Fort Churchill, Nevada (Part 1)

Construction continued through the Spring and Summer of 1861. This fort never had a surrounding wall like most forts. It had 21 white-washed adobe buildings. There was a hospital building in the southeast corner, with a three-room kitchen and a small cellar. The hospital could house twelve patients. A guardhouse was built in 1861 to house prisoners of war and soldiers who misbehaved. There were several food storehouses as well as an ordnance storehouse. Four laundresses operated a laundry. In August, the post hired a sutler (civilian trader) to operate store a within the post. The post was placed on the regular mail line and a telegraph was installed.

In 1861, the men planted gardens since fruit and vegetables were always in short supply. They were able to get hay from Virginia City. Beef and barley came from California. Somehow the sutler always seems to have a large variety of goods to including, flannel shirts, gloves, canned goods, honey, and olives. Despite their location on the Carson River, they did have a problem with fresh water. Unfortunately the water was very polluted by upriver mining in which salt, copper sulfate, and other chemicals were dumped into the river. The soldiers dug wells but they weren't a lot better.

It was a very isolated post and many men got bored and some deserted. It was desert all around the fort and hard to survive. If they got into town they would be recognized as soldiers and turned in. The only recreation they had was fishing on the river and drinking and card playing at the sutler store. There was very little variation in routine. One time there was a traveling minstrel group, which inspired the men to form their own amateur theater group. They even built a small theater and entertained each Saturday. The men played both male and female parts. Officers did get a little more free time and were able to visit Virginia City in their free time.

For awhile the fort was the easternmost telegraph from the west coast. When it would receive telegraphs from the east by pony express it would then send the telegraph further west. The lines were frequently down though, so this could be a challenge at times.

("Fort Churchill, Nevada Military Outpost of the 1860's," edited by Stanley W. Paher, Las Vegas: Nevada Publications, 1981)

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