Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828Poinsatte, Charles R.
History
Outpost in the Wilderness: Fort Wayne, 1706-1828
Poinsatte, Charles R.
Fort Wayne (Ind.) -- History
The arrival of Joseph Drouet de Richerville at Fort Miami was an
isolated case, however, and what DeRaymond had said of the traders
leaving for Detroit remained true. In all likelihood, DeRaymond, despite
his zeal, was glad to be relieved in 1751 by a new commandant, Neyon De
Villiers. De Villiers had hardly assumed command when an English trader,
John Pathin, was captured within the fort itself. As France and England
were then at peace, Governor George Clinton of New York demanded an
explanation of the incident. The French governor, the Marquis de la
Jonquiere, replied sharply:
The English, far from confining themselves within the limits of the
King of Great Britain’s possessions, not satisfied with multiplying
themselves more and more on Rock River ... have more than that
proceeded within sight of Detroit, even unto the fort of the
Miamis.... John Pathin, an inhabitant of Willensten, has been arrested
in the French fort of the Miamis by M. de Villiers, commandant of that
post ... he entered the fort of the Miamis to persuade the Indians who
remained there, to unite with those who have fled to the beautiful
river [the Ohio.] He has been taken in the French fort. Nothing more
is necessary.[54]
A short time later, two men of de Villiers’ garrison were scalped by “La
Demoiselle’s savages.” Indeed the English seem to have laid claim to the
very fort itself, for on Mitchell’s “Map of North America”, drawn in
1755, Fort Miami is referred to as “the Fort usurped by the French”.[55]
In June, 1752, a French and Indian force, coming by way of the Maumee
and St. Mary’s rivers, fell on Pickawillany, completely destroying the
English post, so annoying to the French at Fort Miami. Four years later,
during the French and Indian War, Lieutenant Bellestre, the commandant
of Fort Miami, led a party of 25 French and 205 Indians from his post to
the head of the James River, where they captured a blockhouse and some
ten Virginia “Rangers”. After his release, one of the captives, Major
Smith, proposed to lead a force of 1,000 woodsmen and a sufficient
number of Indians across the Ohio and over the Shawnee trail from old
Pickawillany to Fort Miami and then on to Detroit.[56] Although nothing
came of Major Smith’s plans, the site of the future Fort Wayne was to
figure prominently in all the military campaigns north of the Ohio river
for the next half century, that is throughout the dramatic events marked
by Pontiac’s conspiracy, the American Revolution, the Indian wars, and
the War of 1812.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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