Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)Croghan, George
History
Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)
Croghan, George
Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
[63] Captain Donald Campbell was a Scotch officer who came to America
with the 62nd regiment in 1756, and was made captain of the Royal
Americans in 1759. After accompanying this expedition to Detroit
(1760), he was left in command of that post (see letter from Campbell,
_Massachusetts Historical Collections_, 4th series, ix, p. 382), and when
superseded by Major Gladwin remained as lieutenant-commander. Leaving
the fort on an embassy, during the Pontiac uprising (1763), he was
treacherously seized, made captive, and cruelly murdered by the Indian
hostiles. See Parkman, _Conspiracy of Pontiac_ (Boston, 1851), chaps. 11
and 14.—ED.
[64] Marin’s expedition (1753), that erected forts Presqu’ Isle and Le
Bœuf, intended to plant a fort at Venango, at the junction of French
Creek with the Allegheny; the first detachment sent out for that purpose
was, however, repulsed by the Indians. When Washington visited the place
(December, 1753), he found the French flag flying over the house of an
English trader, Frazier, who had been driven from the spot. The following
year, the French built an outpost on this site, and named it Fort
Machault. When Post passed by here in 1758, he found it garrisoned by
but six men and a single officer; see _post_. The French abandoned Fort
Machault in 1759, and early the following spring the English built Fort
Venango, about forty rods nearer the mouth of the creek. At the outbreak
of Pontiac’s War, the latter fort was commanded by Lieutenant Gordon, and
he with all the garrison were captured, tortured, and murdered by Indian
foes. No fort was rebuilt at this place until late in the Revolution,
when Fort Franklin was erected for the protection of the border, being
garrisoned from 1788-96. The present town of Franklin was laid out around
the post in 1795.—ED.
[65] The French Fort Le Bœuf (technically, “Fort de la Rivière aux
Bœufs”) was built by Marin (1753) on a creek of the same name, at the
site of the present town of Waterford, the terminus of the road which
Marin caused to be constructed south from Presqu’ Isle. This was the
destination of Washington’s expedition in 1753, and here he met the
French commandant, Legardeur de St. Pierre. The fort at this place
was farmed out to a French officer, who superintended the portage of
provisions from Lake Erie to the Ohio. Post found it garrisoned by about
thirty soldiers in 1758; see _post_. The following year, after the French
had abandoned it, a detachment of the Royal Americans went forward from
Fort Pitt to occupy this stronghold; and three years later Ensign Price
was beleaguered therein by the Indians, and barely escaped with his
life after a brave but futile defense. The Indians destroyed Fort Le
Bœuf by fire, and it was never rebuilt. In 1794, another fort with the
same name was erected near the old site, and garrisoned until after the
War of 1812-15. Subsequently the structure was used as a hotel, until
accidentally burned in 1868.—ED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account