Re: QUAK MELUNGEONISTS
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Re: QUAK MELUNGEONISTS
jan lala 7/05/07
Jan
Thanks,I have found 1812 land tracs very interesting.
Welcome to Captain Eli B. Clemson's Company of the 1st U.States Infantry and Captain Nathan Boones's Company of Missouri Rangers
History of Missouri and Illinois Territority 1808-1815
MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS TERRITORIAL FORTS DURING THE WAR OF 1812
By Michael D. Harris
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Since research pertaining to early Missouri Territorial forts are usually general and lacking in detail, their physical descriptions can be confusing and inaccurate. Each fort had its own characteristics and accommodations. Though many early historical writers described the forts as home-forts, this can be only said of a portion of the forts. There were four distinct types of forts.
The first type of forts were the converted, pre-existing homes. They may have portholes or gunslits cut out of their walls with little else done for protection. In some cases, upper story windows served as the gun ports. Stockades around these types of fortifications have little historical documentation. Settlers first constructed the main building but with the advent of the "Indian threat", Missouri and Illinois U.S. territorial rangers assisted in fortification conversions. Professional soldiers did not occupy these types of forts as a rule but the U.S. territorial rangers did on a regular basis. The local leaders of these forts were chosen as Captains and were responsible for the training and drilling of the local militia.
The second type of forts were the military outposts. These forts were occupied by U.S. regulars and U.S. territorial rangers at various times. These forts had blockhouses constructed and were built with military purposes in mind. Some had stockades while others were simply a blockhouse. Out-buildings have yet to be mentioned in historical documents. The forts were not only used for protection for the local settlers but were used for staging of attacks on Indian camps and observation, referred to as "spying", on Indian movements. These forts were built by the Missouri and Illinois U.S. territorial rangers with the help of U.S. regulars from Fort Bellefountaine.
The third type of forts were the factory forts. These forts or factories were constructed because of treaty agreements to supply goods and services to the "friendly" tribe. They served to suppress anti-American feelings by tribe. Built for trade, they usually contained a blockhouse, out-buildings for the storage of furs and trade goods. There is no historical evidence of stockades.
The fourth type of fort was the cantonment. The only fort to qualify for this designation was Fort Belle Fountaine in St. Louis. This fort became the military nerve-center of the war effort in the west. It was a regular U.S. military installation with officer quarters, barracks, blockhouses, guard houses and a stockade. Fortunately, this fort is well-documented.
Not all forts built along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers can be mentioned. Some have been lost over the passing of time. With the exception of Fort Belle Fountaine and Fort Osage, the Spanish fortifications at St. Louis and St. Charles were built before the ninetieth century. These fortifications had fallen to disrepair in both towns by the start of the War of 1812. St. Charles contained at least one stone three-story tower and St. Louis contained the remains of Fort San Carlos, composed of several stone towers and entrenchments.
Since I have conducted a more intense study of the Missouri Territorial forts, most of the information presented here deal with them though what Illinois forts I am familiar with are presented as well.
The forts are marked as follows: home-forts (HF), military outpost (MO), factories (FACTORY).
MISSOURI TERRITORIAL FORTS
THE MISSISSISPPI RIVER FORTS
TEMPORARY STOCKADE (HF) This temporary stockade was erected in the year of 1812 in the now present town of Clarksville, Missouri. Was soon abandoned when some settlers were killed near by.
GILBERTS FORT (HF)
In the spring of 1812, Samuel Gilbert settled near the Salt river in Ralls county. That same year, Gilbert and his neighbors erected a blockhouse on high ground north-east of Shepards or Matson Mill.
FORT INDEPENDENCE (CAP-AU-GRIS FORT) (MO)
Built in the summer of 1813, Fort Independence was erected by the Missouri Rangers under the advisement of the inhabitants of Fort Howard, to observe the Indian movements on the Mississippi river.
PORTAGE DE SIOUX BLOCKHOUSE AND FORT LOOKOUT (MO)
On April 8, 1813, General Daniel Bissell of Fort Bellefontaine and territorial governor Benjamin Howard chose Portage de Sioux, Missouri to build a military post. Captain Desha with a subaltern and fifty-one men were instructed to build a blockhouse at Portage de Sioux. To protect the builders, a large fortified gunboat was left in the river near the blockhouse. To further watch and protect St. Louis, it was decided to place a battery of artillery on a island in the middle of the river just south of the village of Portage de Sioux. This battery was called Fort Lookout.
On July 15, 1815, a treaty was signed with the Indians near the blockhouse thus more or less ending the Indian attacks on the settlements.
