Magazine of western history, illustrated, Vol. I, No. 1, November 1884Various
History
Magazine of western history, illustrated, Vol. I, No. 1, November 1884
Various
Local history -- Periodicals; United States -- History -- Periodicals; West (U.S.) -- History -- Periodicals
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, surmounted by
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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