War of 1812 in Illinois Territory-- Part 4: Enter Zachary, Exit Zachary, British Offensive

Other desultory expeditions marked the campaigns of 1813 and 1814.

The Indians, meanwhile, gaining courage, began near continuous marauding raids on American settlements.

Later, in 1814,  an expedition led by Major (later U.S. president)  Zachary Taylor ascended the Mississippi River as far as  Rock Island, where he found a large force of Indians supported by British regulars with artillery.  Finding himself unable to cope with so formidable a foe, Major Taylor retreated down the river.

On the site of the present-day town of Warsaw, Illinois, he threw up fortifications which eh named Fort Edwards.  However, he was subsequently compelled to retreat.

The same year, the British with their Indian allies, descended from Mackinac and capture Prairie du Chien and burned Forts Madison and Johnston, after which they retired to Cap Au Gris.

The Treaty of Ghent, signed December 24, 1814, closed the war although no formal treaties were made  with the tribes until the following year.

--Brock-Perry

The War of 1812 in Illinois-- Part 1

From Free Pages Roots Web."

Upon the declaration of war  in June 1812, the Potawatomies and most other Indian tribes in the Illinois Territory strongly sympathized with the British, whom they saw as valuable allies in keeping the intruding American settlers from taking their land.ar of 1812."

They had been  hostile and restless for some time previous and blockhouses and small family forts were the order of the day for American settlers who were mostly in the southern part of the future state. There were often Indian  attacks on them.

Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards, becoming apprehensive of an outbreak of Indian hostility as the situation between the United States and Britain worsened, constructed Fort Russel a few miles from the present-day city of Edwardsville (named for him).  Sadly, the exact location of this fort is not known today (probably north of the city).

Taking the field in person, he made Fort Russell his personal headquarters and collected a force of 250  mounted volunteers who were later reinforced by two companies of rangers, under  Col. William Russell, numbering about 100 men.

--Brock-Perry

Looking For Fort Johnson-- Part 2: Exact Location Not Known

The following fall, 1815, Cantonment Davis was built on the site of Fort Johnson.  It was used as a winter staging area for the construction of the nearby Fort Edwards.  It was afterwards used by the military and later the American Fur Trading Company for several decades before it was abandoned.

An obelisk stands at the site of Fort Edwards, but the exact location of Fort Johnson and Cantonment Davis is unknown.  They knew roughly where they were, but not exactly.

--Brock-Perry

Samuel C. Muir-- :Part 3: Some Facts About Him

Other sources on Muir:

**  Muir helped lay out the City of Keokuk and named most of the main streets.

**  One of the early pioneers of Iowa.

**  While at Fort Edwards at Warsaw, Illinois in 1820, he crossed the Mississippi River to where Keokuk is today and married "a beautiful and intelligent Indian girl of the Sac nation."

**  In 1820, Dr. Samuel C. Muir built the first house in what is today Keokuk near Main and Water Street.  In 1839 the house was bought by C.B. Fleck.

**  Keokuk was named for Chief Keokuck, Chief of the Sac and Fox Indians.  In 1883, his bones were dug up from Franklin County, Kansas, and brought to Keokuk.  He was reburied in Rand Park under a massive stone.

--Brock-Perry

Samuel C. Muir-- Part 2: Resigned From Army Over Order to Abandon His Wife

Some years later, an order from the U.S. Army required that officers abandon their Indian wives if they had one.  Muir refused to obey the order and resigned his commission.

Afterwards, he settle on a farm near the mouth of the Des Moines River, opposite of his old fort, Fort Edwards.  This is where the town of Keokuk, Iowa, stands today.

He died in 1832 of cholera, leaving his wife and five children destitute while his property was involved in litigation.

Keokuk was first known as Pirch-e-chut-tech and Dr. Muir was one of its first settlers as well as one of the first pioneers in the state of Iowa.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Edwards Monument, Warsaw, Illinois

Built 1914 to honor 100th anniversary.  Barre granite monument.  Cost $7,390.  A three-day celebration was held, attracting crowd estimated to be at 10,000..

The monument has four bronze panels at the bottom of it.  The first three feature pictures of Fort Edwards, Ninian Edwards (Illinois Territorial Governor and namesake) and Zachary Taylor.

The fourth panel reads:  "Erected September, 1914 to commemorate the establishment of Fort Edwards built by Major Zachary Taylor 3rd U.S. Infantry September 1814.  Abandoned July 1824."

Evidently, for the fourth panel, they got a lot of this confused with Fort Johnson.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Edwards-- Part 3: Built to Replace Fort Johnson

From the Warsaw, Illinois, Park District.

