Fort Jefferson (Ohio)
Fort Jefferson Site | |
Location | State Route 121 in Neave Township, Darke County, Ohio |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°1′32″N 84°39′24″W / 40.02556°N 84.65667°W |
Area | 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) |
Built | 1791 |
NRHP reference No. | 70000488[1] |
Added to NRHP | November 10, 1970 |
Fort Jefferson was a fortification erected by soldiers of the United States Army in October 1791 during the Northwest Indian War. Built to support a military campaign, it saw several years of active fighting. Today, the fort site is a historic site.
Establishment
Located in present-day
One month later, after St. Clair's army was
Siege of Fort Jefferson
The defeat of the American army in late 1791 left Fort Jefferson deep in enemy territory. Determined to drive the American soldiers back to the Ohio River, a Native American force (possibly under the command of Simon Girty) raided the fort in the early Summer 1792. This raid began on 25 June 1792, with an attack of one hundred warriors against a party gathering hay for the fort's supplies, and left sixteen soldiers dead or missing.[2]: 578 It is possible that another raid was conducted a short while later with the intention of capturing or killing Captain Shaylor. Local histories suggest the attackers exploited Shaylor's love of hunting by imitating wild turkey calls to lure Shaylor and his son into the woods. Captain Shaylor escaped the ensuing pursuit, but his son was killed.[2]: 579
The fort came under siege intermittently for three years, as continued Native American attacks were made to neutralize the outpost.[3]
Wayne's campaign
As the United States Army prepared to return to the offensive in the western Ohio country, Fort Jefferson became more than an isolated location outside of the control of the hostile
After the war
After the end of the war, white settlers began to take up residence in the vicinity of the abandoned fort. A blockhouse was built by one nearby resident in 1810; by 1820, more settlers had built houses, a mill, and a school near the fort site. The settlement developed into Fort Jefferson, Ohio.[2]: 579
In the fall of 1907, the Greenville Historical Society dedicated a memorial on the site of the fort.[2]: 579 Fort Jefferson was further recognized in 1970 when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The area designated as historic encompasses approximately 6.5 acres (2.6 ha).[1]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wilson, Frazer. History of Darke County Ohio: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. Vol. 1. Milford: Hobart, 1914.
- ^ Ohio Historical Society, 2010. Accessed 2010-04-10.
Further reading
- Williams, Gary S. The Forts of Ohio: A Guide to Military Stockades. Caldwell: Buckeye Book, 2003.
External links
- Fort Jefferson - official site at Ohio Historical Society