The Barracks

The barracks functioned as the social center for the enlisted men of Fort Osage. This is typically where the men prepared and ate their meals, engaged in social activities such as music and singing, and read or wrote letters from home (if literate). Each hut or room of the barracks was composed of a “mess” or squad of 6-8 men. The mess was issued rations as a group, and generally, a couple of men in the mess would prepare meals on a rotating basis.