Woods Fort, Missouri: Built By Nathan Boone and His Men

From the Great River Road.com.

Captain Nathan Boone's (youngest son of Nathaniel Boone) company of U.S. Mounted Rangers built a series of forts to protect Missouri from Indian attacks.

Woods Fort was built at the Cottle/Woods settlement and was an almost square stockade made of strong oak timbers set perpendicular in the ground and extending to a height to afford protection from attack.

Woods Fort was the most extensive fort in the region near St. Louis and enclosed the spring, cabins, Woods Tavern and Inn and Deacon Cottle's Universal Church.  During the War of 1812, the fort served as the headquarters for Lieutenant Zachary Taylor, later the 12th U.S. president.

The settlement around Woods Fort eventually became Troy,  Missouri.

The Sac/Fox Treaty of 1815-1816 ended hostilities with the Indians.

--Brock-Perry

Woods Fort, Mo.-- Part 3: A Square Stockade

From the City of Troy site.

 Settlers built the square stockade known as Woods Fort near the corner of Maone and Boone streets.

The stockade stretched 70 yards north and included the home of Zadock Woods.  It extended  east to include the home of Joseph Cottle.

--Brock-Perry

Woods Fort, Missouri-- Part 2: Forts and the Battle of Sink Hole

To defend themselves against Indian attack, pioneers of the area (now Lincoln County) built several forts in the area, including Woods Fort, Fort Howard, Fort Stout, Fort Clark and Fort Cap au Gris.

Major Zachary Taylor's command rendezvoused at Woods Fort in September 1814.  Five months later thy did the same at Fort Howard.  Black Hawk's band on Indians skirmished with settlers and the U.S. Mounted Rangers at the Battle of Sink Hole.

--Brock-Perry

Woods Fort, Present-Day Troy, Mo.-- Part 1: Named After Zaddock Woods

From Waymarking.

In the last post I mentioned the U.S. Mounted Rangers being based at Woods Fort in 1815, present-day site of Troy, Missouri.

Woods Fort was where settlers gathered for protection from the Indians (primarily Sac and Fox Indian tribes) during the War of 1812.  It was the headquarters of Lieutenant Zachary Taylor (later U.S. president).

Troy was laid out on the site of Woods Fort in 1819.  Before whites came to the area, it was the site of an old Sac and Fox Indian camp.  The first white settlers to the area were Joseph Cottle and Zadock Woods and they built their cabins there in 1810.

--Brock-Perry

Texas War of 1812 Veterans-- Part 31: Zadock Woods

ZADOCK WOODS  September 18, 1773-September 18, 1842

Buried at Monument Hill Cemetery, LaGrange, Texas.

Born in Brookfield, Massachusetts.  Married Minerva Cottle.  Moved to Missouri about 1802 and established a "fort" at Woodville, near Troy, Missouri.

During the War of 1812, Zachary Taylor garrisoned at Woods Fort and Zadock Woods later served with Jackson at New Orleans.

--Brock-Perry