building's rear exit.About 7 feet in front of you as you enter the first door is the roughly L-shaped information desk. The desk section directly in front of you is made up of two parts-a 6- foot-wide by 3 ½-foot-high section with stone-topped counter on the left and a lower counter on the right measuring 3 ½ feet wide by 2 ½ feet high. The fort's visitor sign-in book is located on top of the higher counter. To the left of this front section is a low triangular-shaped counter holding National Park passports and a stamping station. Above this counter are two signs affixed to a wood pillar. The sign on top reads: "Fort Scott's orientation film has devices for assistive listening and audio description. Ask at the visitor center desk for assistance." The smaller sign below it reads: "If you are visually impaired, please say so." The words "visually impaired" are written in bold font. Here you may also inquire about brochures available in braille. Following the line of the counter around to your left, there is another 7-foot-wide by 3 ½- foot-high counter that holds small souvenirs and a cash register. With your back to this counter, note that the wall directly to your right is lined with various racks and bins holding postcards, National Park badges and stamps, T-shirts and maps. More items for sale are located at the opposite end of the room, beginning about 8 feet in front of you, where the room is divided into two spaces by a row of wood bookcases jutting out approximately 10 feet from the far wall. The 5-by-10-foot area to the right of these bookcases features bins and shelves holding various toys, coloring books, some DVDs and CDs, plus replica military supplies such as tin cups and Union caps. The 8 ½-by-10-foot area on the left holds primarily books.Against the left-hand wall located between the room's two doorways, you will find a table holding a pile of reproduction 19th-century Fort Scott newspapers and a cup holding several small 30-star United States flags. A sign indicates that these are free with the purchase of any book. To the right of the table is a glass-sided donation box holding a tall dragoon hat. A small sign placed by the slot on top of the box reads: "Your donation is sincerely appreciated and will be used to expand interpretive activities at Fort Scott National Historic Site." Mounted on the wall to the right of the donation box and to the left of the second doorway is a rac

Powder Magazine

The powder magazine is the only structure at Fort Scott lined with brick, for the simple reason that brick is resistant to fire. Brick can withstand temperatures up to 1300 degrees without being compromised. Considering the other measures taken to protect the magazine (thick walls and a lightning rod), it made sense for it to be the only building lined with brick. These measures would have helped keep safe the stores of explosives in the structure.

• 24A. Powder Magazine HS-17-Exterior and lightning rod<br />162 words<br />The exterior walls of the octagonal Powder Magazine are red brick with a nearly 2-foot-high gray stone foundation. Each of the building's eight sides are 8 feet wide and are separated by concrete corner columns measuring 1 ½ feet wide; the building's domed roof is also made of concrete. <br />The building also features one heavy 3-foot-wide wood door and three side window openings, or ports, protected by wood shutters with metal hinges, bolts, and locks. Each port measures approximately 3-foot square and is topped by a horizontal 6-pane glass transom window, which adds another 1 ½ feet in height. The transoms also have shutters that open upward; these are located in the building's interior.<br />Located in the grass about 3 feet off the concrete path to the left of the powder magazine as you face its entrance is an approximately 35-foot-high pole, or lightning rod. The wood pole is 10 inches in diameter with a slim metal rod jutting from its top.<br />24B. Interior intro and wall panel<br />266 words<br />Please take care when stepping through the powder magazine doorway, which has a slanted wood sill measuring 5 inches high. You will then encounter an area of wood flooring approximately 3 ½ feet wide by 2 ½ feet deep; beyond this area, you will step into the building's circular interior, which is 12 feet in diameter. <br />A wall panel just to your right as you enter the circular area features a black-and-white drawing of four men working inside the magazine. The 2 privates in the foreground each hold one ammunitions barrel, while the two officers behind them inspect a small crate. Below this larger drawing are renderings of a long, thin port-fire, small bullet-sized cartridges, a cylindrical metal canister with a clip on one end and a cylindrical solid shot. The shot is nearly identical to the canister in diameter and length but has a rounded end. Text on this panel reads: <br />"Power Magazine. Gunpowder and prepared ammunition were stored here in the magazine. Its design and use centered on safety. The walls are several bricks thick. The wood paneling and flooring are fastened with copper nails to prevent sparks. <br />"Regulations specified that the magazine be opened three days each week to air the building in order to help keep the powder dry.<br />"The Ordnance Sergeant oversaw the diverse components of weaponry. At Fort Scott he had charge of two structures: the ordnance storehouse gun shed (located within the headquarters building) and the magazine. The gun shed housed weapons, tools, harness supplies and other metallic, non-explosive stores. The magazine contained powder, cartridges, port-fires and explosive projectiles."<br />24C. Interior<br />163 words<br />The magazine's walls are covered with vertical wood paneling painted white, the planks ranging from 4 to 8 inches in width. Above the nearly 9-foot-high wood section is a circular brick wall which continues into a domed brick ceiling. The window sills, which are located about 3 feet above the floor, are 2 feet deep, indicating the thickness of the building's walls. Several round wood disks the size of quarters represent the large copper nails that once fastened the wide wood floorboards below your feet.<br />On either side of a 3-foot-wide clearance in the center of the magazine is a pyramid stack of several wood barrels-piled 3 high on the left and 2 high on the right. Each barrel measures 16 inches in diameter; they are labeled either "cannon, rifle, or musket." Beyond the barrels and flanking the window straight ahead of you are several dozen rectangular boxes stacked chest high. These are marked either "port-fires" or "carbine, buck and ball cart." <br />

