Enlisted Men's Quarters -- Fort Concho, San Angelo TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Of the Enlisted Men's Barracjs at Fort Concho, #1 is the museum visitor Center, #2 holds a display of period artillery, #s 3 and 4 are cleared foundations, #5 is restored and interpreted as an 1870s barracks, and #6 is empty.

The interpretive sign inside EMB #5 reads as follows:

"ENLISTED MEN’S QUARTERS

This structure was home to both cavalry and infantry soldiers who spent tours of duty at the post from 1871 - 1889. The building consists of a large company dormitory and 2 smaller rooms, the company office and the First Sergeant’s Quarters. Reveille sounded about 6 a.m., and the men were kept busy throughout the day with work details, drill, and guard duty on the post. Taps sounded around 9 p.m., ending the day. The “pecking order” was established according to rank and length of service in the company. This gave the more experienced soldiers the right to pick which bunk they wanted. The barracks served as a soldier’s home in the company was his family during his five-year enlistment. Free time here was spent polishing brass and leather, chatting with comrades, and playing cards or checkers. It could be a boisterous place when morale was high or a dreary place when morale was low. Regardless, the barracks became the center of life for the enlisted men.

Barracks 5 and 6

Originally completed in 1871, both Barracks 5 and 6 were privately owned after military abandonment in 1889. In the 19 twenties, they functioned as living quarters and stables for Troop G, 112th Cavalry, Texas Army National Guard. The structures eventually fell into ruins. The 1950s, the Fort Concho Museum acquired and reconstructed both Barracks and their Mess Halls.

Private Edward Mazique
Company E, 10th US Cavalry

Born into slavery in 1849, Edward “Sancho” Mazique enlisted in the Army on February 23, 1875. After basic training at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, he transferred to Fort Concho in July 1875. Because of his skills as a carpenter, he was assigned to the Quartermaster Department where he received an extra $10.60 above the $13.00 he made as a private. He also played in the tenth cavalry band under the direction of Lt. Robert Smither. Both assignments excluded him from most field duty. Sancho became friends with Col. Benjamin Grierson’s family and was present when their daughter Edith died in 1878. On February 24, 1880, he was honorably discharged at Fort Concho and eventually made San Angelo his home. Sancho Mazique died in 1951 at the age of 101 and was buried in Fairmount Cemetery.
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Group that erected the marker: Fort Concho Museum URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Fort Concho San Angelo, Texas United States

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Date Logged Log   12/27/2016 Benchmark Blasterz visited it