Even after the Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812, problems with the Indians continued.

The 5th U.S. Infantry was sent to establish a fort in Illinois at the mouth of the Des Moines River.  They likely discovered the charred remains of Fort Johnson but found a more commanding view of the Mississippi River and Des Moines River.  They spent the winter and construction of the new fort in Cantonment Davis located on the ruins of Fort Johnson.

They cleared the bluff north of the old fort and built Fort Edwards, named after the territorial governor of Illinois, Ninian Edwards.  This fort was abandoned by the military in 1824 and was then used by the American Fur Company owned by John Jacob Astor.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Edwards in Warsaw, Illinois-- Part 2: An Interesting Story

Sometime before 1820, a beautiful Indian maid had a dream that a white warrior would paddle across the Mississippi and come to her lodge.    When she awoke, she went to Fort Edwards where she saw Dr. Samuel Muir, an army surgeon.  She believed him to be the man of her dreams.

She told her story to Dr. Muir and "due to her beauty, devotion and innocence,"  Muir agreed to marry her.

He called her Sophia and they had a baby.  Many of the other officers at Fort Edwards derided Muir for marrying an Indian girl and he became ashamed.  He was restationed to another fort in Missouri and abandoned her.

She then traveled one hundred miles with children and found him and Muir then swore that he would never leave her again.  The Army later banned marriages between officers and Indian women, whereupon Muir resigned his commission.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Edwards in Warsaw, Illinois-- Part 1: Replaced Fort Johnson

From Illinois in Focus.

Warsaw, in Hancock County, is the westernmost town in Illinois.  At the north end of the town is Fort Edwards Park.  This is on the site of Fort Edwards, the fort that replaced Fort Johnson.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Johnson (Illinois)-- Part 3: Three Fortifications in Warsaw, Illinois

From Joseph Smith Papers.

Fort Johnson.  Located at the foot of the Des Moines rapids on the Mississippi River in the town of Warsaw, Illinois.

Three forts have been constructed there:  Fort Johnson (1814), Cantonment Davis (1815-1818) and Fort Edwards  (1816-1824).

I was wondering about the Fort Edwards mentioned in the last post.  So it replaced Fort Johnson.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Johnson (Illinois)-- Part 2: Where Is It?

In October 1815, Fort Johnson was reoccupied and renamed Cantonment Davis.  Troops from here helped construct Fort Edwards which was occupied by American troops until 1824 and then traders moved in until about 1832.

Recent archaeological surveys have determined the probable location of Fort Johnson / Cantonment Davis.

--Brock-Perry

War of 1812 Presentation Back in 2016 on Fort Edwards

From the January 8, 2016, Rock River (Illinois) Times  "Archaeological Institute hosts War of 1812 presentation."

The Rockford Society of Archaeological Institute of America held a free multi-media presentation on Archaeology on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Burpee Museum of Natural History at 737 N. Main Street.

The topic will be "The War of 1812 and Rediscovery in Illinois:  Military Fort on the Mississippi River" and will feature Mark C. Branstner.  He will be speaking about the War of 1812 Fort Edwards near Warsaw, Illinois that has been rediscovered.

His talk will focus on the fort's rediscovery and recovered historical objects.

--Brock-Perry

Back to Fort Johnson

From Waymarking

In 1816, Fort Johnson at Warsaw, Illinois, was replaced by Fort Edwards, named for Ninian Edwards, governor of Illinois Territory and third governor of the state.

An obelisk was erected on the site with four bronze panels at the base.  The first depicts the fort, the second Ninian Edwards, the third Zachary Taylor and the fourth reads "Erected September 1914, to commemorate the establishment of Fort Edwards built by Major Zachary Taylor, 3rd U.S. Infantry September, 1814.  Abandoned July, 1824.

Brock-Perry

Some More on Illinois' Fort Johnson

From Wikipedia

Built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.  Construction began in September 1814 by Zachary Taylor near present-day Warsaw, after he retreated following the Battle of Credit Island, by Davenport, Iowa.  It had a commanding view of the Mississippi River, the mouth of the Des Moines River and the foot of the Des Moines Rapids.

The fort could hold a company of soldiers, but was abandoned in late October 1814 when the company retreated to Cap au Gris near St. Louis.

In October 1815, the site was reoccupied and Cantonment Davis established.  Troops from it helped build Fort Edwards by the site which was occupied by the army until 1824 and until 1832 by traders.

Build the Fort and They Will Come.  --Brock-Perry