• Fort Parade Ground and Officers Quarters as seen from Guardhouse

    Fort Scott

    National Historic Site Kansas

Guardhouse - Tools of the Trade

Leg Irons and Hand Shackles

The following tools or props would be found at the guardhouse.

 

Hand Shackles-similar to handcuffs.

 

Leg Irons-A ball and chain used to keep soldiers from running off.

 
Forms of punishment

Log- A form of punishment where a soldier had to stand and hold a log on his shoulder. (not shown)

 

Barrel-This was another form of punishment where a soldier had to stand on a barrel for an unspecified amount of time.

 

Sawbuck-Soldiers straddled a sawbuck like they would a horse with their arms shackled behind them and their legs tied around the beam.

 
Platform bed and Gun Rack

Platform Bed-A wooden platform where the guards could rest when not on patrol, but they could rest here only during the day.

 

Gun Rack-A place where guards rested their guns when not on patrol

 
Leather Fire Buckets

Leather Buckets-Used to extinguish fires. One of the duties of the guards was to watch for prairie fires and to sound the alarm in case of fire. All guards on duty would then form a bucket brigade to fight the fire.

 
 

Did You Know?

Free State Hotel at Fort Scott, directly across from it was the Western or ProSlavery Hotel

Fort Scott is the only NPS unit that was directly involved in "Bleeding Kansas". Fort Scott was a proslavery town, but many free staters lived in the surrounding area. Located on the grounds was the Western or Proslavery Hotel, directly across from it was the Fort Scott or Free State Hotel.