Ft. Frederick Trade Fair – The Fort

In years past the reconstructed fort at Fort Frederick has been manned by a British Company of Foot.  This wasn’t the case this year and all the military units were encamped in tents just outside the Fort’s main entrance.  Inside the fort the permanent displays inside the buildings have been substantially expanded. 

The fort interior had one building for the officers & 2 barracks buildings for the non-commissioned officers & foot soldiers as well as facilities for the non-military personnel who were “belonging to the army”.

Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Quarters

The senior non-commissioned officer assigned to each barracks had a modest room of his own.  These officers were allowed storage chests for the equipment needed to do their tasks as well as for a modest amount of personal possessions.

Commander’s Chair with Writing Arm

Non-commissioned officers had a great deal of garrison reports to complete.  This writing chair even has storage for blank & completed forms.  The room has its own modest fireplace also.

Non-Commissioned Officers’ Mess

This dining area shows that even among the non-commissioned ranks there was a separation based on station.  The fireplace in this room was for heating & warming food only.  Rations would have be prepared by non-military staff in a kitchen with a full hearth.

Non-Commissioned  Officers’  Beds

Most non-commissioned officers had their own beds but shared a room with others of their own rank.  The lower the rank, the more officers in the room. 

Non-Commissioned  Officers’ Housing

Sleeping rooms were also were these men wrote their reports.  The British army was big on record keeping.  A small desk is located to the lower left of this photo.  There is also a small fireplace in the wall opposite this one which is shared with the adjacent room.

Non-Commissioned Officers’  Kitchen

This kitchen may or may not have been located in the barracks proper.  Kitchens tended burn down from time to time & thus were often built as free standing building set apart from the barracks.  This one is rather nicely appointed.  It would have been staffed by someone who was “belonging to the army”, that is someone who was contracted & on the garrison records but who was neither a soldier nor under direct military command.  It was most likely staffed by soldiers wives but could have had a contracted cook instead.

 Common Soldiers’  Bunks

The soldiers in the ranks, the “hatmen” of the British army would have been housed in bunks like these in a long  room.  Each bunk was designed to sleep 2 men side by side.

 Bare Bunk

The British preferred to construct long rectangular barracks with bunks built lengthwise along one side of the room.  The center of the room was taken up by a long table with chairs.  There was a fireplace in one short side of the room & equipment storage at the other short side.  The slanted sleeping surface is per regulations.  Pillows were not issued but could often be purchased or pilfered  locally.  Barracks like these were needed in the colonial frontier areas where there were no common inns to house a garrison.  Inn & tavern housing was the norm for the army in the British isles.

 Soldiers’ Equipment Storage Area

Soldiers’ accouterments & gear was stored on pegs on the short wall farthest from the fireplace.  The cartridge boxes would have been empty.  Loose powder would have been stored in a powder magazine.  Rounds would have been issued as needed & returned to storage upon returning from duty.

 Soldiers’ Kitchen

The barracks room fireplace was also where the soldiers cooked their rations.  Both the rations & the pot to cook them in were issued to the soldiers by mess groups.

 Quartermaster’s Storeroom – Equipment 

Armies need stuff & stuff needs to be stored.  The quartermasters handled all the replacement equipment, active duty accouterments that were issued as needed such as canteens & haversacks for patrols, repair supplies & food stuffs.  Gunpowder & shot was handled by the ordnance department.  Note the blue writing desk for maintaining the inventory records.

Quartermaster’s Storeroom – Provisions

Foodstuffs were stored separately from other stores in part to control vermin.  The tin cook pots were used by the enlisted men to cook their rations.  Each pot served 1 mess which was usually 6 men.  There is no fireplace in this storeroom.

 Distaff Housing

Some enlisted men were allowed to marry with their regimental commander’s permission & some married men were enlisted along with their wives.  Such an enrolled distaff woman received half a soldier’s food ration a day.  They normally staffed the regimental hospital & cooked the officers’ food.  They could also earn money by washing & mending soldier’s clothing with the value of such piecework being set by the regimental commander.   The women kept a ledger of their piece work & the paymaster audited the ledger each time the soldiers were paid.  The ledger charges were then deducted from the solders pay & the women got paid for their work.  This money along with their husband’s pay was supposed to be adequate for them to clothe themselves as well as feed & clothe any children the couple might have.  Regimental wives were not allowed to enter the barracks except for the rooms where they & their children lived or where they were assigned to work.    Laundry Equipment

Fort Frederick has a distaff laundry room set up.  Actual washing would have been done outside unless the weather prevented it. 

 Distaff Laundry Fireplace

This is one very big kettle, just compare it to the firkin beside the fireplace.  It can be swung out & pivoted so that it wouldn’t be necessary to lift it off the fire to pour its hot water into a wash tub.   It would still be a tricky job.  (Remember that burns & scalds were the 2nd leading cause of death among women in the 1700’s.)  There are two ears on the top of the hearth support (I don’t remember what its called) to help control the kettle.  The bail should be between them.  The support itself is 3/4 stock.