Quartermaster Quadrangle

The quadrangle included a variety of buildings and activity areas essential to the operations and maintenance of the fort. The quadrangle consisted of a number of small buildings arranged in a square with an open area in the center. Hay and grain storage, a blacksmith shop, a carpenter shop, and possibly an ice house were located here. The quartermaster quadrangle maintained the supply wagons and the draft animals (generally mules) that pulled the draft wagons, with everyt

• 20A. Quartermaster Quadrangle (HS-13 and HS-30) <br />65 words<br />As indicated by a small map in the Quartermaster Complex wayside panel's bottom right corner, the Quartermaster Quadrangle was located directly behind the stone blacksmith shop and extended toward the bake house. This rectangular area measured approximately 75 by 100 feet-thus encompassing about two-tenths of an acre. A black box marked "You Are Here" indicates your position at the Quartermaster Storehouse's rear right corner. <br />20B. The trades shop (HS-30)<br />63 words<br />Located several yards behind the right end of the Quartermaster Storehouse is a 2-story stone building with a gable roof and a single chimney on its right end. This restored building is one of 3 surviving buildings in the Quartermaster complex. Its white-painted door and window shutters are closed. This building is not open to visitors. <br />

Quartermaster Storehouse

"The line of supply may be said to be as vital to the existence of an army as the heart to the life of a human being" This quote from a military commander emphasizes the critical role that the quartermaster and subsistence departments played in the army's well being and survival.In this building are housed the barrels and boxes that contained these important supplies. One side is set up as the quartermaster's office and storeroom. As the name implies, the quartermaster was in

