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Fort Smith National Historic SitePark staff and volunteers dressed as first fort soldiers prepare to fire cannon
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Fort Smith National Historic Site
Commanding Officers 1817-1824

Major William Bradford, Rifle regiment - Nov. 1817 to Feb. 1822

Col. Mathew Arbuckle, 7th Infantry - Feb. 1822 to March 1822

Major A.R. Wooley, 7th Infantry - March 1822 to June 1822

Col. Mathew Arbuckle, 7th Infantry - June 1822 to January 1823

Captain William Davenport, 7th Infantry - January 1823 to May 1823

Col. Mathew Arbuckle, 7th Infantry - May 1823 to April 1824
(Troops withdrawn from Fort Smith in April 1824; re-occupied March 22, 1833.)

 
Park staff and volunteers demonstrating using lindstock and slowmatch to ignite the cannon's primer  

Did You Know?
The soldiers who came to Fort Smith in 1817 were still using some 18th century technology and drill. The cannon was discharged using a lindstock and slowmatch to ignite the primer, which originally was loose powder or a turkey quill filled with powder.

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Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:22 EST