Fort Union Historic Resource Study

March 1864 [1]

The routine of daily duty will be as hereinafter specified commencing on Monday 28th inst.

II. The Garrison Fatigue for Wood party, will be composed of the Old Guard, relieved on the day previous and will report to the Officer of the Day immediately after Guard mounting. The meals of the companies will be served at the hour designated; the details for Guard & Fatigue excepted. . . . Cooks will be relieved every 10 days.

III. At Guard mounting the Guard will invariably be marched in review when the state of the weather will permit of their formation on the Battalion parade. The officer of the day will be excused from drill & parade and will be responsible for the good order and police of the Garrison; he will have the duties of sentinels contained in article 33 Revised Reg, read to his Guard; he will superintend the firing of his Guard and will see that all the pieces are discharged, or the charges drawn before the Guard dismissed. The prisoners will be kept after work from Reveille until Retreat, allowing 30 minutes for each meal, and will not be permitted to leave the Guard house between Retreat & Reveille under any pretense whatever.

IV. Citizens will not be allowed to enter the company Quarters without permission from the company commander, and such permission shall be granted only between Guard Mounting & Retreat. Leave of absence not to exceed 24 hours may be granted to not more than three men of the same company at one time; all papers will require the approval of the Commanding Officer and must be sent to the Adjutants Office with the morning report of their respective companies for such approval.

V. Officers are required to attend recitations in Tactics at the quarters of the commanding officer on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, commencing at 7 P.M. Company Commanders will have recitations by their Non Commissioned officers on alternate evenings - viz Monday, Wednesday & Friday.

VI. The attention of Company commanders is called to Paragraphs 234 235 & 236 Revised Regulations [requiring roll-calls at reveille, retreat, and tattoo; directing police of quarters and grounds immediately after reveille roll-call; and requiring morning reports of companies to be submitted to the post adjutant before 8:00 a.m.] which will be strictly enforced.

VII. Company commanders will keep a copy of the foregoing orders posted in their company Quarters.

October 1881 [2]

*No time was designated for supper call. The explanation was found in another order issued by Post Commander Granville O. Haller a few days after the above daily-schedule order was promulgated: "The meal hours will be indicated by breakfast and dinner calls, when the men will fall into line, and be marched by the senior non-commissioned officer to the table. No soldiers will be permitted to be seated or take their meals prior to being marched to the table. The evening meal will be regulated by the captains of companies, who will not permit their men to take their supper for at least fifteen minutes after re-call from fatigue in the afternoon, and must not interfere with retreat roll-call." [3]

1. General Orders No. 9, Mar. 25, 1864, HQ FU, FU Gen. Order Book, 1864-1866, p. 8-9, RG 393, NA. This document has been edited for publication here. Note that no time was specified for supper, which was served at a time set by company officers so as not to interfere with other scheduled events.

2. Orders No. 67, Oct. 28, 1881, HQ FU, DNM Orders, v. 46, pp. 124-126, RG 393, NA.

3. Orders No. 75, Nov. 6, 1881, ibid., p. 135.