pip.Nalsf* ^OI^T PIERRE II — SMITH 119 



facing them, on the opposite side of the enclosure. In the present 

 case, one large building site (House-site B) appears to be that of a 

 warehouse, facing north, but data are lacking on any former buildings 

 opposite, facing south. 



Instead of facing south, the smaller building site (House-site A) — 

 probably that of a dwelling, traces of which were found near the east 

 line of the stockade, adjacent to the northeast angle — appears to have 

 faced in some other direction than southward. The front alinement 

 of this building is not evident, but it is possible that the main en- 

 trance was on the north, opposite a fireplace and chimney on the south 

 wall. If this was the case, immediate access to the adjacent stockade 

 entrance would have been possible, and it would have been a means 

 of keeping control over the use of this gate. 



Fort Pierre II was built of native timber, particularly cottonwood, 

 but few data are available from excavation on whether building tim- 

 bers were ordinarily hewn and fitted (as might be expected, at this 

 period) rather than roughly fitted, full-dimension logs. Whether 

 sawmills, at such locations as Chantier Creek, upriver, were actually in 

 use at this period is not known. No lumber fragments clearly showing 

 saw marks were found, however, and it is probable that hewn timber 

 was then ordinarily used for construction, except in the stockade itself. 

 In the stockade, logs were probably peeled, to reduce fire hazards. 



Such timbers were undoubtedly obtained from groves of trees in 

 the vicinity of the post, and from those near the river, upstream, from 

 which logs could readily be floated down to the site. It is also pos- 

 sible that timber materials used were in part salvage materials from 

 the buildings and enclosure at Fort Pierre Chouteau, which was finally 

 abandoned in 1857, after the removal of some useful building ma- 

 terials by the military themselves (cf. p. 94). No clear evidence of 

 the reuse of materials from such an earlier post was, however, seen. 



In view of the fact that by the year 1859 timber resources of the 

 region were probably badly depleted through long exploitation for 

 both construction and fuel, by both Indians and Whites, Fort Pierre 

 II may have appeared to be less skillfully or carefully built than pre- 

 vious posts such as Fort Pierre Chouteau. It is unfortunate for 

 comparative purposes that no contemporary picture of the present post 

 seems to have survived. It is to be hoped that evidence of this sort 

 and, indeed, further documentation of any kind, will be found. Some 

 further data are preserved in the Chouteau Company and family 

 papers now in the Missouri Historical Society, but it has not yet been 

 possible to examine these papers. 



Several unpublished manuscripts in these collections appear to bear 

 directly upon the physical history of Fort Pierre II. The following 

 selected items, information concerning which has kindly been supplied 