FORT MASON (MO)
Built in April-May of 1812, Fort Mason was named after Lieutenant John Mason of Colonel Kibbys Rangers of St. Charles. Directed by Major Nathan Boone and General Benjamin Howard, the Missouri Rangers erected this small fort near the present-day Saverton, Missouri.
BUFFALO FORT (HF)
Erection of Buffalo Fort began in Decmber of 1811 and was finished during the early part of 1812. It was built on a high hill overlooking the Buffalo and Niox creeks, two miles southwest of the present town of Louisiana, Missouri. The fort enclosed a spring which still flows today.
FORT BELLE FOUNTAINE (CANTONMENT)
Fort Belle Fountaine was the first United States fort built west of the Mississippi river. Located on the Missouri river, north of the town of St. Louis. Fort Belle Fountaine became the military center for the area of the Missouri and Illinois territories. The fort was a stockade fort with barracks, blockhouses, powder magazine and dependent's quarters.
LOWER MISSOURI RIVER FORTS
FORT HOWARD (MO)
Upon the advisement of John Shaw, Fort Howard was erected. The fort took sixty or severty people to build over the period of two to three weeks. Two companies of Missouri Rangers were involved in its construction. The fort was a rectangle with its long sides running north and south. The stockade enclosed about half an acre. A well was dug inside the fort. Blockhouses were built on all corners except the southeast corner. The militia cut the pickets and the regulars put them up. The fort was located in the Mississippi river flood plain, below some bluffs. When the fort was complete, it was named after Governor Benjamin Howard. The fort became involved in one of the most active battles during the 1812 conflict, on May 24, 1815, the Battle of the Sinkhole.
CLARKS FORT (HF)
The date of the erection of Clarks Fort is not really known though it was probably around 1812. Major Christopher Clark was responsible for the forts erection.
KENNEDYS FORT (HF)
Built in 1811, the fort was built for the defense of the Kennedy family. Thomas Kennedy was responsible for settling the area. The fort was built in a square with two blockhouses angling in the square.
JOURNEYS FORT (HF)
The Journey Fort was built by the three Journey brothers, Peter, Jospeh and James in the year of 1812. The fort was located fifteen miles west of the Pond Fort.
POND FORT (MO)
The Pond Fort was built by a company of Missouri Rangers in 1812, under the command of Captain James Callaway. It was named the Pond Fort because of a large pond north of the fort.
WHITES FORT (HF)
Named after Captain White, the fort is located roughly two miles from Fort Howard and built on Dog or Big Prairie. The settlers in the area helped build the fort. The fort was rectangular in shape, the long dimensions running east and west. The fort embraced one and a half acres.
COONTZS FORT (HF)
Not much is known about the fort. It was built on the Booneslick road, one and a half miles east of present-day Cottleville, Missouri. It was built by John and Nick Coontz in 1800.
HOWELLS FORT (HF)
Francis Howell built this fort in 1811. It was lcoated near a spring which is now part of the Busch Wildlife area, ten miles south-west of St. Charles, Missouri. Militia musters and drills were held there frequently.
CALLAWAYS FORT (HF)
Little is known about the fort. Flaunders Callaway built a log house near Charette, a French settlement that has long been washed away by the Missouri river. Some historians believe that this two-story log house was part of Callaways Fort.
BOONES FORT (HF)
The fort was built by Daniel Morgan Boone with the help of his neighbors. It is said that the fort was the largest and strongest in the district. The fort seems to have had two or three blockhouses and picketing. Daniel Morgan Boones house was located within the fort.
McCOYS FORT (HF)
This fort is only mentioned once in records. There is no other reference to it.
FORT CLEMSON (IM)
Built by the Missouri Rangers in 1812, the fort was named in honor of Colonel Eli Brady Clemson. It was located on the Loutre Island, next to the Missouri River. Captain James Callaway spent a considerable amount of time at the fort during the war, referred to it as Camp Clemson in letters to his wife. The only description of Fort Clemson calls it a small, crude fort with barracks.
TALBOTS FORT (HF)
As with the other forts near the Island, little is known about it. It was located on the bluffs above Loutre island, not far from Fort Clemson.
GROOMS FORT (HF)
Located eight miles up the Loutre river, Jacob Grooms built a fort before or during the year of 1814. This fort may have been located along the same common road near McDermits Fort.
