The Officer's Quarters

The Officer's Quarters (HM13S9)

Location: Fort Smith, AR 72901 Sebastian County
Country: United States of America
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N 35° 23.299', W 94° 25.834'

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Inscription
You are now standing on what was once Officer's Row at the second Fort Smith. From 1846 to 1865, two large buildings stood on the western edge of the parade ground and provided housing for officers and their families. Unlike the cramped quarters of the enlisted men's barracks, there was a degree of privacy here. Large front and back porches, yards, and gardens surrounded by picket fences provided further domestic comforts.

Fire destroyed both Officer's Quarters in 1865 and 1870. In 2000, the National Park Service placed the concrete pads here to show the approximate locations and floor plans of both buildings.

The Cistern
Following the Civil War, the U.S. Army constructed a dome-shaped cistern between the two officer's quarters. This underground storage tank is 22 feet deep and holds 55,000 gallons of water. The cistern, enlisted men's barracks and the commissary are the only structures remaining from the second Fort period (1838-1871).

Captain Samuel Sturgis,
Commander at Fort Smith, 1859-1861,

Officer's wives and children shared the trials and tribulations of military life with their husbands and fathers. At Fort Smith, Sturgis' son, Jack was badly burned when two other boys accidentally exploded twelve pounds of gunpowder. Jack carried a facial scar until his death as a lieutenant at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
Details
HM NumberHM13S9
Tags
Placed ByFort Smith National Historic Site National Park Services, U.S. Department of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, September 20th, 2014 at 4:47pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15S E 370073 N 3917046
Decimal Degrees35.38831667, -94.43056667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 35° 23.299', W 94° 25.834'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds35° 23' 17.94" N, 94° 25' 50.04" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)501, 479
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 122 Rogers Ave, Fort Smith AR 72901, US
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