The third building located in the southeast corner of Fort Abercrombie is the Trader's Barracks.  The post trader or sutler was a private businessman who sold food, tobacco, liquor, clothing, and other necessities to the post officers, enlisted men and civilians.  The sutler's business was located on the east side of the fort just out side the stockade and to the north of the southeast cannon bastion. 

The post trader's house was a forty-seven foot long by twenty-two foot wide one-and-a-half-story log house.  His business was approximately the same size as his house and also made of logs.  It contained Fort Abercrombie's Post Office, the trader's store, and a billiards room.

The Fort Abercrombie council of administration and the post commander selected the sutler or post trader, subject to final approval and appointment by the secretary of war.  It was a profitable enterprise because the sutler was given the exclusive right to do business at the fort.     

The Southeast cannon bastion is part of the recent reconstruction project.  The appearance of the cannon bastion, is based on descriptions that were in several journals and correspondence that were written at the time of the siege of Fort Abercrombie in 1862.  The cannon that was placed in this location, was a twelve-pound mountain-howitzer.  The term twelve pounds, refers to the weight of the shells or cannon balls that were used by the cannon and not the cannon itself. 

A mountain-howitzer was a muzzle-loading weapon, it had a barrel 32.9 inches long with a smooth-bore of 4.62 inches.  With able artillerists, the accuracy of the weapon was sometimes phenomenal. It could throw a twelve-pound projectile about a half mile. The limber, lightweight howitzer and the prairie carriage with thirty-eight-inch wheels were pulled by a team of horses. 

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 James V. Acker, Pres.

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