FORT ABERCROMBIE, D. T.
Children
1861 REGULATIONS
There are no regulations in the 1861 Army General Regulations regarding children. Children were an integral part of life at the fort. Officers and their wives and laundresses brought their children with them to the frontier. The children received some schooling; those of the lower class helped with chores, and they explored, fished, hunted and played.
Having the children at the fort would have made army life more bearable for the parents stationed here but undoubtedly, added some anxiety for the children's safety and well-being.
OVERVIEW
Army children seem to have thrived by virtue of the isolation of frontier posts. They rarely suffered from the ailments common to children of towns and cities but rather became hardy youths and maidens, sturdy and independent. Unfortunately, one byproduct of their prolonged contact with enlisted men was a penchant for profanity.
School life, then as now, occupied a major portion of the child's day. At Fort Atkinson, "The children of the soldiers were educated at no expense to their parents. However, the officers, because of higher pay, were required to pay the sum of 50 cents a month to the Council of Administration for each child attending the Post School. These funds were used to buy books, paper, ink, quill pens and slates for the Post School, or to help pay a minuscule salary to the soldier-teacher.
Educational achievement was normally limited to the traditional "3 R's". Discipline was severe and it may be assumed that children learned a early fear of cane switches.
Outside of school, children turned, of course, to various amusements. Popular games of the period include marbles, horseshoes, tag, hide-and-seek, hoop rolling, jump rope, and tipcat. This last is played with a stick bat and a double-pointed wooden peg. A little imagination (just think back a few years) should suggest additional possibilities tailored to the fort's setting (fishing, berry picking, etc.…)
Despite the availability of such amusements, children were often forced to curtail their enjoyment of them. There was work to be done and each member of the family had a part to play. Children typically helped with chores such as:
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
The following are tools or toys were used by the children at Fort Abercrombie..
- Buzz Saw or Whirligig
- Dolls
- Hoop and Stick
- Jacob's Ladder
- Jacks
- Marbles
- Top
- Ball for the Game Anthony I. Over
- Dominoes
- Graces
- Pick Up Sticks or Jackstraws
- Playing Cards
The first four items were used in various chores assigned to the children.
Bed Tick and Prairie Hay-People slept on ticks or mattress covers filled with hay. The hay was changed regularly and one of the chores that children were assigned to do was to change the hay. Butter Churn-This prop represents one of many chores that children were expected to help out with. Other household chores included helping with the cooking, soap and candlemaking. Wood and Kindling-Gathering firewood and tending fires was another of the many chores that children of the time period engaged in. Yoke and Buckets-To carry water from the well or the river, children would have used a yoke so that they could carry two buckets at once.
Slate and Slate Pencils-Slates were like small, portable blackboards for students to write on. They were widely used in the United States when paper was scarce and expensive. Even though paper had become commonplace by the late 1800s, it was still considered too expensive in rural areas for the demands of children in school. Up until 1900, many children in rural schools still used slates for writing their assignments.
Slates were ideal for work that didn't need to be saved like math homework or practicing one's writing. Students might practice a lesson in class and take it up to the teacher to check. The lesson could then be erased and the student would work on the next assignment. Slates were easily cleaned and, unlike paper, nothing was thrown away or wasted.
There were special pencils made for writing on slates. These pencils were themselves made from slate and were sold in boxes of six or twelve. Often, the pencils had a paper wrapping on them like crayons do today. If the slate pencil broke, the pieces could still be used for writing. *
SCHOOLING
Education was sporadic in the frontier army. Some considered the experience of frontier living and the regular interaction with Indians an education of itself. But many wanted their children to have an education where they could learn the fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Some left their families behind, some sent their children off to school when they were old enough. In some cases, officers and their wives would home school their own children.
Councils of Administration (which consisted of three or four officers) were authorized to raise funds for a school so in many cases there were post schools, often run by the army chaplain. In the absence of a chaplain, a sergeant, another educated enlisted man, or a civilian might run a school.
DAILY LIFE
Early settler children had lives that were very different from those of boys and girls today. Difficult work was a part of every day life. In order to have enough food and clothing the entire family had to work hard. Boys and girls began to do chores as soon as they were able to walk and talk. Kids were expected to work. They didn't do the same things adults did, but they could weed, garden, tend cows, and ride horses.
Children's days would begin at first light. They would go to the well, lay a fire, bring in wood, and boil water. The children would then milk the cows and collect eggs. Without electricity or running water, everyday chores took longer. Doing the laundry might take an entire day. And you'd never hear your parents demand that you take a bath every night! Bathing didn't happen very often; putting together a bath was a big undertaking. Parents did strive to "maintain a sense of decorum," though. Children learned to cook, bake, make soap and candles, sew and spin.
Parents loved their children, but they were very strict. They had to be-a family needed cooperation and teamwork to get everything done. At Fort Abercrombie, this would have held true for the families of laundresses and enlisted men, but not necessarily for the officers. The officers had servants so the children would have had more time for leisure pursuits.
Officers' children were often the center of attention. The presence of the children helped to cheer up what was often a gloomy existence and helped in some cases to stave off depression.
Children participated in the several amusements available at the frontier forts. These included fishing, berry picking, and horseback riding. They also enjoyed the theatricals and music performed by the soldiers.
Some of the young boys liked playing soldier but this had its drawbacks because often playing soldier meant playing with blackpowder which caused some injuries when mishandled.
Primitive conditions, however, often took their toll. Many children died at frontier forts due to accident, diseases, and unhealthy environments.
The overall experience of children at forts from their point of view was a positive one and apparently they did not participate in the doldrums and depression experienced by their elders.
Part of the above text was taken from an article which appeared on the Christian Science Monitor's website. The article, dated February 24, 1998, is titled What Kids Did on The Western Frontier by Kristina Lanier. Used by permission.Copyright © 1998 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. Online at csmonitor.com.
James V. Acker, Pres.