• 18A. Quartermaster Storehouse (HS-12)-Exterior196 wordsThe exterior of the restored Quartermaster Storehouse features white clapboard siding, a gable roof, and one brick chimney located toward the roof's left end as you face the building from the parade ground. The building has one story with a loft above.There are three doors and 8 windows on both sides-the parade ground side and the building's rear side. All but two doors and most of the windows are covered with wood painted white. There are also several barred windows in the building's stone foundation. There are three raised loading docks, or platforms, on both the front and rear sides of the building. Each platform measures approximately 4 by 8 feet. The 4 platforms on the ends are supported by 3-feet-high stone pillars and hold several wood barrels of various sizes; the platforms in the middle have been left bare and are furnished with white wood handrails. They are accessible by wood stairs starting at ground level. You may enter the building from either side by stepping through the open doorways off these middle platforms. Please take care when climbing the short sets of stairs leading to the platforms as they may be slippery.18B. Interior intro and first wall panel296 wordsThe rooms available for viewing in the Quartermaster Storehouse include the Quartermaster Office, the Quartermaster Storeroom, the Commissary Storeroom, the Issue Room, and the basement. If you enter the building from the parade ground, you will encounter the Quartermaster Office first. The building's rear entrance takes you to the Issue Room, where there are 3 wall panels with information about the quartermaster's activities and responsibilities at the fort. The unfurnished 14-by-14-foot Issue Room can be accessed from either the Commissary Storeroom or by entering through the middle exterior door at the rear of the building. A panel on the left-hand wall just inside the room's exterior door features a black-and-white drawing of several men at work constructing a long stone building. Approximately two-thirds of the building and only one roof section have been completed. Text on the panel reads:"Captain Thomas Swords. One of the ablest quartermasters on the frontier, Capt. Thomas Swords had attended West Point where he received training in architecture and engineering. Prior to being assigned to Fort Scott, he had also served as Assistant Quartermaster at Fort Leavenworth in the 1830s, where he became experienced in building design and construction. "In the four years he served at Fort Scott, Captain Swords designed and had constructed four sets of officers' quarters, three barracks, the hospital, the guardhouse, the well canopy, the magazine, the stables, both the ordnance and post headquarters and the quartermaster warehouse. His plans featured porches to provide shelter from the torrid summers of the plains, large windows for light and air, plastered walls and graceful stairways. Despite restrictions on hiring, Swords obtained civilian brick layers, plasterers and a stone cutter to help finish the buildings."In 1846 General Kearney promoted Captain Swords to Quartermaster of the Army of the West."18C. Second wall panel216 wordsThe next panel features a black-and-white drawing of two men delivering supplies to the Quartermaster, who stands beside several barrels and crates on a rear loading dock. One man lifts a large barrel from a horse-drawn wagon while the Quartermaster makes notes in a ledger. Text on the panel reads: "Up the Missouri-Down to Fort Scott. Supplies were normally shipped from St. Louis to Fort Leavenworth by steamboat. They were transferred then to wagons drawn by horses, mules or oxen and transported south to Forth Scott by the military road. "The Quartermaster supervised the blacksmith shop and bought new animals as they were needed. In 1844, prices for sound horses ranged from $65 for a chestnut to $45 for a black, bay or gray. "The animals required a great deal of feed. Settlers in the area bid for the contracts to supply Fort Scott with the hay, corn and oats needed by the post animals. In 1842, Daniel Waldo delivered 12,000 bushels of corn to the fort at 29 ¾ cents per bushel. "Five years later, the Mexican War brought two companies of volunteers to the fort for the winter. The problem of purchasing additional provisions was compounded by the fact that the "season is far advanced, and the prairies on fire all around us."18D. Third wall panel180 wordsA third wall panel, located to the right of the Quartermaster Office's interior doorway, features a black-and-white drawing of the office, where the Quartermaster, seated at a small table, confers with another man standing to his left. Two other men, one holding a barrel, the other holding a ledger, stand in the doorway of the Quartermaster Storeroom on the wall to the left of the table. Text on the panel reads:"The Supply System. The efficient functioning of isolated frontier forts depended on resour

Sergeants' Room

Rank had privileges, even among non-commissioned officers. Sergeants, who were responsible for training and discipline, had their own room and some amenities not afforded to the enlisted men. Those amenities included their own washbasins and privacy. Each company had four sergeants: while they potentially could all stay in this room, many often did not, either because they were married or were off on other assignments. Frequently, a sergeant could get this room to himself.

• The 13-by-15-foot sergeants’ room is protected behind a floor-to-ceiling glass barrier. In the center of the room is a single bunk bed, the lower mattress covered by a coarse brown bison hide. Clothing and objects hanging on the room’s four clothing racks include several gold-striped blue uniforms, a metal canteen, and a leather holster. Shelves above the peg racks hold tall blue dragoon hats sporting gold tassels, stacks of folded white shirts, as well as a pair of leather boots. Other furniture and objects in the room include a rack holding two sabers, several small tables—one holding a smoking pipe and various shaving accoutrements—and a round spittoon placed on the floor by the front left corner of the bunk bed. The room’s only window is on the back wall, behind the bunk bed.

