Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
The Barracks
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.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Man-Made Features.
Location. 30° 14.938′ N, 98° 50.782′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Texas, in Gillespie County. Marker can be reached from East Main Street (U.S. 290) 0.2 miles west of Heritage Hills Drive, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located within the Fort Martin Scott parade grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1606 E Main St, Fredericksburg TX 78624, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Peace with the Indians (within shouting distance of this marker); The Town and the Fort (within shouting distance of this marker); Uncovering the Past (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Natural Setting (about 300 feet away); The Comanche Indians (about 300 feet away); Commanding the Fort (about 300 feet away); The Braeutigam Family (about 300 feet away); The Sutler's Store (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
More about this marker. Fort Martin Scott is a restored United States Army outpost in Fredericksburg, Texas, that was active from 1848 until 1853. It was part of a line of frontier forts established to protect travelers and settlers within Texas.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Martin Scott
Also see . . . Life on the Texas Frontier: Fort Martin Scott. Built by the German settlers, the enlisted men’s quarters benefitted from German engineering. Instead of one long building housing separate rooms, Texas Hill Country style log cabins had small rooms separated by a gap, typically two or three, all connected by one roof. This gave these homes an appearance of hollow tunnels. However, advantages over conventional log built homes were enormous. Wind cooled the area during the hot summer months, and soldiers milled around between the buildings, protected by the roof. During the winter months, small fires in pot-bellied stoves kept the smaller rooms warmer than traditional, larger cabins. There were three such “dogtrot” barracks at the fort, and each had three rooms and normally housed a company of men. (Submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2018. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 226 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 9, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.