On Nov. 12, 1865, the fort had greatly improved since the previous year, with stone quarters nearly completed for occupancy. Even so, living conditions at the fort were crude. Wood bunks were furnished with wool blankets and mattresses filled with straw, but the bunks were uncomfortable and often infested with unwelcome guests. A poor diet of beans, cornmeal, and salt pork, combined with crowded quarters and a lack of bathing facilities, made life in the barracks an interesting experience.