Enlisted Men at Fort Martin Scott

Hot and crowded in the summer, cold and drafty in the winter, the enlisted men's quarters faced north and were across the parade ground from Officer's Row. Each of the four sparsely furnished barracks had three rooms and could house a company of infantry or dragoons. A mid-nineteenth century infantry company in the US Army had forty-two privates, four corporals, four sergeants, and three commissioned officers totaling fifty-three men.

Three of the enlisted men's barracks were constructed of logs while one was a jacal (a hut of Mexican origin with a thatched roof and walls made of upright logs chinked with mud). For warmth, the soldiers relied upon one pot-bellied, wood burning stove per barrack, often woefully inadequate for heating a large space.

An enlisted man's day began at 0530 (5:30 a.m.) and was filled with such duties as policing the grounds and stables, gardening, collecting wood and water, cooking meals, and maintaining post buildings. For the enlisted man in the US Army in the 1840s and 50s, life on a frontier post was often repetitious and tiresome with only the occasional patrol in the countryside to break the monotony.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Fredericksburg, TX  |  Gillespie County  |  78624  |  Texas  |  United States of America

Peace with the Indians
The Town and the Fort
Uncovering the Past
The Natural Setting
The Comanche Indians
Commanding the Fort
The Braeutigam Family
The Sutler's Store
The Guardhouse
Officers Row

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.