A DESCRIPTION OF FORT HARMAR.
In the autumn of 1785 General Richard Butler passed down the Ohio on his way to attend the treaty with the Indians at the mouth of the Little Miami. He kept a record of his journey, and his journal gives much interesting information, among other things the location of Fort Harmar. In Virginia and Kentucky measures had been taken for what would have been, really, an irresponsible invasion of the Indian country. This action, which threatened to precipitate a disastrous war, hastened in all probability the action of the confederation in taking measures for the effectual strengthening of the frontier. It was determined to establish several posts northwest of the Ohio. Fort Laurens had been built in 1778 upon the Tuscarawas, near the old Indian town of Tuscarawas and one mile south of the site of the present village of Bolivar. It was injudiciously located, and was abandoned one year after its erection. General Butler, while on his journey in 1785, chose the site for Fort Harmar. Before leaving Fort McIntosh he had prepared and left with Colonel Harmar, the commandant of the post, a paper in which he expressed the opinion that “the mouth of the Muskingum would be a proper place for a post to cover the frontier inhabitants, prevent intruding settlers on the land of the United States, and secure the surveys.” In his journal, under date of Saturday, October 8th, he writes:
Sent Lieutenant Doyle and some men to burn the houses of the settlers on the north side and put up proclamations.
Went on very well to the mouth of the Muskingum and found it low. I went on shore to examine the ground most proper to establish a post on; find it too low, but the most eligible is in the point on the Ohio side. Wrote to Major Doughty and recommended this place with my opinion of the kind of work most proper. Left the letter, which contained other remarks on the fort, fixed to a locust tree.
A few days later the general instructed a man whom he met ascending the Ohio to take the letter from the mouth of the Muskingum to Major Doughty.
A short time later Major Doughty, with a detachment of United States troops under his command, arrived at the mouth of the Muskingum and began the erection of a post, which was not fully completed until the spring of 1786.
FORT HARMAR IN 1788.
FORT HARMAR IN 1788.
FORT HARMAR IN 1788.
The fort stood very near the point on the western side of the Muskingum, and upon the second terrace above ordinary flood water. It was a regular pentagon in shape, with bastions on each side, and its walls enclosed but little more than three-quarters of an acre. The main walls of defence, technically called “curtains,” were each one hundred and twenty feet long and about twelve or fourteen feet high. They were constructed of logs laid horizontally. The bastions were of the same height as the other walls, but unlike them were formed of palings or timbers set upright in the ground. Large two-story log buildings were built in the bastions for the accommodation of the officers and their families, and the barracks for the troops were erected along the curtains, the roofs sloping toward the centre of the enclosure. They were divided into four rooms of thirty feet each, supplied with fireplaces, and were sufficient for the accommodation of a regiment of men,[1]a larger number, by the way, than was ever quartered in the fort. From the roof of the barracks building towards the Ohio river there arose a watch tower, surmountedby the flag of the United States. This tower was also used as a guardhouse. There were other buildings within the enclosure—an arsenal, a store-house, and several smaller structures. The main gate was toward the river with a sally-port on the side fronting on the hills. A well was dug near the centre of the enclosure to supply the garrison with water in case of siege, but, happily it was never needed, and we are told that ordinary water was brought from the river. The timber used in the construction of the fort was that of the heavy forest which covered its side and several acres of land around about. The area cleared up was nearly all utilized for gardening purposes under the direction of Major Doughty, who seems to have had a remarkable fondness for tilling the soil and considerable taste and knowledge as a horticulturist.[2]Fort Harmar was named after General (then Colonel) Harmar, who was the commander of the regiment to which Major Doughty was attached, and for some time commandant at the fort at the mouth of the Muskingum.
Joseph Buell (afterward one of the prominent early settlers at Marietta) was on the frontier for nearly a period of three years, dating from the latter part of December, 1785, and he spent a considerable portion of his time at Fort Harmar. His journal affords some interesting glimpses of life in the garrison and affairs in the western country during the years immediately preceding its settlement. Much is said in the beginning of the hardships of army life, the depravity of the troops, and the severity of the punishments inflicted for various offences. Drunkenness and desertion were prevalent evils. The punishment for the former and other venal misdemeanors was not infrequently flogging to the extent of one hundred or even two hundred lashes, and the death penalty, without the process of court-martial, was inflicted upon deserters. The pay of the soldiers at that time guarding the frontier was only three dollars per month.
