Fort Abercrombie Virtual Tour

Each set of quarters had a small entry hall with a stairway to a large upstairs room.

The largest of the officer's quarters was ninety-four feet long and twenty-five feet wide. It housed up to eight officers and their families.  Like the smaller officer's quarters just to the north of it, it was a story-and-a-half building and had a wood porch on the east side facing the parade ground.  On the west side of this structure was a sixteen foot by sixteen foot store room with servants quarters above.


Located behind the first two officer's quarters in this area was the officer's kitchen. The officer's kitchen was 110 feet long by 25 feet wide.   Hired servants, including black servants, performed the kitchen chores.  At least in the latter days of the fort. Prior to 1870, officers used enlisted men as strikers (servants), but that practice was discontinued by the United States Army.  After that officers hired servants and paid them from$17 to $25 a month plus room and board.  Sometimes, wives of enlisted men worked as servants for the officers.  Some officers hired family members for this purpose or brought a servant with them

Some of the more notable or famous Commanding Officers of Fort Abercrombie include Colonel T. L. Crittenden, 17th U.S. Infantry, Lt. Colonel John J. Abercrombie, 20th U.S. Infantry, Major Marcus A. Reno, 7th United States Cavalry, and Captain John Van der Horck, 5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.  Colonel Crittenden's son was killed during the Battle of the Little Big Horn with Brevet Major General George A.Custer on June 25th, 1876.  Major Marcus Reno was second in command of the 7th US Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and according to the opinion of some individuals, saved what was left of the 7th Cavalry during that battle.  Captain John Van der Horck's claim to fame was that he was in command of the fort, during the siege of Fort Abercrombie by Sioux Indians in 1862.

         Captain
John Vander Horck

Photograph taken some years after his posting at Fort Abercrombie

              Major
       Marcus A. Reno

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 James V. Acker, Pres.

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