Commissary Storehouse

Commissary Storehouse. . The commissary storehouse held Fort Abercrombie's food supply. It was a long, single-story structure built of hewn logs and covered with clapboard siding. A storehouse was typically one of the first buildings constructed at a frontier fort. Why? Because it was important to protect the food supply from the elements as soon as possible. Notice the wider doors used for unloading supplies.

This 1862 sketch of Fort Abercrombie shows the commissary storehouse to the left of the flagpole. Food that was stored in the commissary storehouse would include things such as salted pork or beef, flour, peas, rice, beans, coffee, tea, sugar, vinegar, salt, and pepper. To supplement these basic food items, soldiers were often encouraged to grow gardens. The addition of fresh vegetables added some variety to the soldier's diet and also helped to prevent diseases such as scurvy.

Infantry Sergeant

The commanding officer appointed a sergeant to supervise the day-to-day work in the commissary storehouse. The sergeant's work included keeping track of the amounts and types of food that were stored there and supervising the distribution of food to all the soldiers at the fort.

This sergeant wears the typical dress uniform for a foot soldier in the 1860s. The sky-blue trim on his frock coat and the hunting horn insignia on his hat indicate that this sergeant serves in the infantry. On his left hip is a noncommissioned officer's sword, used more as a symbol of his rank than as a weapon.