On the 4th of May, 1786, Captain Zeigler’s and Strong’s companies embarked for Muskingum, and from this date forward the entries in the journal relate to occurrences at Fort Harmar.
May 8th. We arrived at Muskingum, where we encamped in the edge of the woods a little distance from the fort.
10th. Captain Zeigler’s company embarked for the Miami, and our company moved into the garrison, where we were engaged several days in making ourselves comfortable.
12th. Began to make our gardens, and had a very disagreeable spell of weather, which continued for twenty-two days raining in succession.
June 9th. Two boats arrived from Miami, and report that the Indians had murdered several inhabitants this spring. We are getting short of meat for the troops.
10th. Five frontiersmen came here to hunt for the garrison, and brought with them a quantity of venison.
19th. News arrived here that the Indians had killed four or five women and children at Fish creek, about thirty miles northeast from this garrison.
July 4th. The great day of American independence was commemorated by the discharge of thirteen guns, after which the troops were served with extra rations of liquor, and allowed to get as drunk as they pleased.
8th. We are brought down to half rations, and have sent out a party of men to hunt. They returned without much success, although game is plenty in the woods.
9th. We discovered some Indians crossing the Ohio in a canoe, below the garrison, and sent a party after them, but could not overtake them.
10th. Ensign Kingsbury, with a party of nine, embarked for Wheeling in quest of provisions.
12th. Captain Strong arrived from Fort Pike.
16th. We were visited by a party of Indians, who encamped at a little distance from the garrison, and appeared to be very friendly. They were treated kindly by the officers, who gave them some wine and the best the garrison afforded.
17th. Our men took up a stray canoe on the river. It contained a pair of shoes, two axes and some corn. We suppose the owners were killed by the Indians. Same day Lieutenant Kingsbury returned with only a supply of food for six or seven days.
18th. Captain Strong’s company began to build their range of barracks, to make ourselves comfortable for the winter.
19th. This day buried the fifer to Captain Hart’s company. Our funerals are conducted in the following manner: The men are all paraded without arms, and march by files in the rear of the corpse. The guard, with arms, march in front, with their pieces reversed; and the music in the rear of the guard, just in front of the coffin, playing some mournful tune. After the dead is buried they return in the same order, playing some lively march.
21st. A boat arrived from Fort Pit with intelligence of a drove of cattle at Wheeling for this garrison.
22nd. Lieutenant Pratt, with a party of men, went up by land to bring down the cattle.
23rd. Colonel Harmar arrived at the garrison. The troops paraded to receive him and fired a salute of nine guns.
26th. Captain Hart went with a party of men to guard the Indians of the Muskingum.
27th. Lieutenant Pratt arrived with ten head of cattle, which revived our spirits, as we had been without provisions for several days.
29th. Three hunters came into the fort and informed us that they had seen a party of Indians lying in the woods. We sent out some men, but discovered nothing.
August 2nd. Our garrison was alarmed. Captain Hart was walking on the bank of the river, and said he saw Indians on the other side of the Ohio, and saw them shoot one of the men who was out hunting, and beheld him fall. Colonel Harmar immediately sent the captain with a party of men after them. They crossed the river and found one man asleep on the ground, and another had been shooting at a mark. They had seen no Indians.
11th. Captain Hart’s company were ordered to encamp in the open ground outside of the fort, as the men are very sickly in the barracks.
23rd. Captain Hart and his company embarked for Wheeling with orders to escort and protect the surveyors in the seven ranges.
September 1st. Captain Tunis, the Indian, came to the fort and reported the Indians designed to attack our garrison, and that they were bent on mischief. We were all hands employed in making preparations to receive them, lining the bastions, clearing away all the weeds and brush within a hundred yards of the fort. We likewise cut up all our corn and broke down the bean poles, to prevent their having any shelter within rifle shot distance.
6th. Captain Tunis left the garrison to return to his nation and bring us further information.
7th. The troops received orders to parade at the alarm post at daybreak, and continue under arms until after sunrise.
12th. Still busy making preparations for the Indians, and expect them every day.
21st. Ensign Kingsbury was ordered to take a party of men into the commandant’s house and put it in the best order for defence, and to remain there during the night.
26th. The troops are again brought to half rations. I went with a party of men after a raft of timber to construct our barracks.
