Military Families on the Frontier

Officers' daughters at Fort Laramie posing for a photo in the 1880s

FOLA Archives

When the Army moved west, military dependents came with it. Frances Roe, wife of 2nd Lt. Fayette Roe, wrote that “We [the officers’ wives] will see that the tents are made comfortable and cheerful at every camp.” The military did not make homemaking easy. Fort Laramie was remote and distant from the eastern United States. Domestic goods were expensive and difficult to get at the fort. The quality of

goods and military housing available to women varied and depended on their husband's rank. Often, the wives of enlisted men, like Julia Gill, had to supplement their husband’s income. They did this by working as laundresses or working for officers’ families.

Many military wives at frontier forts had children. Isolation and lack of medical care made childbirth perilous for both mother and baby. Military doctors turned out to be better suited to tending wounded soldiers than new mothers and babies. An army wife spent most of her time raising children and keeping a home, though socializing was important, too. Sewing groups and card parties were common, especially for officers’ wives. Because Fort Laramie society reflected military rankings, officers’ wives and children often felt above other families and dependents. Regardless of class, women worked hard to make comfortable homes and provide care for their children.