Soldiers’ Quarters: Casemate

A casemate of this size served as typical quarters for regular soldiers and housed at least 40 soldiers each night. The soldiers cooked and ate by the fire and slept on straw bunks, sitting up because it was believed to be healthier than lying stretched out. During the day the barracks were empty except for sick soldiers. In such close quarters with poor sanitation, sickness was commonplace, and garrison orders issued by Lt. Col. Marinus Willett on March 20th, 1778 stressed that the troops’ health depended greatly on cleanliness, warning that slovenliness or inattention would be severely punished and directing the Officer of the Day to examine the men’s apartments to ensure they were kept clean and in good order.

Rome, New York · United States