27th. Lieutenant Smith embarked in quest of provisions. We are on short allowance, and expect the Indians every day to attack us. Our men are very uneasy, laying various plans to desert, but are so closely watched that it is very difficult for them to escape.
October 2nd. Lieutenant Smith returned with provisions sufficient only for a short time. We are busily occupied in erecting the barracks.
10th. Major Doughty and Captain Strong left here for New England.
11th. The Indians made us a visit and stole one of our horses as it was feeding in the woods.
16th. Captain Tunis called again at the fort and says the Indians had repented of their design to attack the garrison.
November 3rd. Captain Tunis and a number of Indians, with two squaws, came into the garrison. At night they got very drunk and threatened the guard with their tomahawks and knives.
5th. Uling, a trader on the river, arrived with provisions.
9th. The hunters brought in about thirty deer and a great number of turkeys.
25th. Captain Hart’s and McCurdy’s companies came in from the survey of the seven ranges. They had a cold, wearisome time; their clothes and shoes wore out, and some of their feet badly frozen.
December 3rd. Uling arrived with twenty kegs of flour and ten kegs of whiskey and some dry goods. Our rations now consist of a little venison, without any bread; as a substitute we have some corn and potatoes. The weather is very cold and the river full of ice.
13th. Lieutenant Pratt embarked in a boat for Flinn’s Station (now Belleville), distant thirty miles below the garrison, for a load of corn and potatoes. The troops are in great distress for provisions. About twelve miles below they landed on account of the storm, and their boat was carried off by the ice with a considerable amount of goods in it.
19th. Weather more moderate. Ensign Kingsbury embarked for Flinn’s Station to make another trial for provisions.
22nd. Ensign Kingsbury returned with about sixty bushels of corn and about twenty of potatoes.
24th. We drew for our station about a peck of frozen potatoes. As Christmas is so near we are making all the preparations in our power to celebrate it.
25th. This being Christmas day, the sergeant celebrated it by a dinner, to which was added a plentiful supply of wine.
January 31, 1787. Hamilton Kerr, our hunter, began to build a house on the island, a little above the mouth of the Muskingum, and some of our men were ordered out as a fatigue party, to assist him, under the command of Lieutenant Pratt.
February 11th. The weather has been very fine, and there is prospect of an early spring.
15th. Sergeant Judd went with a party of men to assist some inhabitants to move their families and settle near the garrison.
16th. Hamilton Kerr moved his family onto the island.
18th. Several families are settling on the Virginia shore, opposite the fort.
24th. Isaac Williams arrived with his family to settle on the opposite shore of the river. Several others have joined him, which makes our situation in the wilderness much more agreeable.
27th. Major Hamtramck arrived from Fort Steuben in order to muster the troops. The same day some of the hunters brought in a buffalo, which was eighteen hands high and weighed one thousand pounds.
April 1st. The Indians came within twelve miles of the garrison, and killed an old man and took a boy prisoner.
5th. Lieutenant Smith went out with a party of men on a scout and discovered Indians on a hill within half a mile of the garrison.
9th. Ensign Kingsbury went on command with a party to bring in one of the hunters, fifty miles up the Muskingum, for fear of the Indians, who, we hear, are bent on mischief.
25th. One of our men discovered two Indians attempting to steal our horses a little distance from the fort....
May 1st. This is St. Tammany’s day, and was kept with the festivities usual to the frontiers. All the sergeants in the garrison crossed the Ohio to Mr. Williams’, and partook of an excellent dinner.
7th. Twenty-one boats passed on their way to the lower country, Kentucky. They had on board five hundred and nine souls, with many wagons, goods, etc.
14th. John Stockley, a fifer in Captain Strong’s company, deserted. He was pursued and overtaken twelve miles from the garrison, brought back and ordered to run the gauntlet eleven times, through the troops of the garrison, stripped of his Continental clothing, and drummed out the fort with a halter around his neck, all of which was punctually executed.
21st. This evening I sent a young man, who cooked for me on Kerr’s island, about half a mile above the fort after some milk; he was seen to jump into the river near the shore, when about a third of a mile from the garrison. We supposed some of the people were playing in the water. He did not return that evening, which led me to fear he had lost his course. In the morning a party was sent after him. They discovered fresh signs of Indians, and found his hat. They followed the trail, but did not find them. We afterwards heard that they had killed and scalped him. The Indians were a party of Ottawas.
[Fleuron]