Table Of ContentForts of the
United States
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Forts of the
United States
An Historical Dictionary,
16th through 19th Centuries
B H
UD ANNINGS
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina, and London
LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA
Hannings, Bud.
Forts of the United States : an historical dictionary, 16th through 19th
centuries / Bud Hannings.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7864-1796-4
(illustrated case binding : 50# alkaline paper)
1. Fortification—United States—History—Dictionaries. I. Title.
UG410.H36 2006 355.70973—dc22 2005026328
British Library cataloguing data are available
©2006 Bud Hannings. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover art:Alfred Jacob Miller, Fort William on the Laramie, oil painting, 1840
Manufactured in the United States of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
Contents
Preface
1
Forts of the United States
(Arranged by State or Territory)
5
Appendix A. Washington, D.C., Civil War Defenses
629
Appendix B. Florida Seminole Indian War Forts
638
Appendix C. Pony Express Depots
640
Appendix D. Spanish Missions and Presidios
643
Appendix E. Conflicts in America and Europe, 1492–1898: A Chronology
645
Appendix F. Twentieth Century U.S. Forts, Posts, Bases and Stations
653
Bibliography
669
Index
673
v
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Preface
This book provides a brief history of each of the fortifi- This book details all primary forts in the original 13
cations established in what became the United States of Amer- colonies and those parts of the country that were settled by
ica during 400 tumultuous years of growth from the sixteenth the Spanish and French, which later became part of the con-
century to the dawn of the twentieth. In addition, it is in- tinental United States. Covering the same time period, the
tended to clear up confusion regarding some places thought trading posts, blockhouses, garrison houses and fortified vil-
to have forts or camps, where none was ever constructed. The lages are detailed. With regard to the Spanish and French for-
meaning of the word fortification was often determined by tifications, usually a mission was in close proximity. There is
those who established the post. Usually the word fortsignifies a brief history of each of the major Spanish missions, includ-
a permanent installation and camp a temporary facility, but ing those with garrisons. Some minor missions that lacked a
there are exceptions: for example, Camp LeJeune and Camp garrison are, however, not in the text, but they are listed in
Pendleton are both permanent posts of the United States Ma- Appendix D. The missions are listed in the respective states
rine Corps. In Spanish installations, the word presidiousually and the appendix lists all missions and presidios in alphabet-
signified a permanent post. ical order.
During the period covered in this work, settlers often Coverage of fortifications established by the United States
established primitive blockhouses and called them forts. Many military naturally begins with the American Revolution. The
crude trading posts were also known as forts. Sometimes a book also includes the posts controlled by the British during
military installation was known as both a fort and a camp, and the American Revolution as well as the War of 1812.
frequently a battery was referred to as a fort. In some instances, Of course the need for fortification did not end with the
towns were named after a fort when in fact no fort ever ex- success of the Revolution. Continued conflicts required con-
isted in the community. tinual expansion of defenses. In addition to the countless
The descriptions in this book are consistent with how the clashes with the various Indian tribes, the United States mil-
fortification was described at the time of its establishment. itary was called to action in the Quasi-War with France, the
Often the U.S. Army would establish a post designated as a War of 1812, the Creek War, the three Seminole Indian Wars,
camp which later would be redesignated a fort and then re- the Texas War of Independence, the Mexican War, the Civil
designated a camp once again. These variations are covered War, the Plains Indian Wars, and—near the dawn of the
with the individual installations as they occur. twentieth century—the Spanish-American War. Conflict
In spelling the names of the Spanish missions and pre- spawned new structures. Often, the history of a structure in-
sidios this book attempts to follow standard practice in the cludes the saga of the soldiers and pioneers attached to it.
areas where they are located. Official publications and Web Sadly, innumerable names have been lost to history. In some
sites of the state governments uniformly use the English cases, a fort or blockhouse lacked sufficient documentation for
spelling “Mission” but usually include the Spanish-language inclusion in the manuscript. All primary fortifications and
spellings and diacriticals in the names themselves: for exam- many minor posts whose existence could be documented are
ple, Mission Nuestra Señora de Soledad. That practice has included in this book.
