Near Watrous in Mora County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Enough to Feed an Army

Quartermaster Depot Storehouses

— Fort Union National Monument —

Enough to Feed an Army Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

1. Enough to Feed an Army Marker

Inscription.

Enough to Feed an Army. Quartermaster Depot Storehouses. Imagine 2,000 to 3,000 freight wagons a year being off-loaded into these enormous buildings. In these five warehouses, the United States Army stored, inventoried, organized, and redistributed thousands of tons of food and equipment to support the troops operating in the Southwest., Here you would have seen both civilian storekeepers and enlisted personnel bustling and toting an endless stream of crates, boxes, and barrels of salted meat and fish, hardtack, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, vinegar, hominy, corn meal, onions, potatoes, canned foods, bottled foods, flour, clothing, bedding, tents, cooking gear, paper and ink, heating stoves, furniture, lamps, lanterns, tools, and building materials. In 1870 there were 100 civilian employees here at Fort Union. About 40 were teamsters driving wagons to deliver the supplies from these warehouses to distant outlying posts., A Typical Shipment , 7,000 lbs of Bacon . 520 lbs of breakfast Bacon . 650 lbs of Flour . 2,500 lbs of green Coffee . 1,000 lbs of roasted Coffee . 500 lbs of Java Coffee . 500 lbs of Corn Meal . 1,000 lbs of Hominy . 2,000 lbs of brown Sugar . 50 gallons of Vinegar . 400 lbs of Candles . 2,000 lbs of common Soap . 395 gallons of Pickles . 400 lbs of officers' Salt . 25 lbs of Pepper . 800 lbs of white Sugar, Special Orders No. 102 Fort Union to Fort Marcy, July 1868 , Twelve other similar shipments left these storehouses for southwestern Army posts during the same month., Where These Supplies Went , In New Mexico: Post of Albuquerque . Fort Bascom . Fort Bayard . Fort Craig . Fort Cummings . Fort Lowell . Post of Ojo Caliente . Fort Marcy . Fort McRae . Post of Santa Fe . Fort Seldon . Fort Stanton . Fort Sumner . Fort Tularosa . Fort Wingate , In Colorado: Fort Garland , In Arizona: Fort Apache . Camp Beale's Springs . Fort Bowie . Camp Colorado . Fort Crittenden . Camp Date Creek . Camp Goodwin . Fort Grant . Fort Huachuca . Camp Hualapai . Camp Ilges . Camp La Paz . Camp Lewis . Fort Lowell . Fort McDowell . Fort Mohave . Camp Pinal . Camp Reno . Camp Rucker . Camp San Carlos . Fort Thomas . Fort Verde . Camp Wallen . Camp Willow Grove . Fort Yuma . Whipple Barracks , In Texas: Fort Bliss . Camp Concordia , In Oklahoma: Fort Supply . Camp Nichols

Imagine 2,000 to 3,000 freight wagons a year being off-loaded into these enormous buildings. In these five warehouses, the United States Army stored, inventoried, organized, and redistributed thousands of tons of food and equipment to support the troops operating in the Southwest.

Here you would have seen both civilian storekeepers and enlisted personnel bustling and toting an endless stream of crates, boxes, and barrels of salted meat and fish, hardtack, coffee, tea, sugar, salt, vinegar, hominy, corn meal, onions, potatoes, canned foods, bottled foods, flour, clothing, bedding, tents, cooking gear, paper and ink, heating stoves, furniture, lamps, lanterns, tools, and building materials. In 1870 there were 100 civilian employees here at Fort Union. About 40 were teamsters driving wagons to deliver the supplies from these warehouses to distant outlying posts.

A Typical Shipment
7,000 lbs of Bacon • 520 lbs of breakfast Bacon • 650 lbs of Flour • 2,500 lbs of green Coffee • 1,000 lbs of roasted Coffee • 500 lbs of Java Coffee • 500 lbs of Corn Meal • 1,000 lbs of Hominy • 2,000 lbs of brown Sugar • 50 gallons of Vinegar • 400 lbs of Candles • 2,000 lbs of common Soap • 395 gallons of Pickles • 400 lbs of officers' Salt • 25 lbs of Pepper • 800 lbs of white Sugar

Special Orders No. 102 Fort Union to Fort Marcy,

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

July 1868
Twelve other similar shipments left these storehouses for southwestern Army posts during the same month.

Where These Supplies Went
In New Mexico: Post of Albuquerque • Fort Bascom • Fort Bayard • Fort Craig • Fort Cummings • Fort Lowell • Post of Ojo Caliente • Fort Marcy • Fort McRae • Post of Santa Fe • Fort Seldon • Fort Stanton • Fort Sumner • Fort Tularosa • Fort Wingate
In Colorado: Fort Garland
In Arizona: Fort Apache • Camp Beale's Springs • Fort Bowie • Camp Colorado • Fort Crittenden • Camp Date Creek • Camp Goodwin • Fort Grant • Fort Huachuca • Camp Hualapai • Camp Ilges • Camp La Paz • Camp Lewis • Fort Lowell • Fort McDowell • Fort Mohave • Camp Pinal • Camp Reno • Camp Rucker • Camp San Carlos • Fort Thomas • Fort Verde • Camp Wallen • Camp Willow Grove • Fort Yuma • Whipple Barracks
In Texas: Fort Bliss • Camp Concordia
In Oklahoma: Fort Supply • Camp Nichols

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 35° 54.582′ N, 105° 0.902′ W. Marker is near Watrous, New Mexico, in Mora County. Marker can be reached from New

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

2. Enough to Feed an Army Marker

(Quartermaster storehouse ruins in background)

Mexico Route 161, 7½ miles north of CanAm Highway (Interstate 25). Marker is located along the park trail at Fort Union National Monument. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3115 New Mexico Route 161, Watrous NM 87753, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Commissary Storehouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The End of the Road (within shouting distance of this marker); Separate Worlds (within shouting distance of this marker); Depot Officers' Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Keep the Wagons Rolling (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Quartermaster Clerks' Office (about 400 feet away); Big Business for New Mexico (about 500 feet away); Transportation Corral (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Watrous.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Union National Monument

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

3. Enough to Feed an Army Marker

(Quartermaster storehouse ruins in background)

Fort Union Quartermaster Depot Storehouse Ruins image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 23, 2015

4. Fort Union Quartermaster Depot Storehouse Ruins

(marker visible, edge-on, at far right)

Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 30, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.