Squad Room

Two squad rooms or sleeping quarters occupied the upper floor of each barracks. Up to twenty-six soldiers (two corporals and twenty-four privates) could sleep in each squad room. Corporals slept in the small beds while the privates slept in the bunks, two per bunk. They slept head to toe. Soldiers were required to bathe weekly and wash their feet twice per week,

• The 23-by-31-foot squad room holds 6 bunk beds— 3 arranged perpendicular to the walls on each side of the room—and a game table with benches oriented lengthwise toward the fireplace in the center of the room’s back wall. Each of the 12 bunks—which measure only 3 feet wide—is labeled with the names of two privates stenciled in white on the bed’s brown wood frame. The thin bunk mattresses are topped with folded white blankets, each adorned with a wide blue stripe. A checkerboard is etched into the center of the wood game table, which also holds several round game pieces made from corn cobs and marked with either a black or red center. Placed against the wall on each side of the fireplace is a 2-foot-wide cot used by corporals; a box full of firewood is also placed to the right of fireplace. There are 4 windows in the room, two on each side wall at the head of the bunks. Other objects in the room include two empty rifle racks, one each propped against the walls just inside the doorway, and various wood clothing peg racks and shelves.

Welcome to Fort Scott

Welcome to Fort Scott. The buildings in front of you represent Fort Scott in the 1840s, when the fort was built to protect the Permanent Indian Frontier. Its architect, Captain Thomas Swords, stated that his goal here was to build the Crack Post of the Frontier. To that end, he employed a variety of architectural styles, native building materials, and local water resources used in mixing mortar and plaster. He supervised the construction of a fort that was intended to be a pe

• 1A. Introduction-Welcome and History 348 words Welcome to Fort Scott National Historic Site, located in the city of Fort Scott, the county seat of Bourbon County, Kansas. Established in 1842, Fort Scott was one of several forts built along the Military Road in eastern Kansas along what was then considered the "permanent Indian frontier." The fort's soldiers enforced peace between white settlers moving west, native tribes like the Osage, and other native peoples relocated from the east. The fort was named for General Winfield Scott, who was the commander of all American armies in the 1840s. Fort Scott was home to both infantry soldiers and dragoons, elite troops trained to fight on horseback and on foot. The fort provided troops for various dragoon expeditions throughout the west, and both infantry and dragoons left the fort to support the army in the Mexican-American War, from 1846 to 1848. The army abandoned Fort Scott in 1853, and the buildings were auctioned in 1885 as the "permanent" frontier moved further west. During the late 1850s, an era known as "Bleeding Kansas," army troops returned to Fort Scott to enforce peace between free state and pro-slavery groups. Troops returned again during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1865, when Fort Scott served as a major supply depot for Union armies in the West, a general hospital for soldiers, and a haven for others fleeing the war-displaced Indians, escaped slaves, and white farmers. The 1st Kansas Colored Infantry, sworn in on the grounds of Fort Scott, was one of the first African-American regiments to fight with the Union Army.From 1869 to 1873, the military returned yet again to establish the Post of Southeast Kansas at Fort Scott to protect railroad workers from squatters who opposed the new railroad. After the army left in 1873, the old fort buildings served as residences and commercial properties for many years. Eventually some structures were destroyed by fire or torn down. Later, federal funding made a rebirth of the old fort possible, and in 1978, Fort Scott became a National Historic Site under the supervision of the National Park Service.1B. AD Overview 543 wordsThe current Fort Scott site contains 20 historic structures in and around the fort's 2 ½-acre parade ground, as well as a section of restored tallgrass prairie. Although most of the fort buildings have been reconstructed, several surviving structures have been restored to their original 1840s appearance. These include three officers' quarters, the quartermaster storehouse, the post headquarters, the bake house, and the hospital building, which also houses the site's visitor center. This audio-described tour provides information about all key structures as well as numerous wayside panels at Fort Scott National Historic Site. Also included on this audio description tour are four off-site features. The Lunette-Blair Blockhouse, the Twin Trees Monument and historic marker, and the Sutler Store marker are all located in the town of Fort Scott within one block west of the historic site. Fort Scott National Cemetery is located on East National Avenue, approximately 2 miles southeast of the fort.The landscape within the historic site is generally flat, and most buildings and other features can be accessed by either concrete or brick walkways. Take care as some of the walkways are uneven, as are the stone porches of some of the buildings at ground level. Some thresholds as you enter the buildings are several inches high; these will be noted as part of specific building descriptions. Some of the wood plank and stone floors found indoors slope slightly or are uneven as well. There are several exterior and interior staircases at the fort. Please use the handrails as these stairs are steep. There are wheelchair ramps located outside some structures, including the three buildings housing restrooms and drinking fountains-the Visitor Center, the Enlisted Infantry Barracks directly beside and to the west of the Visitor Center, and a second Infantry Barracks located on the east side of the parade ground. The wood stairs and wheelchair ramps on the buildings' exteriors can become slippery in wet weather, so please watch your step. Most exterior staircases will be roped off and unavailable for use during inclement weather; use interior staircases in these instances.The fort's only elevator is located in the Enlisted Infantry Barracks building beside the Visitor Center. A 23-minute film entitled "Fort Scott and the Growth of a Nation" is shown in the theater space on the building's second floor. Hand-held devices that allow access to the audio description are available at the Visitor Center. Most exterior doors leading to rooms or exhibits open to the public are marked with a small sign that reads "exhibit." You will encounter a number of benches and chairs-either moveable or fixed-both on the buildings' porches and inside some of the interior rooms or hallways. Smoking is not permitted in fo

