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Enlisted men were not allowed at the officers' functions, but they had their own dances and parties. The officers may have attend some of the enlisted men's social events but only in a supervisory capacity.
We should now be near the southwest blockhouse. The reconstructed blockhouses are similar to those of the original fort, although they were likely plain timbers without creosote to blacken them. As you walk through door of the blockhouse and walk straight ahead you will many rifle ports on two levels. The reason for the levels is visibility by the soldiers. This is also the reason that it sat on the bias.
The blockhouses are structures, which were used exclusively for defense of the fort in the case of an attack and for the training of troops. Two rows of soldiers would be located by each window, a non-commissioned officer, usually a sergeant would call out commands to load the weapons, aim and fire. The first row of soldiers would fire their weapons and then move out of the way allowing the second row of soldiers to have access to the windows. The second row of soldiers would then repeat the actions of the first row. While the second row of soldiers were defending the fort by firing their weapons, the first row would re-load and get ready to replace the second row. This firing and re-loading of weapons was often practiced for hours till the soldiers became very proficient at this maneuver. They realized that their very lives and the lives of everyone in the fort may depend upon them if the fort was ever attacked.
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