Pap. ^o.' for INVESTIGATIONS AT FORT STEVENSON — SMITH 181 



buildings of the post, the Hospital was built to enclose three sides of 

 a yard, in this case opening toward the parade (figs. 15, 16). 



The Hospital was probably among the first of the larger buildings 

 undertaken in the construction of the permanent post, begun late in 

 June 1867, but there is record of the fact that in October of that year 

 this building had not yet been roofed or floored (de Trobriand, 1951, 

 p. 129) . Troops had been at work on the post since June, and from one 

 record it seems likely that work on the Hospital had not been neglected. 

 On August Y, a teamster was fatally injured by Indians "near the 

 foundations of the new fort," and he died shortly afterward "in the 

 hospital" (Mattison, 1951, p. 8). Thus it seems probable that the 

 permanent hospital, though incomplete, was in usable condition by the 

 date of this event. The building was probably roofed before the severe 

 winter of that year set in. No evidence was found, on excavation, of 

 any subsequent major changes in the structure, during the period of its 

 use, and it was probably destroyed in the fires of the summer of 1894, 

 at which time the two former Barracks (one adjacent to the Hospital) 

 were also destroyed. Excavation provided uiunistakable evidence of 

 the complete destruction of the Hospital by fire. 



The site of the Hospital, like that of most of the other buildings 

 at the post, was well covered with vegetation prior to excavation — 

 largely tough grass sod and weeds (pi. 35, a, 6). This site had never 

 been cultivated or put to other use than that of pasture, largely because 

 of the obstacle of the massive footings, but it had in part been inten- 

 tionally leveled. Despite this leveling and the mantle of vegetation, 

 the building lines of the original structure were visible throughout 

 most of their courses, and the plan and details concerning the build- 

 ing preserved in the documentary record were also of assistance in 

 defining the site. Partially exposed row^s of boulders, sometimes en- 

 closing crumbling lime mortar, were the visible remains of original 

 elements of the structure. Actual masonry was not visible throughout 

 the whole course of these lines, but where otherwise obscure, building 

 lines could be traced in the slightly different appearance of the sod 

 and weed growth. Wliere vegetation rested upon masonry it was 

 sparser and less luxuriant. Adjacent to the masonry, on either side, 

 it was denser and greener. The cellar area, within the site of the 

 East Wing of the Hospital, was clearly marked by a depression, and 

 supported a rank growth of sod and weeds. 



Excavation of the site of the Hospital was begun by stripping off 

 the vegetation, and exposing the actual contours of the surface (pi. 35, 

 a, & ) . The masonry footings were then exposed, by narrow trenches 

 (approximately 2 feet in width) on either side, and the removal of 

 loose earth from their upper surfaces, with frequent reference to the 

 documentary records available. These footings were the foundations 

 of the original structure, and constituted its lowest member. Only the 