been employed here. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the United
The fortifications listed in this work are arranged alpha- States had become a world power; the country had not been
betically within each state. Each entry includes the fort’s date threatened by a foreign adversary since the close of the War
of establishment and date of capture, abandonment or de- of 1812; and the colonial-era forts had become vulnerable to
struction when available. When possible, military actions that modern weaponry. Consequently, as the 1900s began, many
occurred in or near the respective forts are included. of the older defensive forts were abandoned. Meanwhile, forts
1
Preface 2
established in the twentieth century continue to serve the na- without mentioning where even one of them was located. This
tion well, and the military personnel based at the respective presented complications, particularly if the post had a com-
posts stand ready to defend the nation when called upon. Forts mon name such as Fort George, Fort Anne or Fort St. Joseph.
established within the twentieth century are listed in Appen- The most difficult example is Fort Apalachicola. The best-
dix F, which also contains a list of active United States mili- known Fort Apalachicola was located in Florida, but another
tary bases around the world. fort with the same name was located in Alabama. The search
The information in this book is an accumulation of more for that fort was complicated because it stood where Fort Ben-
than twenty years’ research—though the fortifications them- ning later was established, and Fort Benning is located in
selves were not originally the principal subject of that research Georgia and Alabama, in adjoining counties, both of which
e›ort. The information on forts and related structures accu- are named Russell County.
mulated as I was writing other historical works, including a One of the most difficult challenges was an accurate ac-
chronology of early military operations in America. In writ- counting of the Pony Express Stations that operated between
ing those works, I was often faced with the difficulty of sep- Missouri and California during 1860 and 1861. Operators and
arating fact from myth. Solid facts about the fortifications locations changed often, depending upon conditions in the
were often very helpful in that endeavor. Hence the informa- various areas and the accompanying dangers. I am indebted
tion in this book should prove useful to other historians faced to Travis Boley at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph’s,
with similar problems. Missouri, and the National Parks System (Department of the
Pinpointing the correct location of a particular fort or the Interior) for their respective research on the Pony Express.
correct dates associated with that fort was often difficult. For- The stations are listed in the various states and a complete list-
tunately I was ably and generously assisted by expert histori- ing is included in Appendix C. Research continues into the
ans, for whose help I am deeply grateful. Pony Express Stations; the existence of each station included
Confusion arose concerning Civil War fortifications in in this manuscript has, however, been validated by either the
the vicinity of Washington, D.C. Within about six months Pony Express Museum or the National Parks.
after the start of the war, nearly 50 Union fortifications were In most instances where conflicts existed, the discrepan-
established around the capital and within an additional six cies were usually eliminated by contacting the individual na-
months, the number grew to 120. Frequently, one regiment tional, state or county historic sites. Information attributed to
would name a fort and another regiment would call the iden- legends that had been handed down but not verified was ei-
tical post by another name. Another problem that developed ther confirmed or clarified by personal contact. For example,
was trying to distinguish whether the post was in D.C., Mary- legend holds that the first time the American flag was flown
land or Virginia. Here, too, I was greatly aided by an histo- in battle was at Fort Stanwix (renamed Fort Schuyler) in Au-
rian, Wally Owens of Fort Ward. His research and the book gust 1777. Historians at the Fort discount the legend, explain-
(Mr. Lincoln’s Forts) he co-authored, combined with original ing that it was not possible for those at the Fort to have re-
documentation by General Totten and the National Parks Sys- ceived the official design for the flag prior to the battle.
tem, were invaluable in compiling an accurate record of the Another example of how legend di›ers from fact is the “Bat-
defenses of Washington, D.C. In conjunction, the forts that tle of Bennington.” The battle is celebrated in Vermont each
encircled Washington are listed in the respective states and all year; however, the battle was actually fought in New York.
