Guard duty was an important daily function at military posts, with guards and pickets preventing intruders from entering the post or advancing close enough to shoot at soldiers, steal horses, or set fire to buildings. One such outpost was the breastworks directly south of this site, located on one of the highest points near the fort and probably constructed in the early 1870s before the establishment of the Cavalry Post. This outpost remained in use until the fort was abandoned. The breastworks is approximately one mile away, and the prominent butte on the horizon is Medicine Butte.