Well and Canopy

The digging of the well toward the north side of the parade ground received a high priority in the early construction of the fort.. By October 1843 , the quartermaster reported that a 65-foot well had been hand dug "the whole of it, with the exception of about 5 feet near the surface, having been blasted through successive strata of limestone, slate and coal." The well is off centered under the canopy to simplify the drawing of water when soldiers used wagons to haul the wa

• 26. Well and Canopy (HS-15) <br />151 words<br />The fort's circular stone well measures 8 feet in diameter with an inside opening measuring 5 feet in diameter and approximately 3 feet deep. Its walls are slightly more than 3 feet high and 1 ½ feet thick. The well stands slightly right of center on an octagonal stone path that measures 8 feet at its widest point to the left of the well and 4 ½ feet at its narrowest side on the right. Surrounding this stone path is a narrow concrete path, also octagonal in shape.<br />Standing along the outer edges of the stone path are 8 round columns with 2-foot-square wood bases, all painted bright white. The 1 ½-foot-wide columns support an octagonal domed roof, or canopy. Construction features on the underside of the roof include 6 white-painted timbers-3 radiating out from each side-that meet in the center against one longer timber spanning the canopy's diameter.<br /> <br />

Visitor Center

• Visitor Center
• The Visitor Center for the site is located on the ground floor of the post hospital which is located at the entrance to the site near Old Fort Blvd. Summer hours are April 1 through September 30. If you plan to visit outside of this time, please see the exception below.

• Healthy Parks, Healthy People
• Fort Scott encourages outdoor exercise to improve health. Get out and walk to help reduce stress, improve brain function, and instill a sense of well-being. Take advantage of a gentle stroll through Fort Scott's beautiful grounds.

• Discovering Life at Fort Scott
• Living History Programs

• Virtual 360 Fort Scott Tour
• Take a tour of Fort Scott through a series of 360 degree panoramic views of the buildings, furnished rooms and exhibit areas.

Dragoon Barracks Tour

The Dragoon Barracks at Fort Scott National Historic Site is currently closed to the public. However, you can still learn more about and view the rooms in the building by taking this tour. The directions between stops are for normal operations. Each room of the Dragoon Barracks provided the soldier with necessities that enabled him to do his duty.

Self Guided Audio Tour

See the fort on your own using this audio tour. Each audio segment lasts about a minute for a total of 12 minutes audio all together.