the forts are listed in Appendix A in alphabetical order. Misinformation existed even on major forts, such as Fort
During the Seminole Indian Wars, several hundred posts Duquesne in western Pennsylvania. Some publications list
were established, but a complete list does not exist as many of Fort Duquesne as having been seized during Pontiac’s War.
them have never been located or validated by fact. In compil- Actually, Fort Duquesne was earlier captured from the French
ing information on the Florida Seminole Indian War forts I by the English and was renamed Fort Pitt. Fort Pitt, in turn,
was greatly assisted by historian Chris Kimball, who special- was one of only three forts along the frontier that did notfall
izes on the period. The Seminole Indian forts have their own during Pontiac’s War. Even historical markers sometimes
entries in the main text, but for the interested reader a list is o›ered this sort of erroneous information.
also provided as Appendix B. Frequently a fort was listed in one county but located in
Assistance from historian, park ranger and author Scott another because county boundaries had changed.These prob-
Sheads helped me accurately detail another complicated series lems were most often solved, thanks to the meticulous record-
of fortifications located in Baltimore in the vicinity of Fort keeping of state archives, historical societies and individual
McHenry. Yet another expert historian, Chris Fonvielle, eas- counties. Frequently, settlers’ forts and garrison houses could
ily untangled the confusion surrounding some of the defenses be validated by county records of deeds. In some cases, how-
in the vicinity of Wilmington, North Carolina. ever, records either never existed or long ago vanished.
Often, a fort would be mentioned in a publication with- Other primary sources that contributed to the accuracy
out any indication of its geographical location. An author of the information included the individual historical divisions
might, for example, list every fort lost during Pontiac’s War of the armed forces, the National Parks System, and local li-
3 Preface
braries stretched across the country. Usually the local library, Many traces of the ancient forts are still visible and a
onsite historian or historical society was able to answer ques- large number are still standing. When possible, the listings
tions and resolve discrepancies. note whether the particular fort is open to the public. Many
A comprehensive bibliography is included; the reader of the fortifications are operated by the National Park System
should understand, however, that it would be impossible to or the respective states and counties. Most often, local histo-
list every reference librarian and historical society that has rians are on site. Some forts are still in active service, but the
added to the accuracy of this book over the years. Despite the military permits access to many of the active forts. A large
constant search for the origin of a fortification, and the most number of fortifications contain comprehensive museums and
gracious cooperation of librarians, state archivists, county his- gift shops.
torians, historical societies and military historians, some in- Even as each European nation sought to dominate Amer-
stallations and camps could not be verified sufficiently to in- ica, Europe itself was a cauldron of open warfare. From the
clude in this book. However, that does not suggest that they War of the Roses during the 1440s until the close of the Amer-
never existed. Nevertheless, if in my judgment insufficient ev- ican Civil War, the nations of Europe were nearly always in
idence existed, the fortification was omitted. conflict with one another. Meanwhile, the United States grew,
This book is essentially a history of structures that pro- prospered, and survived its own civil war, as one unified na-
tected the pioneers and soldiers, along with their families, who tion. European conflicts are included in Appendix E, along
carved a nation out of the wilderness. To the eyes of many, with those taking place within the present-day United States.
the ruins of those ancient forts are just rubble; however, with The chronology is provided in order to give the reader an op-
each log and brick and with each adobe wall or mud earth- portunity to compare the American military situation to the
works that once stood, there was a story of boldness and of situation in Europe at any period.
determination. Many of those stories have been lost, but many This reference work records the history of the thousands
others are attached to the history of the respective forts in this of installations that were established, destroyed, rebuilt, cap-
book. tured, recaptured, and abandoned during the tumultuous years
With each of the fortifications, there was a garrison, ei- between Columbus’s arrival and the end of the nineteenth
ther regular military, militia or settlers; therefore, the trail of century. The logs, bricks and granite that o›ered protection
the cavalry and infantry regiments as well as the artillery and for the garrisons of old now provide the foundation for Amer-
signal corps and the pioneers often remains fresh enough for icans of the twenty-first century to more easily grasp the legacy
the reader to get a glimpse of the trials that they faced. of sacrifices made by those who came before.
