The Commissary Storehouse

This is the oldest building still standing in Fort Smith. Originally built as part of a larger fortification, over the years its appearance and use changed dramatically. The building held supplies used by explorers and soldiers, played a crucial role in two wars, and served as an office for Federal Judge Isaac C. Parker.

Today the commissary is furnished with reproductions of supplies that the U.S. Army stored here in the 1850's. A number of posts located farther west benefited from these rations. As part of Fort Smith National Historic Site, the Commissary Building helps tell one dimension of Fort Smith's rich and varied history.

Old Commissary
This building, on the N.W. bastion of the wall, was the Commissary of the Fort. Built in 1839, used until 1871, when the fort was abandoned as a military post. From 1861 - 1865 it served as a hospital, guardhouse, and refuge, now a museum.

Erected as public service by the Noon Civics Club 1986.
 

The commissary building has served many uses since its construction in the 1830's. Each successive owner modified the building to meet the demands of changing times. At the en of the 1800's, after the federal court no longer needed it, the commissary was sold to a private owner. During this time the massive stone walls of the second fort were dismantled and sold to local citizens.

In 1910, a ladies' group acted to save the commissary as a place to preserve the community's heritage. The Old Commissary Museum (later known as the Old Fort Museum) occupied the building for nearly 70 years, longer than either the army or the federal court. In the 1980's the National Park Service continued the work begun by the museum in the restoration of the commissary. Through its early restoration, the commissary served as the seed of historic preservation for Fort Smith.
 

Supply and Demand

Fort Smith was the highest navigable point on the Arkansas River where boats could land. As a result, the fort assumed a vital role in supplying forts further west. Wagon trains transported supplies from Fort Smith's storehouses to forts in Texas and the Indian Territory.

To ensure a steady supply of food, commissary officers purchased many necessary products from local citizens including fresh vegetables and hay for draft animals. Shipments by steamboat up the Arkansas River provided items that could not be obtained cheaply in the local community. The bulk items arrived at the commissary in barrels, boxes, and sacks, and were divided into small portions for use. Great care was taken to inspect the goods and prevent spoilage.
 

Crackers, Whiskey, and "Salt Horse"

The U.S. Army fed its enlisted men a monotonous diet in the 19th century. Field rations consisted primarily of salt pork, a preserved meat often called "salt horse" by the soldiers, and hardtack, a hard cracker made from flour and water. Troops stationed at a garrison such as Fort Smith could look forward to fresh meat and bread.

Noticeably absent from the official ration that the army provided were fruits and vegetables. At more isolated frontier forts many soldiers came down with scurvy and other ailments due to the unbalanced diet. Companies often had to supplement their diets by purchasing canned fruits and vegetables. Because the cooks were usually untrained enlisted men, meals were often of poor quality regardless of the ingredients.

"Had no breakfast except some bean soup. I call that poor fare for a fellow that's on duty every other day." - Private Henry Strong Co. K 12th Kansas Infantry, February 3, 1964.
 

The Bastion That Never Was

When army engineers originally designed the second Fort Smith in 1838, they planned for it to withstand attack. A key feature in achieving this goal was a stone wall about twelve feet high and from two to three feet thick. This wall surrounded the buildings of the second fort. At the five corners of the wall the army intended to construct bastions, two-story fortified firing positions for cannons. Construction on this bastion began in March of 1839; by 1842 the foundation of the structure was nine feet high and five feet thick.

Quartermaster General Thomas Jesup inspected Fort Smith in 1845 and ordered this fortification converted into a commissary depot. General Jesup's intervention led to Fort Smith's continued growth by shifting the mission of the post from defense to supply. With supply as its primary mission, Fort Smith became one of the largest and busiest posts in the southwest prior to the Civil War.