COTE SANS DESSEIN
Cote Sans Dessein was a small French settlement located east of present-day Jefferson City, Missouri, about twelve miles. The name means shoreline without design, because of the unusual mound formation it was located on. The hill rises up in the middle of the Missouri river valley, next to the river. The formation is approximately forty or fifty yards wide, thirty or forty yards high (varying from end to end) and one quarter of a mile long. The settlement consisted of several dozen log homes with about 200 inhabitants. Two forts were erected for the villages protection.
TIBEAUS FORT (HF)
Sometimes spelled Thibault, this fort was possible built by, or at least part of it, the Missouri Rangers. It was named after Joseph Tibeau. This fort was the main fort of the settlement. The fort was a two-story blockhouse with portholes on both floors.
ROYS FORT (HF)
Roys Fort was named for the Roy (sometimes spelled Roi because of its French origins) family that occupied it. It was located thirty or forty yards from the Missouri rivers edge and roughly 400 yards east of Tibeaus Fort. It sat on the flat river basin. The fort consisted of a blockhouse only. Roys Fort was much smaller than Tibeaus Fort. A log powder magazine stood about halfway between the forts but closer to the river than the forts. The Battle of Cote Sans Dessein occurred on April 4, 1815. The forts were attacked by the Sac and Fox Indians.
BOONESLICK FORTS
The Booneslick settlement was the last American settlement on the frontier. This settlement represented the most exposed American citizentry in the newly established territory. Several dozen families lived on both sides of the Missouri river.
STEPHEN COLES FORT (HF)
Stephen Cole settled the area in February of 1810. He settled in an area one and a half miles east of the present-day Boonville, Missouri. Where he put his fort is now called the Old Fort Field. In the summer of 1812, Stephen Cole and his neighbors built the fort. Little is known as to what it looked like other than it did have a stockade.
HANNAH COLES FORT (HF)
Hannah Cole moved into the area with Stephen Cole in 1810. After the killing of Samuel McMahan in 1811, it was decided to build a stronger fort around Hannah Coles cabin which was located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri river. The fort was a stockade of heavy picketing.
HEADS FORT (HF)
The fort was located at a large spring and named after Captain William Head. The for was a small stockade. The fort was located several miles north of present-day Rochport, Missouri.
FORT HEMPSTEAD (HF)
The fort was orginally named after Rev. David McClain (sometimes spelled McLain) and called McClains Fort. It was later renamed after Captain Stephen Hempstead. The fort consisted of probably two blockhouses and a stockade that surrounded about two acres of land.
KINKEADS FORT (HF)
Named in honor of David Kinkead, the fort was built similar to Coopers Fort and Fort Hempstead. It was a series of log cabins to form an enclosure.
McMAHANS FORT (HF)
Named for William McMahan who settled in the area. Located to the west of Boonville and four miles south of Arrow Rock, Missouri. This blockhouse was burned by Indians
SIBLEYS FORT (FACTORY)
When Fort Osage was abandoned in 1812, George Sibley established a trading post or factory near present-day Arrow Rock, Missouri. The exact for the fort is unknown. The fort was built in 1813 and abandoned in 1814 when Indian raids around the area worsened.
FORT OSAGE (FACTORY)
Fort Osage was built in 1808 because of a treaty agreement with the United States and the Osage Indians. The fort was abandoned in 1812 when hostile Indian attacks increased on the Missouri river. The fort consisted of five blockhouses, barracks, a hospital, officer quarters, factory and traders area. The fort was reoccupied after the war.
ILLINOIS TERRITORIAL FORTS
These forts are under investigation. Fort Russell was considered the most important for the Illinois territory since most military excursions germinated from this fort. The forts are divided up for each county they were located in. Some research comments are included in the text. Though many of these forts were home-forts, I will not make designations till the research is finished.
PREUITT'S BLOCKHOUSE- Built on the north half of section 18, on the land of Martin Preuitt, father of Solomon Preuitt. In the spring of 1817, the fort was taken down and removed to William Jones' land and was used as the residence of the Jones family.
PEORIA COUNTY
FORT CLARK - Located at present-day Peoria.
GOING'S FORT - On the Kaskaskia River.
FINAL COMMENTS
The war in Missouri officially ended with the treaty signed in 1815 at the blockhouse near the village of Portage de Sioux. Most of the forts were dismantled and the logs used to build barns, corn cribs and other log structures. A few of the forts survived till the last thirty years but fell to modern progress. Except for a few of the fort sites that have been marked by the Daughters of the American Revolution, most of the sites have been lost or forgotten. The search continues. Only through archaeological excavations and revealing historical research can most of the fort sites be found.
This was just part of the forts listed at this site.