The hospital was the surgeon's domain, and he ruled it with confidence and authority.  At times the surgeon felt that his authority was equal to or beyond that of the commanding officer. The commanding officer, however, had the final authority and occasional had to discipline a medical officer.

The post hospital was a thirty-nine foot long by thirty-nine foot wide, one-and-a-half story brick building.  A thirty-nine foot front porch faced the parade ground. Entering from the north side, two four-bed wards were located on the right of a six-foot-wide center hall. 

On the left side of the center hall was a small office, kitchen, wash room and dispensary. The dispensary was used as the surgeon's pharmacy, clinic, and operating room.  Medical books, medicines, and instruments were on hand in the dispensary.  Wash basins, bathtub, and other facilities for cleanliness were located in the wash room.  The upper level of this building contained one room for the hospital steward's quarters. Later this building was moved to the town of Breckenridge.

The first of these three is Fort Abercrombie's Ice Shed.  The ice shed was a log building thirty-six feet long by eleven feet wide.  As it's name implies, this building was used to store ice.  In winter the men cut blocks of ice from the Red River and nearby lakes.  The ice was then covered with hay and saw dust.

The building just east of the Ice Shed was the Bakehouse.  The bakehouse was a thirty-six foot long by eleven foot wide log building.  It was equipped with two ovens, a small kneading table, and had a small store room.  It could bake approximately 470 loaves of bread a day, despite poor lighting and ventilation.

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 James V. Acker, Pres.

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